Tag: Investor Insight

Connecterra moves on from FitBit for cows to predictive intelligence, regenerative ag

November 28, 2019

Consumers and retailers are putting increasing demands on the world’s dairy farmers- not just to provide more supply but to do it with improved environmental credentials, better traceability, lower use of antibiotics and medicine, and more humane treatment of animals.

Food & agtech investors are most excited about the future in Asia

November 19, 2019

With Idea2Scale, we conducted a survey of 50 global venture capital firms that invest in foodtech and agtech and asked them about the categories and geographies they were most excited about as well as the key challenges to investing in the sector.

Paine Schwartz is eyeing plant-based revolution with new $1.5bn PE fund

November 6, 2019

Institutional investors are increasingly looking to invest in important sectors that matter and food and agriculture is one of them, according to Kevin Schwartz.

Survey: Which Food & AgTech categories, geographies are investors most excited about?

November 5, 2019

Find out which regions and sectors VCs are most eager to explore in 2020 and tips on how startups can improve their chances of making a deal in this new investor sentiment survey conducted by Idea2Scale and AgFunder.

Renewal Funds eyes earth-friendly food for its C$145m fourth fund

September 30, 2019

The Vancouver-based venture capital firm has raised a further C$145 million to invest in environmental tech and sustainable consumer products, including organic food and alternative protein.

Bellwether Coffee checks sustainability, fair wage boxes for impact fund DBL

September 12, 2019

“Bellwether Coffee has a dream team of sustainability and coffee experts and is addressing a large market ripe for improvement,” Nancy Pfund, managing partner at DBL Partners, tells AFN.

Why Fieldin stood out in crowded farm management software space

September 5, 2019

You’d be forgiven for finding the growing farm management software space overwhelming; there are now hundreds of different software tools for farmers across crop types globally. At AgFunder, we’ve reviewed many of them so it takes something special to capture our attention.

Yamaha leads $7.5m Series A in strawberry harvesting robot

August 27, 2019

Yamaha Motor Ventures' Nolan Paul tells AFN the biggest challenges for robotics and why he thinks Advanced Farm Technologies will go all the way.

Meet TRAY, our first investment in Restaurant Tech

August 14, 2019

Ever walked into a quick-serve restaurant only to find an anything-but-quick line that makes you turn around and walk straight back out again? Those lines may soon become a thing of the past, with the help of our latest investment, Tray.

Rabobank and Caspian partner to fill the debt gap for India’s agri-foodtech startups

August 12, 2019

Dutch banking giant Rabobank is teaming up with impact investment firm Caspian to lend $2 million to India's agtech startups, which are hot with venture capital firms, but not so much with banks.

Future Positive Capital’s Vision for the Future of Farming and Food

June 20, 2019

Armed with $57 million, Future Positive Capital intends to place more bets on wonky tech ideas that have the potential to drive systems change while reaping profits in long-established markets, like food and agriculture.

Farm Tech & Supply Chain Tech Drive $1.6bn in Funding to European AgriFood Tech Startups in 2018

May 23, 2019

Europe's agrifood tech ecosystem raised just 9% of the funding that went to foodtech and agtech startups globally in 2018. But deal activity increased 23% as agrifood tech startups in the region closed a similar number of deals as in the US.

Animal AgTech, The Sector’s Awkward Uncle, Proudly Struts Its Stuff In San Fran

March 26, 2019

Animal agtech is no innovation backwater as the inaugural ReThink summit focused on the sector proved last week in San Francisco.

“Basic Farm Tech Tools Won’t Provide VCs the Exit Returns They Need, So Why Are VCs Still Investing in Them?”

March 13, 2019

Nolan Paul, Partner at Yamaha Motor Ventures and ex-head of R&D Strategy and Emerging Technology at leading produce grower Driscoll's is offering his thoughts on how the agritech sector is developing ahead of his speaking slot at World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco next month.

Founder of Agtech’s First Unicorn David Friedberg Reveals Investment Portfolio of The Production Board

February 21, 2019

You may have seen The Production Board crop up on a few agrifood tech investments, but there's little publicly-available information about the investment holding company founded by David Friedberg. Until now.

Why Did Global Food Giant ADM Invest in Volcanic Microbes?

February 13, 2019

ADM Ventures is purposeful about the types of companies it considers investing in.

Woman-Led Midwest Angel Investment Firm iiM Invests $2.4m in 6 AgriFood Tech Startups

January 31, 2019

Kansas City-based angel investment firm iiM (Innovation in Motion) has invested in a variety of early-stage agrifood tech startup companies covering everything from a bio-based plastic alternative to oral vaccines for livestock and companion animals.

80 Acres Farms Raises $40m to Complete ‘First Fully Automated Vertical Farm’

January 17, 2019

The new facility will be automated from seeding to growing to harvesting featuring handling robotics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and around-the-clock monitoring sensors and control systems to optimize every aspect of growing produce indoors.

Merck Acquires Digital Livestock Tech Antelliq for $2.4bn in Biggest Agtech Acquisition on Record

December 19, 2018

US pharmaceutical company Merck has acquired digital livestock and animal health tech company Antelliq Group for €2.1 billion ($2.37 billion).

Antelliq manufactures sensors for animals, including ear tags for dairy cows through a product called Allflex that can monitor cows’ activity and provide traceability.

Argentina’s Top Agritech Startup Bioceres to List on NYSE Raising $100m+ in Reverse IPO

November 19, 2018

Bioceres, the Argentinian ag biotech business, is set to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) early next year through a reverse listing with a company controlled by Uruguyuan presidential hopeful Juan Sartori.