Binyamin Ali

The San Francisco-based start-up is in discussions with Proterra about a cultured meat partnership at a time when more Asian investors want exposure to the space.

Neptune brings the aquaculture experience of ex-AMERRA head of PE Thor Talseth while Stafford has been ramping up its ag credentials for the last three years – what can the duo accomplish?

Managing director Jim Heyes said the firm 'did pretty well' on the purchase price agreed on with Nile Fibreboard but declined to disclose the monetary value.

Capital was deployed from the firm’s evergreen ag and timberland vehicle which had a €32m first close at the start of November.

The firm’s early stage and agtech investments vehicle’s commitment to The Kingfish Company gives it exposure to a business embarking on a US expansion project in 2021.

Direction of travel signaled by the bloc over the past few years is creating a fundraising environment beneficial to start-ups and is now backed by a sustainability conscious subsidy package.

Among the businesses to receive backing is Nanoracks, a frequent user of the International Space Station that is building a research center in the emirate to explore harsh climate food production.

Some US LPs have ‘formal mandates to reduce their allocation to Asia’ due to the US-China trade war, said Proterra Asia managing partner Tai Lin.

Universally recognized authenticity checks, price points created by non-arbitrary forces and a way to reward those already farming sustainably are needed – this is a market with a lot left to prove.

The firm secured a 27.4% IRR when it exited its €15m timberland fund in December 2019 and is now targeting a €100m vehicle with a €200m hard-cap.