Fundraising

Managing partner Jeffrey Howard says Front Range Biosciences is among the companies benefiting from a surge in private investor interest in cannabis.

The investment comes as the $9bn Sacramento pension earmarks up to 30% of an increased real assets portfolio for ag and timber by 2020.

The $129bn pension, which has backed Agriculture Capital and Homestead Capital among others in the past, is providing one-sixth of the dry powder sought by IFC's $1.5bn buy-and-lease vehicle.

The Brisbane-based firm, which was part of a failed Chinese-led bid for S Kidman & Co, has seen ‘continuing interest’ from investors in unlisted assets.

As it strives to become a more diversified logistics provider, 114-year-old Maersk hopes to learn from entrepreneurs by becoming a 'credible' investor, says Maersk Growth venture partner Peter Votkjaer Jorgensen.

The fund will target 12% annual returns as the profile of developing-world timber rises among impact investors, says Arbaro Advisors MD Marco Kaiser.

Chief executive Bruce Rastetter says the vehicle will target annual returns of more than 20 percent by investing in mid-cap companies in mid-stream agricultural businesses located in the US Midwest.

Western Australian Farm Investment Fund is targeting 13.5% IRR but has received little interest from domestic superannuation funds.

Select Equities hopes to raise A$100m from a majority of domestic investors before listing the Bio Fund at a 20% to 40% premium. We zoom in on the mechanics of the 'private-to-public' vehicle.

IDeA Agro has raised around 80% of its €100m target from a clutch of institutional investors. MD Gianandrea Perco tells Agri Investor why he thinks a successor fund could be much bigger.