agtech

Managing partner David Taiclet says the firm’s early agtech investments helped attract institutional capital to its $169m Fund II, while interest in its $88m RBIC was not limited to Farm Credit System institutions.

Food technology proved vital during the pandemic but fundraising and deal activity in this space continues to rage on in what will surely be a record year.

Managing partner Adam Anders says the sector has hit a ‘sweet spot’ where traditional VC investors, corporates and real estate investors are all paying attention to the space.

The Canadian pension’s venture capital arm made its first agtech investment in June, as it used its direct investment mandate to enter the alternative protein space.

Teachers’ Innovation Platform has grown to amass a C$3.7bn portfolio since it was launched in 2019 and made its first agtech investment in mid-June when it led a $226m Series B for Motif FoodWorks.

Partner Ben Kortlang says Los Angeles-headquartered ProducePay aims to provide fresh produce the same information sharing and intermediary functions that have transformed transportation and used car markets.

Mitsubishi Corporation has selected Trendlines Agrifood to be its local partner as it looks for emerging agricultural technologies and start-ups in Israel.

Partner Andrew Sweet compares partially or fully developed fruit genetics libraries produced by government funding that has since dried to ‘stranded assets’, which the firm wants to acquire.

Every 10th portion of protein consumed on Earth could be alternative by 2035, says Boston Consulting Group. Strategically placed investors may be in sight of very handsome returns.

The San Francisco-based start-up launched an Asia-based JV with Proterra Investment Partners last year and won the global race to have cultured meat product approved for consumption.