

Upfront Ventures, a US agtech and general technology investment firm, is launching its fifth fund with a target $250 million, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing filed last week.
The firm has invested in two agtech firms this year, Grove Labs, a hydroponics system manufacturer and 6Sensor Labs, a portable food allergy test maker. 6Sensor Labs raised $4 million earlier this year in a capital raising round raising led by Upfront. Upfront also led $2 million round for Grove Labs in June.
The firm, which was founded in 1996, has closed several successful funds. Fund I, which closed on $200 million, invested in household names such as lastminute.com. Subsequent funds raised $400 million in 2000, $200 million in 2008 and $200 million in 2012.
The firm focuses its investing in Series A rounds of capital raising and currently concentrates most of its attention to retail innovation and consumer products. The firm invests in the US only.