Alle afleveringen
222 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Investing in regenerative agriculture supply chains, with Calla Rose Ostrander
2 oktober 2024 · 32 min
When it comes to leveraging capital to fund climate action in agriculture, few ideas get as much play as regenerative agriculture. The idea of production that can not only be sustained but that can actively help renew resources has captured imaginations within the sector and without, giving life to events like the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum, where the faithful share strategies to incentivize investors to sink their resources into these solutions. Sarah is headed to the RFSI Forum this year (October 9th and 10th in Denver, Colorado), and to get a jump on the valuable discussions, we’ve invited conference speaker Calla Rose Ostrander, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Terra Regenerative Capital, joins us today to talk about her journey to the important and challenging work of investing in regenerative ag opportunities. Lees meer
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Terra Regenerative Capital • Topics: regen-ag, finance-investing, supply-chain, natural-capital
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When Kansas dries up… in 2050, with Dan Northrup
18 september 2024 · 32 min
There are many parts of the US that are at risk for severe drought and heat in the next 30 years due to climate change. But then there’s Kansas, where some growers pull irrigation water from a particularly vulnerable part of the gigantic Ogallala aquifer, which according to the latest science, may well be fully depleted by 2050. Western Kansas isn’t exactly the heart of the corn belt, but farming in the region does support substantial nearby livestock industries, including large confined dairy and beef cattle operations. If feed becomes sparse, or must come from more expensive, more distant geographies, the regional economic disruptions could be vast. Lees meer
Dan Northrup, part of Galvanize Climate Solutions’ Science and Tech team and an Associate Professor at Iowa State University, joins us today to talk about the risks, and opportunities, that this kind of water vulnerability introduces, and where he thinks public and private investors can act now.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Galvanize Climate Solutions • Topics: irrigation-water, climate-risk, crops-horticulture, farm-economics
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Unconventional farmer-led finance strategies, with Quint Pottinger
4 september 2024 · 40 min
Despite challenging conditions in financial markets the world over, ambitious entrepreneurs find a way. There are few sectors where that is more true than in agriculture, and despite the industry’s reputation for convention and conservatism, challenging times call for creative measures, and farmers are nothing if not creative. Lees meer
To learn more about innovative farm business models and the cutting edge of farm financial strategies, we invited Quint Pottinger, Owner of Affinity Farms in Kentucky, USA. Quint is not only bringing in hedge fund investors, he’s selling all his crops– corn, soybeans, wheat, and rye– into specialty markets and finding hefty premiums for doing so, all while improving his local community’s sustainability and creating a transformed future food system where his farm will thrive.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Affinity Farms, Galvanize Climate Solutions • Topics: farm-economics, finance-investing, business-model, people-culture
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Ag's sci-fi (and non-fiction) future: horizon scanning… so what? with Shane Thomas
21 augustus 2024 · 36 min
We’ve been thinking (and talking, and writing) a lot lately about the forces that are shaping the future of agriculture. There are the more obvious ones– artificial intelligence and mandatory climate disclosures– to the less obvious, like the ubiquity of remotely sensed data and geoengineering. All of these forces, and others like them, are not only acting on ag and the institutions the industry depends on, they’re also acting on one another, evolving and compounding all the time. Lees meer
We investigated these forces, and four critical scenarios that they might create, in our latest report, Navigating a Future of Cross-Sectoral Forces, commissioned by AgriFutures Australia. This week, Tenacious co-founders Sarah and Matthew are joined by research collaborator Sarah Mock and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights. Together, they discuss:
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: agtech-ecosystem, ai, climate-risk, innovation
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Citrus moves north: climate change is already reshaping farms, with Lindy Savelle
7 augustus 2024 · 35 min
When people talk about the impacts of climate change on agriculture, they usually use the future tense. The reality, though, is that climate change already is, and has been, changing global conditions enough to cause meaningful shifts in agricultural production. Case in point, where Florida was once known both nationally and globally as the US’s citrus powerhouse, today the groves are moving North, where farmers in Georgia are starting to establish citrus production with aplomb. Lees meer
To learn more about this story of adaptation and resilience, we invited Lindy Savelle, self-proclaimed Orangepreneur at JoNina Farm and a founder and leader of Georgia Grown Citrus.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: JoNina Farm, Georgia Grown Citrus • Topics: climate-risk, crops-horticulture, people-culture, ag-tech-adoption
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How Syngenta is thinking about AI, with Feroz Sheikh
24 juli 2024 · 41 min
Not too long ago, we co-published a paper on the future of AI called “Yield Maps Killed AgTech Software, Can AI Save It?” and got a ton of great responses from across the industry. One such responder wrote in from his seat at the Syngenta Group, where he’s helped the organization go from zero to 250 million acres digitally served in just five years. Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Syngenta Group, offered some incredibly nuanced responses to the limitations and opportunities in this space, and we knew we wanted to have him come on to talk more about his internal perspective on evaluating AI, advancing digitization goals in a legacy ag organization, and what he see in the future of ag software. Lees meer
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Syngenta • Topics: ai, ag-data, corporates, business-model
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Agtech news... so what? July 2024 with Shane Thomas
10 juli 2024 · 38 min
This week, we’re breaking down the freshest announcements from the agribusiness, agtech, and broader policy and tech worlds to share insights and ask “so what?” Sarah and Matthew are joined this week by Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights. Lees meer
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: agtech-ecosystem, government-policy, ag-data, climate-risk
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Evaluating biologicals businesses: hype vs substance, with Joel Lipsitch
26 juni 2024 · 40 min
For better or worse, the biologicals space is still in the process of repairing a reputation that was marred by years of over-promising and under-delivering. Yet big advances have been made in recent years, helping improve agricultural productivity while reducing the industry’s dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Lees meer
But discerning between new wave innovation and their more snake-oily predecessors isn’t always easy– so we wanted to sit down with an expert who’s been doing this work for decades. (Note: if you’re new to learning about biologicals, check out “Biologicals: snake oil or science, and how do we know?” before you dive into today’s episode for important background.)
This week, our guest is Joel Lipsitch, Founder at Blair Road Consulting and an expert in biological products and businesses. Joel guides through his thinking on topics including:
The red and green flags he looks for when evaluating biological companies, from the science to pricing models
How to expect companies to bridge the gap between the lab and the field, and what it looks like when they succeed
The biological go-to-market strategies that have proven the most successful, and where future business model opportunity is likely emerging
Useful Links:
Biologicals: snake oil or science, and how do we know?
The challenges & opportunities for biologicals in ag
Biologicals and chemistry: finding ways to commercialize the science
Investing Beyond the Farmgate with Ben Barlow, New Edge Microbials
The Tricky Business of Scaling Soil Tech - Adam Litle, CEO, Sound Agriculture
Generics, Biologicals, and the Volatile Farm Inputs Market with Sam Taylor, Rabobank
The Battle for the Future of Crop Protection
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an inve…
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Rebooting agtech software with AI, with Rhishi Pethe
12 juni 2024 · 33 min
We are certainly not alone in our interest in how artificial intelligence will shape agriculture in the coming years. We’ve been learning out loud about both the tech that might emerge, but also about how AI might shape existing tools, especially agtech software. In our recent report, Yield Maps Killed AgTech Software, Can AI Fix It?, we put forward some of our research and theories, and we got a ton of great feedback. Today, we’re going to respond to some questions and discuss further learnings from the report. Lees meer
Joining me in the task is both my co-founder Matthew Pryor and Rhishi Pethe, author of Software is Feeding the World. For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: ai, ag-data, agtech-ecosystem, venture-startups
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How green is sustainable aviation fuel? with Cris Handel
29 mei 2024 · 34 min
As the US works to hammer out requirements for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits, the potential for the airline industry to open a huge new market for oil seeds has watchers in the sustainability space wondering what’s next. Will the opportunity for agtech to provide producers with the tools they need to meet production requirements and prove sustainability credentials be substantial? Lees meer
The sustainable aviation fuel market is evolving rapidly, and we wanted to know more. This week, our guest is Cris Handel, Global Sustainability Officer at Valent Biosciences, Fractional COO at New West Genetics, and Former COO at Covercress. For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Valent Biosciences • Topics: climate-risk, ag-inputs, government-policy, innovation
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Agtech news... so what? May 2024 with Shane Thomas
15 mei 2024 · 30 min
This week, we’re breaking down the freshest announcements from the agribusiness, agtech, and broader policy and tech worlds to share insights and ask “so what?” Lees meer
Sarah is joined this week by Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: agtech-ecosystem, government-policy, ag-data, finance-investing
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The many faces of farm security, with John Hill
1 mei 2024 · 36 min
At the intersection of ubiquitous and affordable cameras and internet connections, growing farm sizes, and increasing environmental and social vulnerabilities sits the opportunity of farm security. The number of applications for this kind of remote monitoring are endless– from discouraging stock and equipment theft (or solving cases after the fact), to detecting bushfire conditions, to marketing properties and land-based opportunities like hunting. Lees meer
Though simple cameras and video feeds might not seem like the kind of amazing, futuristic tech that really gets people excited, these tools - paired with the processing and detective power of AI and machine learning - have the possibility to unlock a ton of value without huge capital investments.
Today, we’re learning more about one business here in Australia that’s tackling the farm security space, and seeing it grow and transform rapidly before their eyes. Our guest is John Hill, National Sales Director at Land Watch Australia, who discusses:
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Land Watch Australia • Topics: ag-data, autonomy-robotics, agtech-ecosystem, people-culture
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Landfill to farm-fill: cotton waste as a soil solution, with Sam Coulton
17 april 2024 · 27 min
The modern fashion industry creates a ton of waste. From the field to the cutting line, to the supply chain and consumers' closets, today’s ultra-cheap “fast fashion” obsession means everyday a lot of fiber gets carted off to landfills around the world. Lees meer
Some amount of that fiber however– especially cotton– is not only biodegradable, it can actually be a valuable addition to soils, especially in dry climates where fibers help hold water. This fact has spurred researchers and farmers in Australia, alongside the Cotton Research Development Corporation (CRDC), to begin experimenting with turning waste fiber into a soil amendment, returning cotton to whence it came and at the same time, removing bulk from overcrowded dumps and investing in a more circular future for the industry. To explore this ongoing work, Sarah is joined this week by Sam Coulton, a third generation Queensland cotton grower and owner of Gondiwindi Cotton.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Gondiwindi Cotton • Topics: food-waste, soil-health, crops-horticulture, innovation
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Biosecurity meets agtech: preparing for a hotter sicker world, with Sarah Britton
3 april 2024 · 34 min
As the world continues to get more crowded and less climatically predictable, the risk of biosecurity issues– from pest and disease invasions to food security and environmental health concerns– is only growing. Science and technology have major roles to play in helping us prepare for possible risks, and deal with them when they arise. Lees meer
Today, we’re tackling these issues in one geography, Australia, in order to better understand the economic, environmental, and technological threats and opportunities that are in play related to biosecurity, and how they might be set to evolve in the future. Our guest is Sarah Britton, Founder at One Biosecurity Solutions.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: One Biosecurity Solutions • Topics: biosecurity, climate-risk, government-policy, ag-tech-adoption
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Agtech news… so what? March 2024 with Shane Thomas
20 maart 2024 · 30 min
This week, we’re breaking down the freshest announcements from the agribusiness, agtech, and global ag policy worlds to share insights and ask “so what?” Lees meer
Sarah is joined this week by Tenacious Ventures Managing Partner J. Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: agtech-ecosystem, government-policy, ag-data, corporates
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Generics, biologicals and the volatile farm inputs market, with Sam Taylor, Rabobank
6 maart 2024 · 38 min
The global ag sector has recently passed a turning point, with prices and future outlooks for key commodities taking a decidedly pessimistic turn. Though market volatility is nothing new for producers, it does change the profitability equation. One of the first targets for pencil-sharpening and scrutiny tends to be farm inputs– from crop protection chemistry and fertilizers, to equipment purchases and agtech investments. Lees meer
To get us up to speed on the state of global farm input markets, and how growers are likely thinking about planning and practice adjustments in the months and years ahead, we sat down with Sam Taylor, Farm Inputs Analyst and Executive Director for Research at Rabobank.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Rabobank • Topics: ag-inputs, biologicals, farm-economics, corporates
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Getting into the weeds: AI and non-chemical weeding, with Liam Hescock and Guy Coleman
21 februari 2024 · 37 min
Weeds are a very expensive problem. According to one 2016 study, if weeds were left to grow unchecked in agricultural fields across just the US and Canada, the cost in lost productivity would total over $43 billion. And challenges are mounting. Though the last century has been ruled by crop protection chemistries that have kept weeds at bay– crafty wild plants have quickly adapted and the existing tools are under pressure from regulators and consumers. As farmers try to turn elsewhere, agtech is stepping into the void, expanding the weed-fighting toolkit with everything from water and heat, to lasers and robots. Lees meer
To understand this challenge better, and to learn more about one of the emerging tools in the market, Tenacious’ Matthew Pryor joins Liam Hescock, Founder and CEO of Azaneo, an electric weeding company (and recent add to the Tenacious portfolio), and Guy Coleman, weed researcher extraordinaire.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Azaneo • Topics: ai, autonomy-robotics, ag-inputs, crops-horticulture
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How small growers think about agtech, with Sam Godwin
7 februari 2024 · 30 min
There are few areas of the ag sector that are more in need of tech solutions than tree fruits. All around the world, factors like labor shortages, an aging farm workforce, mounting regulations, and rising costs have put fresh produce growers in a bind. Lees meer
AgTech innovators have been hard at work on tools - especially harvesting tools - for years. But progress has been much slower than many hoped. One of the key problems from a grower perspective is the price tag– even when a robot comes along that can pick or prune, it’s too expensive for all but the biggest growers.
To understand this challenge better, today we’re diving into how growers think about tech solutions that are accessible to growers of all sizes. Sam Godwin, second generation apple, pear, and cherry farmer, and current chairman of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission • Topics: ag-tech-adoption, crops-horticulture, farm-economics, autonomy-robotics
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Agtech news... so what? January 2024 with Shane Thomas
24 januari 2024 · 38 min
This week, in a new experimental format, we’re breaking down the freshest announcements from leaders in the agribusiness, agtech, and ag production worlds to share insights and ask “so what?” Sarah is joined this week by Tenacious Ventures Managing Partner J. Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights. Lees meer
What John Deere’s announced partnership with Starlink means for farmers, ag retailers, and the future of connected agtech
What Jigsaw Farm’s evolving status as a vanguard of climate-smart agriculture tells us about future trouble in carbon and methane emission-reducing plans
How ag software roll-ups might be evolving as agtech matures
If you like - or don’t - this experimental format, let us know!
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: John Deere, Starlink • Topics: agtech-ecosystem, farm-machinery, ag-data, ag-retail
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Agtech 2023… so what? A year in review
6 december 2023 · 28 min
Somehow it’s December again, and another year has come and nearly gone. We've spent a lot of time reflecting on the highs and lows of a particularly unpredictable year for Tenacious Ventures, our portfolio companies, and agtech more broadly. Lees meer
In that spirit, we’re taking time to talk about what we've learned from a year of fundraising, advising, learning and podcasting. We’re joined today by our editor and producer, Sarah Mock, who facilitates a discussion between Tenacious General Partners Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: agtech-ecosystem, finance-investing, venture-startups, innovation
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What a portfolio wind-down teaches you, with Nowadays founder Max Elder
22 november 2023 · 34 min
Hearing the stats about startup failure rates (70 - 90%), and how one - only one- investment drives returns for most VC funds, is one thing. Actually experiencing it, is another. In line with our learning out loud ethos, today we're talking about Nowadays, a Tenacious portfolio company that recently wound down operations. Nowadays was a manufacturing platform for whole cuts of clean label plant based meat, whose flagship product is a plant-based chicken nugget made with just a handful of simple, clean ingredients. Lees meer
We’re speaking with Founder and CEO Max Elder about what happened, where he is now, and what he's learned. Then, at the end of the episode, Tenacious General Partners Matthew Pryor and Sarah Nolet dig in on their takeaways and where to from here.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Companies: Nowadays • Topics: venture-startups, business-model, food-consumer, agtech-ecosystem
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How startups and corporates can do more together, with Kevin McDonald
8 november 2023 · 33 min
There's a persistent myth in the startup space, and in agtech especially, that the most important way that corporates can support startups is through direct investments. In our experience, this is an insanely incomplete picture. Agribusiness and agricultural production are complex and enigmatic worlds, and newcomers to the space need guidance and support from advisors, customers, and support infrastructure, just as much as they need capital, if not more. Lees meer
Today we’re joined by Kevin McDonald, VP of Customer and Government Relations at Guardian Ag, to hear more about Guardian’s ongoing partnership with Wilbur-Ellis; how it came about, how it’s going, and what other startups and corporates can learn from the experience.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Topics: corporates, venture-startups, ag-tech-adoption, business-model
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What do LPs look for in agtech funds? with Eliza Jackson and Sara Balawajder
25 oktober 2023 · 41 min
2023 has been a year of both investing and fundraising for us here at Tenacious Ventures. And sitting on both sides of the table has highlighted to us just how much of the investing world is stuck in a black box. In general, we’ve found that this opacity can be a huge barrier, especially in an industry like agri-food– where venture funding hasn’t been a long-standing part of the ecosystem. Lees meer
So we’ve decided to shine a little more light in the investment box by asking two of our favorite LPs– or limited partners, who invest in venture capital funds– to join us for a conversation about how their job works.
Today we’re joined by Eliza Jackson from Macdoch Ventures and Sara Balawajder from Builders Initiative to discuss how their vision for building investment portfolios is evolving and how it’s been informed by their experiences beyond the agtech sector.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: finance-investing, venture-startups, agtech-ecosystem, business-model
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How outside forces are shaping the food system, with Ian Proudfoot
11 oktober 2023 · 36 min
We've spent a lot of time this year talking about the future of specific sub-spaces of the food system– fertilizer, vertical farming, alternative protein, and ag retail, just to name a few. We’ve focused a lot on the existing internal trends and pressures that help us predict what might be coming next, but we’ve talked less about the factors outside of the expected, not least the way that people - from lawmakers, to organizations, to consumer groups- might be able to play a more active, and less reactive, role in shaping that future. Lees meer
Today we’ve asked Ian Proudfoot, Global Head of Agribusiness at KPMG, to help us explore that question, specifically as it relates to the conclusions included in KPMG’s most recent 2023 Agribusiness Agenda.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: KPMG • Topics: agtech-ecosystem, government-policy, food-systems, finance-investing
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Methane and the climate commitments that matter most, with Katie Anderson
28 september 2023 · 36 min
As 2030 looms and the climate commitments made in the last decade come into clear (and often disappointing) focus, one important lesson we’ve learned is that not all greenhouse gasses are created equal. Despite the many metrics created in the hopes of simplifying our way to climate action, CO2 is neither the most potent greenhouse gas nor, arguably, the most important priority in the short term. That position is held by methane, and a need for short term methane reductions puts the livestock and dairy sectors in the center of the action. Lees meer
Today we’ve asked Katie Anderson, Senior Director of Business, Food and Agriculture at the Environmental Defense Fund, to shine a light on the kinds of current efforts that are fueling these reductions. Her organization’s recently announced partnership with Danone centers on a first-of-its-kind example of a commitment that puts methane– and not generic “climate” or “carbon” work– squarely on the goal line.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
Topics: climate-risk, livestock-dairy, government-policy
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Bringing systems thinking to the global fertilizer industry, with Alzbeta Klein
13 september 2023 · 33 min
Without a doubt, the global fertilizer sector sits at the center of a complex web of international industries. From energy to mining and food to agriculture, turning deep earth minerals from the far reaches of the globe into the food we eat every day is no small task, and even tiny changes can have outsized, and often unpredictable, impacts. That’s why, as we continue our thinking around what the future of fertilizer, and therefore the future of the global food system will look like, we are coming to the challenge with a systems approach. Lees meer
And today, we’ve invited a guest with a unique global perspective to offer some insight at the system level. We’re joined by Alzbeta Klein, CEO and Director General of The International Fertilizer Association (IFA), who offers her vision of a path towards a more resilient and responsible fertilizer sector, and what that journey could mean for everyone else.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: International Fertilizer Association • Topics: fertilizer, ag-inputs, food-systems, government-policy
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How farmers are actually using ChatGPT, with Marc Arnusch
7 september 2023 · 42 min
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have been making waves across the global economy, but it’s not always clear how these language creating tools can make a difference in industries like agriculture. While companies everywhere are scrambling to develop their own proprietary AI tools before they even know what they’ll use them for, many in ag are left wondering– should I be using ChatGPT too? Lees meer
Today we’ve asked Marc Arnusch, President of Arnusch Farms, to share his experiences using ChatGPT in farming, negotiation, and more. He’s had the opportunity to use the tool for tasks big and small, and has witnessed some exciting outcomes, and some that leave him worried.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Topics: ai, ag-data, ag-tech-adoption, people-culture
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Cultivating agility at a multi-generational food company, with Ashli Blumenfeld and Ben Rosenthal
16 augustus 2023 · 38 min
Innovation in the protein space has most recently seen a lot of hype around “alternative” proteins, from high tech microbe engineering to proprietary science that makes plants into something magically similar to juicy burgers or satisfying nuggets. But innovation in protein is a much deeper field. And when it comes to actually getting products to customers, protein innovations are just as likely to happen on the production floor as the lab bench. Lees meer
Today, we’re talking about how protein companies are thinking about innovation. We talk to Ashli Blumenfeld and Ben Rosenthal, Co-Presidents at Standard Meat Company, a family owned meat company founded in the 1930’s. Ashli and Ben chat about how they’re future-proofing their business, from how they make decisions about products and partnerships, to how they invest in innovations that might come to define the protein space.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Standard Meat • Topics: meat-protein, food-systems, business-model, corporates
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Who's investing in agribusiness? Live from evokeAG 2023
2 augustus 2023 · 37 min
A few months ago, Matthew got the chance to represent Tenacious on a panel at the Evoke Ag Conference in Adelaide, Australia. The conversation was called “Going Global, Who's investing in Agribusiness,” and featured a group of investors who tackled some of the most pivotal questions facing the agtech investment space today; from tackling sustainability and ESG and managing through a generative AI revolution to getting to the next billion dollar exit. Lees meer
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: evokeAG • Topics: finance-investing, agtech-ecosystem, deep-tech, venture-startups
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Is vertical farming dead? with Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin
19 juli 2023 · 36 min
In recent years, the vertical farming startup space has been characterized by ecstatic highs and disappointing lows. More than a billion dollars worth of funding has flowed into a relatively small number of investments, but despite this resourcing and years of runway, we’ve started to see frequent, high profile collapses. So, is there a value proposition with vertical farming? Or was it all hype, and time is running out? Lees meer
Today, we’re joined by Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin, Founder at Phyllome (a Tenacious Ventures portfolio company), to help us tackle these tricky questions.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Phyllome • Topics: vertical-farming, venture-startups, food-systems, business-model
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Electrifying the farm: is it finally viable? with David Meyers
5 juli 2023 · 32 min
On the surface, the opportunity to transition on-farm energy to electricity seems limited at best. Farm jobs and farm equipment are big, and often require a level of power that electric options have historically been unable to meet. But between advances in electric vehicles and shifting dynamics in farm operations, those limitations are starting to dissolve. So we’ve started to wonder: is on-farm electrification at a tipping point? Lees meer
Today we’ve asked David Meyers, CEO and Founder at GridTractor, to help us explore that question. His perch at the head of an agricultural fleet electrification and charging services company gives him a unique perspective on what comes next for energy use on the farm level, and what that could mean not only for the industry, but for electrification across the economy as well.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: GridTractor • Topics: energy-electrification, farm-machinery, climate-risk, ag-tech-adoption
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Transforming the future of Australian ag retail, with Rob Dawes
21 juni 2023 · 36 min
When we think about the effects of climate change on the ag sector, we tend to focus on the impacts to the farm– particularly those events will have an impact on farmer livelihoods. The reality is, unpredictable weather during the growing season is only one part of the challenge. Generalized climatic uncertainty from season to season is proving to be just as crippling, and not just for farm operators, but for the whole value chain. Lees meer
Ag retailers, and other upstream ag businesses, are seeing their own climate-related disruptions, which often means that as farmers are working on contingency plans to adjust to unpredictable conditions, the companies they rely on are doing the same. And sometimes, these dueling alternative plans don't align.
To dig into these challenges, we're returning this week to the ag retail space with another perspective, from another continent. Today we're joined by Rob Dawes of Rob Dawes Consulting, who’s career has given him unique insight to both the farmer and the retailer perspective.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Rob Dawes Consulting • Topics: ag-retail, climate-risk, business-model, ag-tech-adoption
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The race to define the future of ag retail, with Shane Thomas
7 juni 2023 · 42 min
In the ag business sector, the retail channel is sacred. Ag retailers are home to the people who actually shake hands with farmers, know their kids by name, and drive by their fields regularly. So if you’re someone looking to sell a product or service to a producer, it can be almost impossible to go around these heavily-influential, and often highly localized, organizations. And yet, the ag retail world is changing. Shifts in the way producers learn about, try, and buy the things they need to run their businesses is putting pressure even on ag retail– relationships or no. Lees meer
This week, we're diving deep into how ag retail is changing, and what it might look like in the future. You’ll hear from Shane Thomas, Author of Upstream Ag Insights.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Upstream Ag Insights • Topics: ag-retail, business-model, ag-tech-adoption, ag-data
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On-farm food loss: the waste we don't see, with Sarah Hulick and Olympia Yarger
24 mei 2023 · 39 min
For the final installment in our three-part food waste series, we’re climbing all the way up to the top of the supply chain to gain a deeper understanding of on-farm food loss and waste. The challenges that farmers face getting food to the farm gate have ramifications that are felt all throughout the food system, so by understanding this vital link in the chain, we’ll gain insight into how we might begin to shift the way we understand waste overall. Lees meer
Today, you’ll hear from Sarah Hulick, food waste expert and a Horticulture Faculty Member at Cabrillo College, and then we turn to Olympia Yarger, CEO of Goterra (a Tenacious Ventures portfolio company), for some closing remarks on what shifting the food waste narrative will truly require.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
Companies: Cabrillo College • Topics: food-waste, food-systems, farm-economics, agtech-ecosystem
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How to create incentives for circularity in food system waste
10 mei 2023 · 30 min
We’re digging back into waste in the food system this week, but to narrow the focus, we’re zooming in on Australia. Australia is a country that has set specific targets on waste reduction, but so far, is largely on track to miss them, and companies all along the value chain are contributing. Lees meer
Alongside our broader discussion of overall waste targets in the country, we take a more focused look at a food system case study: a meal kit delivery company that deals with a diversity of waste streams– from ingredients to packing to fuel.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
Topics: food-waste, government-policy, business-model, supply-chain
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Investing in food waste tech, with Closed Loop Partners and Olympia Yarger
26 april 2023 · 29 min
Waste in the food system is an incredibly big challenge. Whether the aim is to reduce food loss, to curb packaging that ends up in landfills, or even to ensure food that’s grown makes it out of the field, there is waste at every link in the chain that continues to contribute to food and ag’s outsized climate impact. The good news is, there are plenty of startups, and many investors, that are tackling these thorny problems. But the problem is, it’s really complex.
Our internal grappling with why waste is such a hard nut to crack has taken us on a journey to better understand the barriers in the food system waste space. Today, we’re talking with Aly Bryan and Anne-Marie Kaluz from Closed Loop Partners about what they think is holding us back in addressing our waste problems, and then we turn to Olympia Yarger from Goterra (a Tenacious Ventures portfolio company) for more from an entrepreneur’s perspective. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Closed Loop Partners, Goterra • Topics: food-waste, finance-investing, food-systems, agtech-ecosystem
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Why dairy and alt-dairy are collaborators, not competitors, with Michael Hampson
12 april 2023 · 33 min
There’s a common misconception in the alternative protein space that continues to hold back innovation: the idea that conventional and alternative products are direct competitors. In general, the idea that consumers are dropping conventional milk for soy milk, or eschewing chicken in favor of plant-based nuggets just isn’t reflected in the data. More often then not, consumers buy both conventional proteins and alternative proteins, often at the same time. Acknowledging this, we have a lot of conviction that the future of alt-proteins writ large offers a lot of opportunities for conventional protein producers as well.
Michael Hampson, CEO of Norco Cooperative Ltd., agrees. Since taking over leadership at one of Australia’s largest, farmer-owned dairy coops, he’s helped lead a change journey that has led recently to a new partnership with Eden Brew, which created a precision-fermented milk alternative that can be produced in conventional dairy facilities. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Norco Cooperative • Topics: livestock-dairy, alt-protein, food-consumer, corporates
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How to invest in deep tech in agrifood — tenaciously
29 maart 2023 · 27 min
Deep tech– or the world of technology companies beyond those that make software– is often seen as a bridge too far for the world of venture capital investing. A key challenge; the tried and true strategies around growing high-value companies quickly that were the hallmark of the 2000s and 2010s don’t often translate when a company is moving atoms and molecules instead of bits and bytes.
But from our perspective, deep tech is likely the most important component of our future food system. We have conviction that deep tech advances, from robotics to distributed input production, will actually be the most important advances driving the industry forward during the next 100 years. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Topics: finance-investing, deep-tech, venture-startups, business-model
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Unlocking phosphorus for the future of fertility, with Hunter Swisher
15 maart 2023 · 30 min
When it comes to phosphorus-- the second most prominent fertilizer component– a big problem today is that it is simultaneously too rare on earth overall and too abundant in the landscapes where it's used. The vast majority of the world’s phosphorus reserves are found in just two countries, Morocco and China. And phosphorus runoff, largely originating from agricultural uses, leads to toxic algal blooms (and associated greenhouse gas emissions) all over the world. Lees meer
Hunter Swisher, founder and CEO of Phospholutions, hopes that his technology offers a piece of the solution to this problem: enhancing phosphorus use efficiency. The team at Phospholutions has been working on their fertilizer additive product since they spun out of Penn State in 2016, and have been filing patents and winning pitch competitions ever since.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Phospholutions • Topics: fertilizer, ag-inputs, soil-health, climate-risk
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Can molecular farming replace cows with crops? with Amos Palfreyman
1 maart 2023 · 36 min
The question of how to make commodity crops more valuable is a perennial one in agriculture, and over the years there have been a lot of good-- and bad-- answers. Recently, one strategy has emerged that we find particularly intriguing, though it's safe to say it comes with plenty of challenges.
Today, we’re exploring molecular farming– which, in this case, involves the production of dairy proteins in a genetically modified plant. Growing protein this way offers a lot of potential benefits, from avoiding the environmental impact of animal production to enabling plant-based dairy products that are quite true to the original. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Miruku • Topics: alt-protein, genetics-breeding, food-systems, ag-data
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Turning animal waste into renewable fertilizer, with Jordan Phasey
15 februari 2023 · 34 min
When people in ag think about fertilizer, nitrogen -- or N -- is usually the first thing that comes to mind, whether thinking about yields, costs, or environmental impacts. But phosphorus is another concerning element of the crop nutrient mix, due to the declining mineable supplies, and the fact that those supplies are almost exclusively located in Morocco and China.
But natural deposits aren’t the only source of phosphorus on Earth: livestock manure also contains meaningful quantities of the valuable mineral. The challenge is in transforming a complex, liquid, and highly concentrated waste product into the fertility input with which most farmers are familiar. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Phinite • Topics: fertilizer, ag-inputs, livestock-dairy, innovation
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Future of fertilizer… so what? with Tim Hammerich
1 februari 2023 · 45 min
Global geopolitical disruptions first put fertilizer center stage as farmers around the world struggled with price and supply swings. But that was just the beginning of the conversation– as fertilizer tech begins to step into the spotlight, offering alternatives not only to traditional products, but to our whole way of thinking about the crop nutrients sector.
Today, Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast joins Sarah to dig into the “so what?” of the nitrogen tech we’ve discussed here on the podcast and the fertilizer innovations Tim has recently covered. Along the way, we discuss key quotes from our recent fertilizer episodes and offer theories on what the future will look like. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
Disclaimer: Tenacious Ventures is an investor in Jupiter Ionics
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.Topics: fertilizer, ag-inputs, agtech-ecosystem, climate-risk
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Agtech headlines… so what? Mineral launch, Planet Labs insurance, Deere right-to-repair
25 januari 2023 · 24 min
Breaking news in the agtech world abounds here at the beginning of 2023, and as we've tracked the latest announcements, we've been thinking a lot about a few tech updates, especially from major brands, and what they might mean for the agtech landscape in the near future.
Today, teammates Komal Patel and Matthew Pryor join Sarah to discuss a few pieces of news from the past few weeks that stood out. We dig into the details, read between the lines, and argue why we think they're worth paying attention to. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Companies: Mineral (X), Planet Labs, John Deere • Topics: agtech-ecosystem, ag-data, farm-machinery, insurance-risk
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Building a food business ecosystem from the farm up, with Michael Bosworth
18 januari 2023 · 37 min
Agtech has long had an interest in shortening the supply chain between farms and consumers. And yet after years of effort, relatively little progress has been made beyond a proliferation of farmers markets and some new “local” tags at supermarkets. There are a lot of challenges in this space that go beyond a simple technical fix, and overcoming them often requires rethinking the entire business model.
Enter Michael Bosworth, farmer and founder of Next Generation Foods, a California-based food brand and distribution company that's reinventing how food moves from the fields to chefs and home kitchens alike, with a special interest in sustainability, science, and transparency. Michael’s not only growing rice in a highly water-vulnerable region, he’s also growing a valuable food business to market his products and those from nearby farms to ensure that his model is both environmentally and economically sustainable. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
Companies: Next Generation Foods • Topics: food-systems, supply-chain, business-model, venture-startups
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2022: The year of risk at Agtech… so what?
22 december 2022 · 16 min
2022 was a wild year– both in the world of agtech broadly, and for us here at Tenacious Ventures. We’ve covered a lot of ground, spanning everything from scaling soil tech, to the future of ag marketing, to alternative protein, novel investing tactics, and most recently, the next generation of farm inputs.
Today, we’re taking some time to reflect on the most important lessons we’ve learned on the podcast this year– and for us, it all came back to the question of how tech can help mitigate risk in agriculture. You’ll hear snippets from five episodes that we found particularly thought-provoking in relation to the risk question. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
Topics: agtech-ecosystem, climate-risk, insurance-risk, finance-investing
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From climate measurement to risk mitigation, with Cullen Gunn
14 december 2022 · 38 min
There is a lot of momentum in agtech right now around investing at the intersection of ag and climate– and inevitably, many conversations start with a focus on how to measure impact. The problem we’ve been thinking about lately-- this conversation often gets stuck on the measurement challenge. In our perspective, the real opportunities go beyond just measuring the impact of decisions like practice changes. The future is in taking actions that meaningfully mitigate climate risks to agriculture. Lees meer
To dig into this challenge, we’re joined this week by Cullen Gunn, CEO and Executive Director of Kilter Rural, which has been operating in the natural capital space since 2004, specifically investing in rural landscapes, water, and ecosystem protection.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
Companies: Kilter Rural • Topics: climate-risk, natural-capital, finance-investing, ag-data
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Why is autonomy in ag so hard? With Ray Russell and Connie Bowen
30 november 2022 · 37 min
We’ve talked and thought a lot about autonomy this year, and despite what we think are some promising developments, overall, we continue to be struck by just how hard it is to bring solutions to market. From the technology to the use case, from the regulations to data, there are barriers and problems to solve in every direction. Lees meer
So today we’re covering a ton of ground to understand why bringing autonomous solutions to agriculture is so hard. First, we talk to Connie Bowen of Farmhand Ventures, who is not particularly bullish on the near term viability of full autonomy, and has instead chosen to focus on what she calls “collaborative robotics”. Then we check in with Ray Russell, Principal Hardware Engineer at Locomation on specifically why technical problems stand in the way of progress in the autonomous space. Finally, we check in briefly with Kevin Andrews, Strat Marketing Manager for Autonomy at Trimble Agriculture to understand how more established equipment players are thinking about tackling autonomy’s biggest challenges.
For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.
Topics: autonomy-robotics, ag-tech-adoption, business-model, venture-startups
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From buyer beware to seller beware in agtech
16 november 2022 · 34 min
We’ve been thinking a lot recently about how much the world of agtech has changed over the last two decades, and how companies, and more importantly, their customers, are adapting to an increasingly digitally native world. For years, the focus was on educating farmer-customers and post-sales training. But today, sophisticated growers tell their tech partners, and their peer networks, what they want, need, like, and dislike about their tools, often in real time.
Today we dig into this transition, which we think of as the shift in agtech from ‘buyer beware’ to ‘seller beware’. First, we talk to Leet Wilksch of Agbyte, who sits on both sides of the buyer/seller table as farmers have evolved from tech skeptics to discerning buyers. Then, we gain some industry perspective from Jason McNeice and Darren Walford of Trimble Agriculture. Lees meerFor more information and resources, visit our website.
Topics: ag-tech-adoption, business-model, ag-data, ag-retail
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The future of nitrogen: new business models, with Jupiter Ionics and Kula Bio
2 november 2022 · 31 min
Today we're tackling part two of our future of Nitrogen fertilizer discussion, focusing on the realm of business models and strategies. We chat with two companies exploring how we might reimagine the way farmers around the world buy and sell this critical input, including through distributed, rather than centralized, supply chains. Lees meer
We’ll continue our conversation with Bill Brady, CEO and Director at Kula Bio and Charlie Day, CEO at Jupiter Ionics* We also add in some on the ground perspective around how farmers are handling the pressures of the fertilizer market right now by chatting with Jason McNeese, software specialist for the Asia Pacific region at Trimble Agriculture, and Darren Walford, APAC Sales Manager for Trimble Global Positioning.
In this episode, our guests speak about:A future of small scale production of N, and how farmers have reacted to potential changes away from today’s centralized model
What benefits, especially in terms of Scope-3 emissions, might be realized by thinking differently about how and where fertilizer is made
How new N companies are tackling the challenge of creating trustworthy brands and products in the face of the many false starts in the fertilizer space.For more useful resources please visit our website.
*Disclaimer: Jupiter Ionics is a portfolio company of Tenacious Ventures
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Trimble Agriculture, who are building technology to make farming better through precision.
Companies: Kula Bio, Jupiter Ionics • Topics: fertilizer, ag-inputs, business-model, climate-risk
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The future of fertilizer: reimagining nitrogen, with Jupiter Ionics and Kula Bio
19 oktober 2022 · 34 min
This is the first episode in our series on the future of fertilizer, starting with Nitrogen - the N in NPK. Lees meer
Russia’s war in Ukraine has collided with natural gas supply chain disruptions and sent the price of fertilizer skyrocketing. But, this isn’t the least of the crop nutrient industry’s problems. It’s a space renowned for being complex and confusing. It also relies on an emissions-intensive value chain that has been around now for more than a century.
Today’s episode looks at two different visions for the future of nitrogen fertilizer. Our guests are Charlie Day, CEO of Jupiter Ionics, and Bill Brady, CEO of Kula Bio. Both lead teams that are attempting to bring cutting edge nitrogen production methods to market.
Charlie and Bill join to speak about:
Reducing the chemical intensity of production - How new approaches to producing nitrogen work and why they are key to a cleaner industry.
Reinventing nitrogen fertilizer - Why reinventing fertilizer production makes sense
Scaling the science - Why scaling production from grams to tonnes is so tough, let alone trying to get it into the hands of customers.
Designing for adoption - What Charlie and Bill have learned from other novel ag inputs that failed to fit into the production systems of farmers.
We’ll follow up with a Part 2 on the future of N - stay tuned! For more useful resources, visit our website.
Companies: Jupiter Ionics, Kula Bio • Topics: fertilizer, ag-inputs, climate-risk, innovation