1.0Food+Tech Connecthttps://foodtechconnect.comDanielle Gouldhttps://foodtechconnect.com/author/danielle-gould/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="j01DqJifVU"><a href="https://foodtechconnect.com/2014/01/02/food-ag-investment-sources-explode-2013/">Food & Ag Investment Sources Explode in 2013</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://foodtechconnect.com/2014/01/02/food-ag-investment-sources-explode-2013/embed/#?secret=j01DqJifVU" width="600" height="338" title="“Food & Ag Investment Sources Explode in 2013” — Food+Tech Connect" data-secret="j01DqJifVU" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! 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We’ve compiled these funding sources into an easy-to-reference list below, which we will continue to update throughout the year. We’ll also be posting a more detailed analysis on Forbes in the next few weeks, so be sure to check back. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll make sure it’s added to the list. FOOD & AG FUNDS INVESTING IN TECH Cultivan Sandbox: Cultivian Sandbox is a newly launched venture capital fund investing in next-generation disruptive agriculture and food technology companies. A partnership between Cultivan Ventures and Sandbox Industries, the Chicago-based investment fund and incubator launched by Monsanto Co. alums, it closed its first tranche in May, raising about $70 million with plans to raise a total of $150 million. Its areas of investment include: animal health and protein production, crop production (including robotics and precision agriculture), food safety, cleantech and water technologies. 7-Ventures: Dallas-based convenience store chain 7-Eleven launched a new venture capital arm this summer to invest in food, food tech and retail technology startups. 7-Ventures has made two investments to date, including one in an undisclosed coffee company and one in customer loyalty and marketing platform Belly. Arthur Ventures Growth Fund II: North Dakota-based Arthur Ventures raised a $45 million fund this year to invest in  a variety of sectors, including agriculture, energy, enterprise technology and web-enabled services and healthcare. Its investments in early-stage companies range from $250,000 to $3M, with most falling between $1M and $2M. Anterra Capital: Netherlands-based Anterra Capital is an independent growth capital fund that invests in fast growing companies working to improve the global food supply chain. Its areas of focus span the entire supply chain, including everything from novel agro inputs and precision farming to smarter logistics and consumer safety. Anterra target investments of EUR 2M to EUR 12M and acts as the lead investor, taking a  significant minority equity position. Formed in 2013 from the spin-out of Rabobank’s proprietary food and agriculture venture capital fund Rabo Ventures, today it is backed by Moonray Investors and Rabobank Private Equity. To date its made investments in four companies, including Voltea, Food Freshness Technology, Ceradis Agro Formulations and Bluwrap GreenSoil Investments: In February, GreenSoil  Investments, a Canadian venture fund dedicated to investing in Israeli food and agriculture startups, launched its second fund. It has raised $14 million for this fund to date and raised $12 million last year for its first fund, raising a total of $26 million for both funds. The fund has invested in five companies, three of which were made through its new fund, including Phenome Networks, TIPA, Fruitura Bioscience Ltd, EcoFer and Rootility. dunnhumby Ventures: Dunnhumby, the analytics and direct-marketing firm behind loyalty programs at Tesco and Kroger among others, launched a venture fund in September to make seed-stage investments in retail data, analytics and marketing technology startups.  To date, the Boston-based fund has backed three companies, including InfoScout, Coherent Path and The Shelf, and plans to make 10 investments annually. Investments have ranged from $250,000 to $500,000. Sarthi Angel Fund: Mumbai-based Sarthi Grouped launched a not-for-profit angel platform to provide funds to startups focused on agriculture and food processing, consumer, cleantech, e-commerce and information technology, healthcare and media. Finistere II Fund, LP: This San Diego-based firm is currently raising a new fund, which will focus on agricultural technology at the nexus of the food agricultural productivity and sustainability in food, alternative energy, human and animal health, and the digital technology sectors. Fair Foods Fund: Created by Fair Food Network, this impact capital fund provides financing and business assistance to food systems entrepreneurs. Fair Foods Fund makes investments that are focused on the middle of the supply chain, including: aggregation, storage or distribution of local food; value-added processing or marketing of local food; and information technology that benefits small- and mid-sized farms. It focuses on subordinated debt and royalty financing, with target deal size ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 and may be offered as a stand-alone investment or as part of a larger financing package. Currently active across the Northeast, it made its first loan this fall to Maine-based MOO Milk. The fund also offers a 3-day intensive boot camp, as well as consulting services. Fair Food Fund has secured funding from foundations and USDA to launch this innovative capital impact fund, but its goal is to raise $10 million by 2015.   FOOD & AG FUNDS Patagonia $20 Million & Change Fund: Patagonia launched an internal venture fund to invest $20 million in sustainable companies with a focus on clothing, food, water, energy or waste. Named “$20 Million & Change,” the fund will make investments ranging from $500,000 to $5 million  in early stage companies that have at least $1 million in revenue or capitalization. It will take minority and majority stakes and could also create joint ventures. Boulder Brands Investment Group: Boulder Brands, a Colorado-based food brand focused on health and wellness products, teamed up with Bill Weiland, Founder and CEO of natural foods brokerage Presence Marketing, to launch an investment fund targeting early-stage growth companies in the natural and organic food and beverage sectors. These companies will operate independently from Boulder Brands but will benefit from access to its infrastructure, resources and expertise. Angel Food Network:  This Chicago-based network for angel food investors launched in the fall to match local, early-stage food and beverage companies with investors. The fund targets Midwestern food and beverage companies that want to raise up to $1 million. Aqua-Spark: A new global investment fund based in the Netherlands, Aqua-Spark makes investments of €250,000 to €5,000,000 in small-to-medium sized sustainable aquaculture businesses around the world.  The fund seeks to be a minority investor in the businesses it supports, holding between 20 to 49 percent.   FOOD, AGRICULTURE & TECH ACCELERATORS FreshStartups: Toronto-based FreshStartups launched an accelerator program for food, health and wellness technology startups this year. A partnership between Kinetic Cafe, a consulting firm, and Freshii, a healthy food restaurant chain, FreshStartups focuses on business growth, working side-by-side with startups for 6 months. Participants receive $25,000 in cash, $15,000 in digital lab credits – access to Kinetic Cafe’s on-staff designers, developers, […]