Podcasts about agfunder

In this episode of the Farm4Profit Podcast, we're honored to welcome Justin Bruch, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer and Co-Founder of AgFunder.com. With a rich background in agriculture spanning four continents, Justin brings a wealth of experience to the discussion.Justin's journey in agriculture began on his family's farm in Iowa, where he cultivated a deep appreciation for the land and its potential. After earning his bachelor's degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University in 2000, Justin embarked on a remarkable career that has taken him across North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Along the way, he has gained invaluable insights into different agricultural practices, market dynamics, and investment opportunities.As the Co-Founder and Chairman of AgFunder.com, Justin has played a pivotal role in revolutionizing agriculture crowdfunding. With a 100% focus on funding agriculture projects, AgFunder.com has become one of the largest platforms of its kind in the world, empowering farmers and entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life.In our conversation with Justin, we explore the intriguing topic of land investment and its significance in securing the farming future. We delve into the reasons why people invest in land, examining its long-term benefits and potential for growth. Justin shares his insights on alternative methods for land acquisition beyond traditional means, such as inheritance, cash purchases, or bank financing.Furthermore, we discuss the economics of purchasing land in the current environment, addressing common concerns about cash flow and record-breaking land prices. Justin sheds light on how implementing organic practices can affect access to land, highlighting the challenges and considerations involved in transitioning to organic farming.One particularly fascinating aspect we explore is the role of land investment in the carbon market. Justin explains how investing in land can contribute to carbon sequestration and water conservation, aligning with sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship.Throughout our conversation, Justin emphasizes the enduring appeal of land investment, despite potentially lower returns compared to other market options. We examine the non-monetary benefits of land ownership, including lifestyle factors, legacy considerations, and the satisfaction of preserving the environment.As we look to the future, Justin shares his predictions for emerging trends in land investment and sustainable practices. He discusses potential challenges and opportunities on the horizon, offering valuable insights for farmers and investors alike. Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen!Websitewww.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode linkhttps://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail addressFarm4profitllc@gmail.comPhone515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitConnect with us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/

From record numbers in 2021, agrifoodtech investments have plummeted - right when capital is needed more than ever. Louisa Burwood-Taylor is Head of News and Research at the venture capital and research platform Agfunder. Heja Framtiden met Louisa at the foodtech conference Big Meet in Stockholm, to discuss the investment landscape in agtech and foodtech. What has been over-hyped and what new innovations can we expect moving forward? // Podcast host: Christian von Essen // Learn more at hejaframtiden.se and subscribe to the newsletter on Substack (in Swedish only).

Put AI to work on your farm: https://farmwave.io/"10 years on from Climate Corp's $1bn acquisition, David Friedberg reflects": https://agfundernews.com/david-friedberg-reflects-10-years-on-from-climate-corp-1bn-acquisitionThe Production Board: https://www.tpb.co/Almost exactly 10 years ago, an acquisition was announced that caused many people in the technology and investment community to pay more attention to what was happening in agriculture: Monsanto was buying The Climate Corporation, which was founded by David Friedberg. "Climate.com became the standalone software product for farmers, and that really is kind of the reason Monsanto bought the company, and really kind of set the first big precedent for digitization of agriculture."Today David reflects on the Climate Corp journey and the Monsanto acquisition with AgFunder's Louisa Burwood-Taylor, and he shares his current thoughts on agtech now that a decade has passed. "I do think that there's going to be some big opportunities for the next transformation in agriculture in multiplex precision gene editing and in metagenomics in the soil microbiome, even in breakthroughs in biologics or other platforms that can discover the next set or the next range of biologics."David and Louisa cover everything from genomics and biologics to precision fermentation, what keeps him up at night, and where agtech is headed in the decade to come. "I think the world will be surprised by how much we see acceleration and advancement in productivity in ag and food systems in the next 10 years."AgFunder's Louisa Burwood-Taylor sits down with David Friedberg on today's Future of Agriculture podcast.

Justin is a born and raised 5th generation Iowa farmer.  He has actively farmed on 4 continents and has spent his entire career working in agriculture across North America (USA/Canada), South America, Europe, and Africa.   https://mayacornheads.com/about-us/ Justin started working on building Clear Frontier in 2018 and officially launched the business in 2019 after spending 4.5 years as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Canterra Capital. Canterra Capital is the exclusive manager for the Canadian farmland portfolio owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).  During Justin's tenure in Canada the portfolio grew by 57,000 acres to 175,000.  Justin was responsible for due diligence on new land acquisitions as well as land divestments for the fund.  He also was responsible for working directly with farmers to negotiate new land leases as well as managing active leases in place with tenants.  From 2008-2014, Justin lived and worked in Ukraine.  From 2010 – 2014, Justin was the Chief Operation Officer at Agrokultura Ukraine (traded on Nasdaq Stockholm).  He oversaw the buildup of farmed acres to a height of 135,000 acres as well as refining the portfolio to eliminate the less productive acres. Justin earned his bachelor's degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University in 2000.  In 2007, he completed his MBA from California State University-Fresno.  Justin is the Co-Founder and Chairman of AgFunder.com, one of the largest agriculture crowd funding businesses in the world with a 100% focus on funding agriculture projects.Justin has remained active in their family farming operation in NW Iowa which has transitioned the majority of the farmland to certified organic in the last 5 years.  This allows him to stay very active in day to day changes in the production of crops and industry changes.

In this discussion from the 2023 SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Sept 26-27, 2023), we feature three speakers: Rob Leclerc, Founding Partner at AgFunder, Kate Danaher, Managing Director at S2G Ventures Ocean Fund, and Greg Smithies, Partner at Fifth Wall. They discuss the benefits and challenges of raising funds from category-specific climate tech firms. They also talk about the most exciting spaces in agriculture, buildings, and oceans, as well as the state of the climate tech funding market. The speakers emphasize the importance of specialized underwriting, pattern recognition, and the need for realistic valuations in the climate tech sector. They also highlight the opportunities presented by the Infrastructure and CHIP Acts. This conversation is moderated by Katie Fehrenbacher, Climate Tech Reporter at Axios. The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com. Speakers Rob Leclerc, Founding Partner, AgFunder Greg Smithies, Partner, Fifth Wall Kate Danaher, Managing Director, S2G Ventures Ocean Fund Moderator Katie Fehrenbacher, Climate Tech Reporter, Axios Credits Producer: Ben Joffe  Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-3.5-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs  Intro Music: EL Waili Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech

Louisa Burwood-Taylor, Head of Media and Research at AgFunder, talks about the critical role of information and collaboration in shaping the future of the agri-food supply chain industry. Listen to Agri-Insider for anything and everything agri-food supply chain.

⭐ My guest today is Adam Wolf, Founder and CEO of Eion. Eion is an enhanced rock weathering startup that works with farmers and ranchers to safely and permanently pull carbon out of the air. They use rock called olivine, which is the most abundant on Earth, and by 2026, they will be on track to permanently remove 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year.  Their growth got extra support with a $12M Series A from investors such as AgFunder, Trailhead Capital, and Orion Corporation. In addition, Adam is the former: Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientist at Arable Lands Associate Research Scholar at Princeton University Oh, and he's also got a PhD from Stanford University and is learning how to build a studio in his backyard using traditional building techniques. So, yeah, he likes to build stuff. ---

According to the latest AgFunder Global AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2023 - Global agrifoodtech funding in 2022 came in close to 50% (44%) lower than the year before. To help us get a better understanding of what is moving in the industry Rachel Kelly spoke to John  Friedman, Asia Director of AgFunder and GROW Accelerator.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regenerative has become a buzzword, with companies big and small making commitments to launch regenerative products. But what does regenerative product design actually look like? And how do we measure the impacts of product design and ingredient choices on people and our planet?  This week, we discuss this and more with Ethan Soloviev, farmer and chief innovation officer at HowGood, a food sustainability rating company. His work with international retailers and CPG brands combines on-the-ground agricultural expertise in 34 countries with sustainability-driven market insights. Ethan has developed environmental and social impact metrics for analysis of more than 3,000 brands, including Ahold-Delhaize, Walmart and Danone. He regularly presents on Regenerative Agriculture and Regenerative Business at conferences around the world, and is the author of “Regenerative Enterprise: Optimizing for Multi-Capital Abundance” and the monthly “Regeneration Newsroom." We discuss: Cultivating a regenerative paradigmHow to provide food producers with the information they need to minimize the negative climate and labor risks of their productsWhere regeneration strategy needs to differ when thinking about large vs small producersWhich metrics companies and consumers need to be looking atThe business benefits of regenerationEthan's optimism around ecosystem service marketplacesWhether it's worth trying to fix modern capitalism or if we should take inspiration from more traditional local systemsWhy Ethan thinks biotech and plant-based innovations are not enough on their own and why they must be used in conjunction with a new mindset Show Notes Chipotle and Kraft Heinz use this start-up to track and prove how green they are: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/06/chipotle-and-kraft-use-start-up-howgood-to-track-how-green-they-are.htmlWhite Leaf Provisions: https://www.whiteleafprovision.com/Carol Sanford: https://carolsanford.com/One Planet Business for Biodiversity Coalition: https://op2b.org/Ecosystem Services Marketplace: https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/ecosystem-services/Regen Network: https://www.regen.network/Nori: https://nori.com/reNature: https://www.renature.co/Burlap and Barrel: https://www.burlapandbarrel.com/Yolele Foods: https://yolele.com/Perennial Agriculture: https://www.perennial.earth/ *Giveaway Details* We've teamed up with our partners at New Hope Network to offer ALL of our listeners an exclusive 25% off discount for an Expo West 2023 badge and ONE lucky listener will have the opportunity to win a free booth at Expo West 2024 ($8k value). To enter, do the following by February 17th: Head to New Food Order's show page on Apple PodcastsMake sure you are subscribedLeave us a review - good or bad - but hopefully good! Scroll to the bottom of the page to do so.Screenshot the review and email it to Meg at meg@savageimpacts.com - if you're interested in the 25% discount to this year's Expo, please call it out in the email.  Lastly, head to newfoodorder.org - select newsletter - and register to receive our newsletters. In addition to New Food Order content, AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect publish the leading newsletters for the food and agtech community.Those who follow New Hope Network, Food + Tech Connect and AgFunder on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will receive double entry. Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow us on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect Thank you to Foodshot Global & New Hope Network for sponsoring the series. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life:  Production: Cam Gray, Cofruition Audio Editing: Tevin Sudi Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera  Art: Lola Nankin Project Management: Patrick Carter

How might we design plant-based, cultivated meat, and precision fermented alternative proteins in the most people and planet friendly ways? In our second design episode, we speak with Sonalie Figueiras, a Hong Kong-based social entrepreneur and founder and the Editor in Chief of Green Queen, a sustainability and impact media platform that educates millions of readers on the connection between health, sustainability and the environment and showcases future solutions from Asia and across the globe. She is also the co-founder and CEO of organic sourcing platform Ekowarehouse and climate tech SaaS Source Green, which helps consumer brands quit plastic packaging thanks to proprietary plastic reduction software. And she's an advisor to multiple mission-driven startups and NGOs, and a venture partner to several VC funds.   In this episode, we discuss: The complexity of designing people and planet friendly productsSonalie's 5 product design principles The good and the bad of plant-based productsSonalie's take on slowing plant-based salesWhy plant-based companies need to focus on the human ethics of their supply chain How biotech companies might think about designing people and planet friendly productsWhy governments need to invest in cultivated meat and precision fermentation technology Show Notes Green Queen: https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/Source Green: www.sourcegreen.coDesign Episode with Julia CollinsNatural Fiber Welding: https://www.naturalfiberwelding.com/Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Circular Economy & Big Food Redesign: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/food/overviewUNLIMEAT: https://unlimeat.co/What Questions Should We Be Asking About Cell-Based Meats? https://www.forbes.com/sites/errolschweizer/2021/05/06/what-questions-should-we-be-asking-about-cell-based-meats/What Consumers Should Ask About Precision Fermentation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/errolschweizer/2022/03/02/what-should-consumers-be-asking-about-precision-fermentation/Asia Pacific Cultivated Protein Alliance: https://www.apac-sca.org/ *Giveaway Details* We've teamed up with our partners at New Hope Network to offer ALL of our listeners an exclusive 25% off discount for an Expo West 2023 badge and ONE lucky listener will have the opportunity to win a free booth at Expo West 2024 ($8k value). To enter, do the following by February 17th: Head to New Food Order's show page on Apple PodcastsMake sure you are subscribedLeave us a review - good or bad - but hopefully good! Scroll to the bottom of the page to do so.Screenshot the review and email it to Meg at meg@savageimpacts.com - if you're interested in the 25% discount to this year's Expo, please call it out in the email.  Lastly, head to newfoodorder.org - select newsletter - and register to receive our newsletters. In addition to New Food Order content, AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect publish the leading newsletters for the food and agtech community.Those who follow New Hope Network, Food + Tech Connect and AgFunder on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will receive double entry. Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow us on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by Foodshot Global & New Hope Network New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. Production: Cam Gray, Cofruition Audio Editing: Tevin Sudi Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera 

Is exponential growth possible on a finite planet? How might we balance growth and profit with maximum social and ecological benefit? This is a huge topic that we're just beginning to scratch the surface of. In today's bonus finance episode, we share two differing viewpoints on growth from regenerative economics pioneer John Fullerton and venture capitalist Manuel Gonzalez.  We also include a discussion with Sara Eckhouse, executive director of Foodshot Global, about using Integrated Capital investment models that combine funding from multiple types of financial instruments to fund solutions that address social and environmental issues. Topics covered in this episode include: The failures of the current financial system and the business models within itThe potential benefits of restructuring the ownership of large multinational food companiesWhether we need to build a new system from the ground up with alternative principles and priorities to cope with our current crisesWhat those principles might beThe potential negative impacts of a model that doesn't center growthHow Integrated Capital works and is able to develop novel ideas that could be missed by other financing structures John Fullerton is the founder and president of Capital Institute. He is also an active impact investor and co-founder and director of holistic ranch management company Grasslands, LLC; a director of New Day Farms, Savory Institute, and the New Economy Coalition. Manuel Gonzalez is General Partner at AgFunder, one of the world's most active foodtech and agtech VC investors. Manuel was formerly the global head of innovation for Rabobank, the world's leading food and agriculture bank, and founder of its two startup engagement platforms: FoodBytes! and Terra. Sara Eckhouse is Executive Director at FoodShot Global, whose mission is to empower bold ideas and innovative companies to accelerate the transformation to a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system. Show notes: Herman Daly Interview Paul Polman Capital Institute AgFunder FoodShot Global - Precision Protein Challenge Donella Meadows: Limits to Growth Neo-Confucianism Karl Popper Albert Michelson S2G Ventures and ocean data David Deutsch: The beginning of Infinity. Timothy Snyder *Giveaway Details* We've teamed up with our partners at New Hope Network to offer ALL of our listeners an exclusive 25% off discount for an Expo West 2023 badge and ONE lucky listener will have the opportunity to win a free booth at Expo West 2024 ($8k value). To enter, do the following by February 17th: Head to New Food Order's show page on Apple PodcastsMake sure you are subscribedLeave us a review - good or bad - but hopefully good! Scroll to the bottom of the page to do so.Screenshot the review and email it to Meg at meg@savageimpacts.com - if you're interested in the 25% discount to this year's Expo, please call it out in the email.  Lastly, head to newfoodorder.org - select newsletter - and register to receive our newsletters. In addition to New Food Order content, AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect publish the leading newsletters for the food and agtech community.Those who follow New Hope Network, Food + Tech Connect and AgFunder on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will receive double entry. Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by: New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org.

The food and agriculture industries are major contributors to today's social and environmental crises. Companies across all industries are being forced to rethink the way they do business, and food and agriculture are no exception. Businesses big and small want to do better and become more resilient, but how? In this episode, we take you on a journey through a few existing and emerging alternative business models that companies and farmers are exploring today that decentralize power, distribute value more equitably across all stakeholders, and aim to have a better impact on our planet.  This week we explore: Different ways of doing business, including cooperatives, B Corps, perpetual purpose trusts, stewardship ownership, DAOs, NFTs, and open source How these models may work better than the norm for the people working withinWhy a better deal for food and agriculture employees can benefit all of usBarriers to entry to these models and how to break them downThe potential failings of emerging business models and the risk of building the wrong thing with good intentionsThe challenge of applying models that have been successful on a small scale, to large food corporationsHow Western business tactics have impacted emerging market farming communitiesBusiness model inspiration from emerging marketsHow sharing knowledge publicly can remove friction for small businessesThe appetite to fund these kinds of businesses Our guests include: Katherine Miller, author and founder of Table 81, formerly of the James Beard Foundation; author and regenerative business pioneer Carol Sanford; farmer and activist Jon Jandai; Adrian Rodrigues, co-founder and managing director at Provenance Capital group and formerly of Patagonia; Snaxshot founder Andrea Hernandez; and Nigel Teh, founder of Next Billion Burgers. *Giveaway Details* We've teamed up with our partners at New Hope Network to offer ALL of our listeners an exclusive 25% off discount for an Expo West 2023 badge and ONE lucky listener will have the opportunity to win a free booth at Expo West 2024 ($8k value). To enter, do the following by February 17th: Head to New Food Order's show page on Apple PodcastsMake sure you are subscribedLeave us a review - good or bad - but hopefully good! Scroll to the bottom of the page to do so.Screenshot the review and email it to Meg at meg@savageimpacts.com - if you're interested in the 25% discount to this year's Expo, please call it out in the email.  Lastly, head to newfoodorder.org - select newsletter - and register to receive our newsletters. In addition to New Food Order content, AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect publish the leading newsletters for the food and agtech community.Those who follow New Hope Network, Food + Tech Connect and AgFunder on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will receive double entry. Show Notes: Zebras Unite Co-op: https://zebrasunite.coop/ Democracy at Work Institute: https://institute.coop/ ZingTrain: https://www.zingtrain.com/ Purpose (steward ownership & perpetual purpose trusts): https://purpose-economy.org/en/ Billionaire No More: Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/climate/patagonia-climate-philanthropy-chouinard.html What Co-ops and DAOs Can Learn From Each Other: https://www.fwb.help/editorial/what-co-ops-and-daos-can-learn-from-each-other Flyfish Club: https://www.flyfishclub.com/ FriesDAO: https://fries.fund/ Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow us on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by Foodshot Global & New Hope Network And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life:  Production: Cam Gray, Cofruition, Anna de Wolff Evans Audio Editing: Tevin Sudi Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera 

This week we have a mini episode featuring snippets from a recent conversation we had with Errol Schweizer, former VP of Grocery at Whole Foods, where we asked him what he sees as the top challenges with the business of food and agriculture. Errol shared many challenges with us, but we are sharing the parts of the conversation we had about short termism, corporate oligopolies, and the concentration of ownership.  Errol has over 25 years of experience in the food industry, from grill cook and stock clerk to V.P. of Grocery at Whole Foods from 2009-2016. He has extensively developed plant-based, organic, non-GMO, and regenerative meat and dairy supply chains and production standards. Supermarket News has recognized Errol with a retail game-changer award and he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Hemp Industries Association. Since 2016, he has been a board member, co-founder and advisor to over two dozen food retail and CPG enterprises. He is active in municipal food policy and healthy food access. Errol is a Forbes contributor and is the host of The Checkout Podcast.  In this primer episode, we'll be talking about: Oligopolies in the food and agriculture industryShort termism and its impact on public and private companiesErrol's ideas about common and public ownership of food delivery - with some heated debate between Danielle and Louisa!And be sure to stay tuned to the end of the episode for a little bonus!  Episode Resources: ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) https://www.esop.org/ Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow us on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by Foodshot Global & New Hope Network New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life:  Production: Cofruition, Anna de Wolff, Pamela Rothenberg  Audio Editing: Mercy Barno & Tevin Sudi Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera  Art: Lola Nankin & Rekai E. Campbell  Project Management: Patrick Carter

This week we bring you a podcast from AgriFutures growAG, the gateway to Australia's agrifood innovation system.Our growAG contributor,  Samantha Noon catches up with Tegan Nock, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Australian microbial tech startup, LoamBio, and Louisa Burwood-Taylor, Head of Media for Silicon Valley venture capital firm, AgFunder, and Chief Editor of AgFunder News – the go-to global investment news platform.Together they explore the key investment trends and noteworthy funding rounds, from the recent AgFunder 2022 Asia-Pacific AgriFoodTech Investment Report, including LoamBio's Series A, Top 5 Aussie deal, worth $40million AUD, and what that means for Australian biotech going forward.  First Louisa, joins us from London, to help unpack the deal flow trends, including China's investment slump, India's blossoming market, where alt proteins are headed, and the growing calibre of innovative startups making their mark. Visit growAG.com to read the full story, and visit AgFunder.com to download the investment report.  

What would it look like if we completely re-designed the food system, product by product? In this week's episode, we speak with Julia Collins, Founder and CEO of Planet FWD, a carbon management platform for consumer companies to bring climate-friendly products to market.  Through her work with Planet FWD and more than a decade of experience leading food companies, Julia also founded Moonshot Snacks, a cracker brand that she designed from the ground up with the goal of ensuring a carbon neutral supply chain from farm to fork. In our conversation, she offers amazing insights and advice for large and next-generation food companies about how to adopt a regenerative mindset. We speak to Julia about:  How businesses can decarbonizeSoil health and regenerative agriculture as a climate mitigation strategyA regenerative approach to product development, marketing, leadership, and organizational designUsing data and software tools to understand, reduce and neutralize brands' carbon footprint and get on a path to net zero emissions. How building a climate-friendly brand can create a deeper relationship with your customersWhat messaging resonates most with eaters around climate-friendly food products Links & Resources: Planet Forward https://www.planetfwd.com/about Moonshot Snacks https://moonshotsnacks.com/  Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow up on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by Foodshot Global & New Hope Network New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life:  Production: Cofruition, Anna de Wolff, Pamela Rothenberg  Audio Editing: Mercy Barno  Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera  Art: Lola Nankin & Rekai E. Campbell  Project Management: Patrick Carter

Lauren Manning is a Senior Associate at the Croatan Institute, an independent, nonprofit research and action institute whose mission is to build social equity and ecological resilience by leveraging finance to create pathways to a just economy. Lauren is an attorney, law professor, and farmer with a dedicated passion for all things farming. Before joining Croatan Institute, Lauren was a venture capital investor with food and ag-focused VC firm AgFunder where she focused on deal flow and due diligence. Lauren began with AgFunder in 2015 as part of AgFunderNews media and research team reporting on issues involving finance, agriculture, climate change, and more. Lauren owns a small farm in Northwest Arkansas where she raises cattle, sheep, and goats. She is a partner with Ozark Pasture Beef, a direct-to-consumer grass-finished and pasture-based livestock partnership selling beef and lamb. Connect with the Croatan Institute Website | LinkedIn

Carbon markets are emerging as a leading tool for tackling our climate crisis, but are they actually getting to the root of the crisis?  In this episode, we speak with Tom Goldtooth (Dine' and Dakota), executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, an organization of Indigenous Peoples building economically sustainable, environmentally just, healthy communities. Tom is particularly knowledgeable about the growing use of regenerative agriculture to capture carbon in our soils to sell as carbon credits, but has concerns about how it is progressing as a new form of colonization and corporate ownership of lands, and through that, our food supply. So in this conversation, we speak with him about how businesses and communities might approach the climate and social crises. We discuss: Tom's take on carbon marketsThe commodification of nature and how corporations can decolonize themselvesWater rightsCultivating an indigenous mindset both at an individual level and from a business perspectiveThe role of technology in food sovereigntyWhat an ‘Indigenous Just Transition' should look like Tom has been recognized for his achievements throughout the past 40 years as a change maker within the environmental, economic, energy and climate justice movement and is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2015 Gandhi Award and in 2016 was presented Sierra Club's highest recognition, the John Muir award. He co-produced an award-winning documentary film in 1999, Drumbeat for Mother Earth, addressing the effects of the bio-accumulation and biomagnification of toxic chemicals in the natural food web and bodies of Indigenous Peoples. Links & Resources: Indigenous Environmental Network: https://www.ienearth.org/ Drumbeat for Mother Earth (film): http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/dfme.html  Just Transition: https://www.ienearth.org/justtransition/ Vandana Shiva: http://navdanya.org/ Global Alliance on Rights of Nature: https://www.garn.org/ Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow us on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by Foodshot Global & New Hope Network. New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life:  Production: Cofruition, Anna de Wolff, Pamela Rothenberg  Audio Editing: Mercy Barno  Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera  Art: Lola Nankin & Rekai E. Campbell  Project Management: Patrick Carter

“We're in the beginnings of a total revolution, and I'm excited about it.” This week's guest is reflecting on the transformation occurring across the food and agriculture industries. Not since the Green Revolution has the industry seen such change. It hasn't happened overnight. Over the past decade, entrepreneurs, corporates, activists, investors, and policy makers have been working to transform our food system. But what will it take to actually transform the system to make it way better for all people and our planet? What are the key levers for total transformation?  Louisa and Danielle speak about the food revolution that's underway with Sam Kass, former Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition in the Obama administration, Executive Director of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign and the Obama family chef. Today, Sam is a partner at Acre Venture Partners, a venture capital fund investing in the future of food with a mission to improve human and environmental health in the food system. In this lively and extensive conversation, we cover: Sam's personal journey from chef, to nutrition policy advisor for the Obamas, to Venture CapitalistCarbon marketsThe importance of mindset and cultural shift in agricultureThe Inflation Reduction Act Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by the guest or hosts that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Their trading strategies do not guarantee any return and New Food Order shall not be held responsible for any loss that you may incur, either directly or indirectly, arising from any investment based on any information contained herein, or any loss that you may incur, either directly or indirectly, arising from any investment based on any information contained herein. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Links & Resources: Carbon resources https://medium.com/@pledge_app/a-beginners-guide-to-navigating-carbon-markets-ec290a6d1bdf https://carboncredits.com/what-are-carbon-credits-in-agriculture/ https://www.ctvc.co/giving-carbon-credit-where-its-due/ https://www.ctvc.co/the-dirt-on-soil-carbon-sequestration/ https://agfundernews.com/carbon-is-not-a-dirty-word-the-case-for-recarbonizing-our-soils https://agfundernews.com/the-carbon-question-making-global-carbon-markets-work-for-farmers https://agfundernews.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-government-involvement-in-carbon-credit-markets https://agfundernews.com/agri-carbon-market-map-companies-helping-harness-benefits-regen-ag https://agfundernews.com/carbon-credits-in-ag-dishing-the-dirt Sam's firm: https://acre.vc/  Startups https://www.loambio.com/ https://meati.com/ https://inari.com/   Inflation Reduction Act: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/the-inflation-reduction-act-heres-whats-in-it (edited) Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow us on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: AgFunder & Food+ Tech Connect Thank you to our partners New Hope Network & FoodShot Global New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more.

From food and agriculture to fashion and economics, 'regenerative' has become a buzzword over the last few years. But regeneration is not a new concept at all. It is a paradigm and set of agricultural practices that indigenous peoples have practiced for millenia.  This week, Danielle and Louisa speak about looking to our indigenous past for a regenerative future with Nathalie Kelley, an actress of Quechua descent, most recently starring in the #1 Netflix series The Baker and the Beauty and the Fast & the Furious movie series. With a background in social science and policy, Nathalie strives to tell stories that educate and inspire. She is on the boards of both Kiss The Ground and the Fungí Foundation, using her platform to elevate Indigenous wisdom and technologies as a means of coming back into justice and harmony with our ecosystems. She is in deep devotion and service to the entire web of life, advocating in particular for the health of our soil, water, the fungí and forests. Her mission is the preservation of biodiversity, including cultural and myco-diversity on the planet.  In this powerful, inspiring, and, at times, heartbreaking conversation, we discuss: The human and environmental costs of our climate crisis and industrial agriculture The connection between personal health and planetary healthWhy and what we can learn from indigenous peoples to build a regenerative future and feed the worldIndigenous and low tech solutions to combating climate change issuesNathalie's regenerative learning journey Tips for starting your own regenerative learning journeyPractical changes we can make in our everyday lives Warning: Some of what is shared in this episode may be upsetting or could be triggering, especially for Indigenous listeners. Links & Resources: Fungi Foundation: https://www.ffungi.org/ Kiss The Ground (documentary & movement): https://kissthegroundmovie.com/ SEED, the untold story (documentary): https://www.seedthemovie.com/ Ninth Revolution (book by Professor Sayed Azam-Ali): https://sayedazamali.com/?page_id=47 Ernst Gotsch - syntropic farming founder: https://believe.earth/en/ernst-gotsch-the-creator-of-the-real-green-revolution/ Ecosystem Restoration Camps: https://ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/ New Food Order is brought to you by agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com  Subscribe to our newsletters that track all of the business, tech, and investment trends in food: https://tinyurl.com/nfonewsletters Follow up on Instagram: @newfoodorderpod Follow us on Linkedin: @agfunder & @foodtechconnect This series is sponsored by New Hope Network & Foodshot Global. New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com. FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more. Production: Cofruition, Anna de Wolff, Pamela Rothenberg Audio Editing: Mercy Barno Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera Art: Lola Nankin & Rekai E. Campbell Project Management: Patrick Carter

What does it actually mean to build a people and planet-friendly company? In this episode, Danielle and Louisa speak to Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever from 2009 to 2019 and Co-Author of “Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take.” Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to achieve the UN Global Goals, which he helped develop. He has been described by the Financial Times as “a stand-out CEO of the past decade”. In this conversation they discuss: What it means to be a net positive businessSpecific steps leaders and companies can take to become more people and planet friendlyThe business case for net positivity Links & Resources: Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take.Race to Zero CampaignFirst Mover CoalitionInternational Sustainability Standards BoardImagine Thank you to our partners: New Hope Network New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com FoodShot Global FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life: Production: Cofruition, Anna de Wolff Evans, Pamela Rothenberg Audio Editing: Mercy Barno Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera Art: Lola Nankin & Rekai E. Campbell Project Management: Patrick Carter

Our current global food system contributes to one-third of greenhouse gas emissions each year. It is a system that has profited hugely at the expense of people and our planet. As the need to tackle our climate crisis becomes ever more urgent, is it time to ask ourselves whether we need a New World Order for food; a ‘New Food Order'? In this brand-new podcast series, journalist Louisa Burwood-Taylor and entrepreneur Danielle Gould embark on a journey of discovery, speaking to farmers, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, celebrities, advocates, and more. Through nuanced conversation with diverse voices, New Food Order explores how we might rethink and redesign our food system to have maximum positive impact for people and our planet. In this first episode, Louisa and Danielle invite us to leave our egos at the door and to step into the conversation with an open mind and an open heart. They introduce us to some of the key ideas and concepts that they'll be exploring throughout the series and they experience a sharp reality check with the very first question they ask their guests! Join us on this journey and subscribe now! About Our Hosts: Louisa Burwood-Taylor is Head of Media & Research at AgFunder and chief editor of its news site AFN, with 15 years of financial journalism experience. She has covered a range of financial products and markets during her career, from equities and institutional investment in Asia to structured bonds in Europe, before turning her attention to food and agriculture nearly 10 years ago. She's been responsible for launching two publications: an institutional investment intelligence service for the Financial Times and the first-ever title focused on agriculture investment, Agri Investor. Danielle Gould is the Founder and CEO of Food+Tech Connect, the first community for food innovation that is best know for their weekly newsletter that tracks all of the business, tech and investment trends from farm to fork. She is also the co-Founder and co-CEO of Alpha Food Labs, a consultancy where she works with some of the world's largest companies to create products and innovation strategies that are better for people and our planet. Danielle was named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business and one of Fortune and Food & Wine Magazines Most Innovative Women in Food. Thank you to the guests featured in this episode: Carol Sanford, Executive Producer at The Regenerative Business Summit Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Co-Founder at Regenerative Agriculture Solutions Paul Polman, Business leader, campaigner and co-author of ‘Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take'. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us bring this podcast to life: Production: Cofruition, Anna de Wolff Evans, Pamela RothenbergAudio Editing: Mercy BarnoOriginal Music: Rodrigo BarberaArt: Lola Nankin & Rekai E. CampbellProject Management: Patrick Carter About our Partners: New Hope Network: New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com FoodShot Global: FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org. New Food Order is brought to you by AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect. Visit agfunder.com and foodtechconnect.com to find out more.

We are thrilled to kick off our new show on scaling climate innovation: CLIMB by VSC with an engaging conversation with Rob Leclerc, managing partner of AgFunder. Founded in 2013 and based in Silicon Valley, AgFunder is one of the world's most active FoodTech and AgTech investors today. In this episode, we discuss: (00:01) Intro to AgFunder & Rob Leclerc's background as well as what led him to becoming a co-founder of AgFunder (04:22) key risks to the future of food and agriculture? (07:23) and where does Venture Capital play in food & ag, plus what AgFunder like to invest in across the value chain. (09:29) What are the over-hyped or over-funded segments within Food & Ag, (13:23) What's been the catalyst that has moved people to more climate-conscious agriculture practices? (15:04) What role does government play in making an impact on climate innovation? How do you price that risk within Food & AgTech? (19:11) What are the criteria that matter most to Rob and AgFunder when they look to invest in a startup? (21:17) What is the interplay between AgFunder News and the venture fund? What are the benefits of having a media entity relationship? (27:38) What do founders overlook or underestimate when building a business in FoodTech or AgTech? (31:07) How does building in the world of "Atoms vs. Bits" change fund structure and time horizons for investment? (35:17) What makes for a good lead for a FoodTech & AgTech investment? (39:21) What is some advice Rob would wish he could give his younger self? (40:24) Key lessons from this episode and final thoughts About VSC Ventures: For 20 years, our award-winning PR agency VSC has worked with innovative startups on positioning, messaging, and awareness and we are bringing that same expertise to help climate startups with storytelling and narrative building. Last year, general partners Vijay Chattha and Jay Kapoor raised a $21M fund to co-invest in the most promising startups alongside leading climate funds. Through the conversations on our show CLIMB by VSC, we're excited to share what we're doing at VSC and VSC Ventures on climate innovation with companies like Ample, Actual, Sesame Solar, Synop, Vibrant Planet, and Zume among many others.

Manuel Gonzalez es de Guadalajara, México, y desde hace algunos años está basado en San Francisco, California. En San Francisco, Manuel da el salto del mundo de la banca al mundo del venture capital. El nos cuenta que la industria de los alimentos fue su pasión toda su vida y cómo desde AgFunder, tiene una misión de descubrir, invertir y desarrollar fundadores que lideren la revolución en la alimentación a través de Foodtech, Agtech, Biotech, y tecnología de gestión de alimentos. AgFunder es una firma de venture capital extremadamente interesante. Es uno de los tres fondos más activos del mundo Agtech, es decir, invierten en startups enfocadas en el mundo de la agricultura. Manejan más de $150 millones en activos, tienen un portfolio de más de 70 compañías, y han logrado 4 “exits” o salidas a cotizar en bolsa con 4 de sus inversiones. Lo curioso de AgFunder es que simultáneamente con el fondo, también ha construido AgFunder News, un sitio de noticias Agtech que cuenta con periodistas alrededor del mundo, y más de 100,000 suscriptores. Manuel nos cuenta que desde AgFunder también han logrado desarrollar tecnología en base a inteligencia artificial que les permite catalogar y evaluar compañías de manera eficiente para así decidir en cuales invertir. En este episodio Manuel nos cuenta como un VC evalúa una compañía, el desafío de las valuaciones muy altas en compañías, y cómo planear una ronda de inversión en este mercado cambiante. Sin duda, una conversación que nos deja muchísimo. No se la pierdan! Agradecemos a nuestros sponsors: Farmaceutica La Sante: Tu Generico, Tu Vida.  Pardux: Simplifica tu operacion e-commerce - www.pardux.com  Facturero Movil: Con Facturero Móvil podrás crear documentos electrónicos autorizados por el SRI, sin contratos y desde 10 dólares - www.facturermomovil.com

News - Meteor Tutors has Created a Safe and Innovative Solution for Music and Language Online Tutoring - Read more ---> Check out the Causeartist Partners here.---> Subscribe to the Causeartist Newsletter here.In this episode of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Sophia Wang, Co-Founder of MycoWorks, on disrupting the fashion industry by creating a biomaterials company that has developed natural alternatives to leather and plastics using mushroom mycelium technology.In 2013, with artist and inventor Phil Ross, Sophia co-founded MycoWorks, a biomaterials company that has developed natural alternatives to engineered wood, leather and plastics using mushroom mycelium technology.Her creative practice includes choreography, performance, writing, curation and producing original dance and multimedia works. Sophia has danced for Xavier Le Roy, Tino Sehgal, Jerome Bel, Amara Tabor-Smith and Xandra Ibarra, and co-founder of the Brontez Purnell Dance Company. Since 2015, she has co-produced Heavy Breathing, a discussion and movement workshop series that has featured over 45 presenting artists working at the intersection of performance, visual arts and pedagogy.Sophia also holds a PhD in English specializing in 20th and 21st century experimental American poetry, and a BA in English and Visual Arts.MycoWorks create materials at the intersection of art, nature and biotechnology using mycelium, one of the earth's most regenerative resources. The company's mission is to create a platform for the highest quality materials using Fine Mycelium™. Their first product, Reishi™ offers partners in the fashion industry an option for leather that is neither animal nor plastic, yet uncompromising in quality and aesthetic expression.The company announced last year the closing of a $45 million Series B financing to scale up and meet demand for Reishi™, the leading natural, non-animal leather material. WTT Investment Ltd. (Taipei, Taiwan) and DCVC Bio co-led the round, with major participation from new investors Valor Equity Partners, Humboldt Fund, Gruss & Co., and others, and existing investors Novo Holdings, 8VC, SOSV, AgFunder, Wireframe Ventures, Tony Fadell, and others.About Mushroom MyceliumA breakthrough in materials science and biotechnology, Fine Mycelium is an advanced manufacturing platform for high performance materials in fashion and footwear. The company's proprietary technology has enabled a new class of premium, non-animal materials that are the next evolution in mycelium.Mycelium is one of the earth's most powerful agents of regeneration and carbon sequestration. These fine, root-like threads are grown on the byproducts of agriculture and lumber, transforming plant matter into their own biomass.Unlike “mushroom leather,” which is compressed mycelium, MycloWorks patented Fine Mycelium technology engineers mycelium during growth to create the proprietary, interlocking cellular structures that give our material its superior strength and durability.Exclusive to MycoWorks, the Fine Mycelium process offers the unique advantage of total control over quality and customization.Fine Mycelium materials are custom-grown to our brand partners' specifications for performance, aesthetic features and more. This gives brands creative control to design from the material on up, while minimizing waste and ensuring consistent quality. Actionable traceability of the Fine Mycelium process allows our experts to capture and apply data at defining moments during production, fully optimizing our products from initial growth to harvest.Today, the team is growing in order to scale and deliver Reishi to an even broader range of partners in fashion, footwear and beyond. Together, they're working towards a world where mycelium enables resilient, creative solutions for any industry dependent on animal and petroleum-derived products.News - Meteor Tutors has Created a Safe and Innovative Solution for Music and Language Online Tutoring - Read more---> Check out the Causeartist Partners here.---> Subscribe to the Causeartist Newsletter here.Listen to more Causeartist podcast shows hereFollow Grant on Twitter and LinkedInFollow Causeartist on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram

Adrián Ferrero is the Co-Founder and CEO of Biome Makers, one of the foremost global AgTech leaders setting the standard in soil health with BeCrop® technology. Built on industry-leading AgTech expertise and driven by data and science, Biome Makers connectsoil biology to agricultural decision-making to optimize farming practices and reverse the degradation of arable soils. With labs across the globe, customers on 4 continents, and 1M+ acres of land impacted, Biome Makers revitalizes soil functionality and agricultural sustainability worldwide. With recognition from the Spanish Government, Illumina Accelerator, and MIT Technology Review —Adrián is a self-described entrepreneur on a mission to improve the world. He holds a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Salamanca and a Master of Environmental Management from the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration. Growing up in an agricultural region of Spain inspired Adrián to co-found, together with Alberto Acedo, Biome Makers Inc., and create its patented BeCrop® technology. From there, Biome Makers has received many awards worldwide (AgSum in Japan, agripreneur 2019 in Greece, WINnovation in US, or Best innovative startup by AgFunder) and attracted over $24M from investors. Prior to Biome Makers, Adrián has founded three start-ups and worked as an innovation consultant for more than nine years. Connect with Biome Makers Website | Twitter Co-op Links Co-op Details | Buy an NFT | Resources | Follow us on Twitter for memes

Journalist, editor, speaker, and podcast host Louisa Burwood-Taylor is a force to be reckoned with in the food innovation space. In this episode, we catch up with AgFunder's Head of Media and Research and Senior Editor of AFN to talk about the hits, misses, buzzwords, and promises of the agrifood tech renaissance. Together we discuss how to improve strategies for reaching future food goals faster. About Louisa Burwood-Taylor Louisa is Head of Media & Research for AgFunder and chief editor of its news site AFN, with 13 years of financial journalism experience. She has covered a range of financial products and markets during her career, from equities and institutional investment in Asia to structured bonds in Europe, before turning her attention to food and agriculture over eight years ago. She's been responsible for launching two publications: an institutional investment intelligence service for the Financial Times and the first-ever title focused on agriculture investment, Agri Investor. About AgFunder AgFunder is an online Venture Capital Platform based in Silicon Valley. AgFunder invests in exceptional and bold entrepreneurs who are aiming to build the next generation of great agriculture and food technology companies. As a Platform-VC, we've leveraged technology, media and research to build a global ecosystem of over 90,000 members and subscribers, including over 5,000 investors. We build technology to help source, evaluate, and support our portfolio companies and invest at scale. Through special co-investment funds and Special Purpose Vehicles, AgFunder gives investors the opportunity to coinvest with them and other leading VCs. AgFunder has been in Forbes, Bloomberg TV, TechCrunch, CNN Money, Reuters, CNBC, NY Times, WSJ, and the Financial Times. Our CEO was named by Forbes in their 2014 list of "Up and Comers" in the agriculture sector. Recently, AgFunder has increased its assets under management to $150 million.

On today's Mountain Money, (01:32) Manuel Gonzalez, General Partner at Agfunder shares how AgriFoodTech entrepreneurs are stepping up to solve problems in the food and agriculture industry, (24:07) Dr. Susan Madsen, USU Professor and Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project shares why getting rid of sexism in the workplace is so challenging and (41:03) Park City Brewing is back and Elias Fairman joins us to talk about their new brewpub, and some fresh killer beers. 

Episode 4 of 6 – The Entrepreneur's Experience The global food system faces serious problems – environmental, social and commercial. This six-part podcast series seeks to unravel these complex interrelationships asking how we can better align the interests of the environment, farmers, entrepreneurs and investors, allowing new agtech solutions to address these critical challenges. This episode investigates the experience of three AgTech entrepreneurs as they navigated their companies from idea to revenue generation. The three entrepreneurs operate with different technologies, in different countries and in different sectors but still find common ground in their experiences. This includes the importance of building on publicly funded research and startup incentives and the value of identifying partners and investors with aligned visions of the future. We also hear about the high price that entrepreneurs on average pay for their pursuits, illustrating the high stakes in these endeavours. While we tend to hear about the good sides, the implications for entrepreneurs' financial and psychological health and relationships are serious considerations. Featured in this Episode • Ashwin Madgavkar - Ceres Imaging • Bethany Deshpande – SomaDetect • David Smith – Ceres Tag • Rasmus Hartmann – Copenhagen Business School Further Reading The following resources are those I found helpful or were recommended by my interviewees Books (available at https://www.betterworldbooks.com) • Humanity at Work by Pierre Battah • The Entrepreneurial State by Mariana Mazzucato • Burn Rate by Andy Dunn • The 10 Types of Innovation by Larry Kelly Online Resources: • https://store.hbr.org/product/founders-apply-the-scientific-method-to-your-startup/H05ZW3 • Entrepreneurial Strategy by Joshua Ganz and Scott Stern https://www.entrepreneurial-strategy.net/about • AgFunder AgriFood Tech Investment report 2021: https://agfunder.com/research/2021-AgFunder-agrifoodtech-investment-report/ • How Silicon Valley Set Agtech back by a decade https://blog.agthentic.com/how-silicon-valley-set-agtech-back-a-decade-b9d46e0acf0d

Episode 2 of 6 - Why do we need Entrepreneurs? The global food system faces serious problems – environmental, social and commercial. This six-part podcast series seeks to unravel these complex interrelationships asking how we can better align the interests of the environment, farmers, entrepreneurs and investors, allowing new Agtech solutions to address these critical challenges. Episode 2 explores the role entrepreneurs play in achieving technological progress. We ask what entrepreneurs can contribute that existing companies and governments might not, and investigate the networks and resources - the entrepreneurial ecosystem - that helps facilitate entrepreneurs' success. The Silicon Valley template of entrepreneurship and its influence is explored, including cautionary tales about how hype surrounding entrepreneurship and technological developments can lead to undesirable consequences. Finally, we discuss the role of business accelerators and share some pioneering examples of food and agriculture focused support for start-ups. Featured in this Episode • Rasmus Hartmann, Copenhagen Business School • Juliet Ansell, Zespri International • Adrian Percy, North Carolina State University • Sarah Nolet, AgThentic & Tenacious Ventures • Peter Herz, Food System 6 and 1st Course Capital • Pete Nelson, AgLaunch Further Reading The following resources are those I found helpful or were recommended by my interviewees Books (available at https://www.betterworldbooks.com): • 10% Entrepreneur by Patrick McInnes • The Third Plate by Dan Barber Online Resources: • Towards an Untrepreneurial Economy? The Entrepreneurship Industry and the Rise of the Veblenian Entrepreneur by Hartmann, Spice and Krabbe. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3479042 • Entrepreneurial Strategy by Joshua Ganz and Scott Stern https://www.entrepreneurial-strategy.net/about • AgFunder AgriFood Tech Investment report 2021: https://agfunder.com/research/2021-AgFunder-agrifoodtech-investment-report/ • How Silicon Valley Set Agtech back by a decade https://blog.agthentic.com/how-silicon-valley-set-agtech-back-a-decade-b9d46e0acf0d • Technological change and economics: https://carlotaperez.org

In episode 112 of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Sophia Wang, Co-Founder of MycoWorks, on disrupting the fashion industry by creating a biomaterials company that has developed natural alternatives to leather and plastics using mushroom mycelium technologyIn 2013, with artist and inventor Phil Ross, Sophia co-founded MycoWorks, a biomaterials company that has developed natural alternatives to engineered wood, leather and plastics using mushroom mycelium technology.Her creative practice includes choreography, performance, writing, curation and producing original dance and multimedia works. Sophia has danced for Xavier Le Roy, Tino Sehgal, Jerome Bel, Amara Tabor-Smith and Xandra Ibarra, and co-founder of the Brontez Purnell Dance Company. Since 2015, she has co-produced Heavy Breathing, a discussion and movement workshop series that has featured over 45 presenting artists working at the intersection of performance, visual arts and pedagogy.Sophia also holds a PhD in English specializing in 20th and 21st century experimental American poetry, and a BA in English and Visual Arts.MycoWorks create materials at the intersection of art, nature and biotechnology using mycelium, one of the earth's most regenerative resources. The company's mission is to create a platform for the highest quality materials using Fine Mycelium™. Their first product, Reishi™ offers partners in the fashion industry an option for leather that is neither animal nor plastic, yet uncompromising in quality and aesthetic expression.The company announced last year the closing of a $45 million Series B financing to scale up and meet demand for Reishi™, the leading natural, non-animal leather material. WTT Investment Ltd. (Taipei, Taiwan) and DCVC Bio co-led the round, with major participation from new investors Valor Equity Partners, Humboldt Fund, Gruss & Co., and others, and existing investors Novo Holdings, 8VC, SOSV, AgFunder, Wireframe Ventures, Tony Fadell, and others.About Mushroom MyceliumA breakthrough in materials science and biotechnology, Fine Mycelium is an advanced manufacturing platform for high performance materials in fashion and footwear. The company's proprietary technology has enabled a new class of premium, non-animal materials that are the next evolution in mycelium.Mycelium is one of the earth's most powerful agents of regeneration and carbon sequestration. These fine, root-like threads are grown on the byproducts of agriculture and lumber, transforming plant matter into their own biomass.Unlike “mushroom leather,” which is compressed mycelium, MycloWorks patented Fine Mycelium technology engineers mycelium during growth to create the proprietary, interlocking cellular structures that give our material its superior strength and durability.Exclusive to MycoWorks, the Fine Mycelium process offers the unique advantage of total control over quality and customization.Fine Mycelium materials are custom-grown to our brand partners' specifications for performance, aesthetic features and more. This gives brands creative control to design from the material on up, while minimizing waste and ensuring consistent quality. Actionable traceability of the Fine Mycelium process allows our experts to capture and apply data at defining moments during production, fully optimizing our products from initial growth to harvest.Today, the team is growing in order to scale and deliver Reishi to an even broader range of partners in fashion, footwear and beyond. Together, they're working towards a world where mycelium enables resilient, creative solutions for any industry dependent on animal and petroleum-derived products.Listen to more Causeartist podcasts here.Check out:Partner with us - Learn moreImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow

Since Sriram co-founded Shiok Meats three years ago, the startup has gone from strength to strength. According to AgFunder's most recent ASEAN Agrifoodtech Investment Report, it was Southeast Asia's highest-funded startup in the ‘Innovative Food' category in 2019.It raised $4.6 million for its April 2019 seed round, which saw Y Combinator make its first-ever investment in a ‘clean meat' company.Last year, Shiok Meats netted $3 million in bridge funding from investors including UK firms Agronomics and Impact Venture, US trust VegInvest, and UAE-based Mindshift Capital, before closing a $12.6 million Series A round led by Dutch aquaculture-focused fund Aqua-Spark.

The Future Food News Review is part of a collaboration between AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect to host meaningful conversations about the future of our food system on Clubhouse and other platforms.The Future Food News Review features leading journalists in foodtech and agtech sharing and discussing their top headlines of the week, hosted on Clubhouse.See below for a list of participating journalists and the articles they introduced; some of them joined purely for the discussion and debate. We always strive for diverse voices on Future Food News Review, so if you're a journalist covering food systems, agtech or foodtech, or know someone who is that would make a great edition, please reach out to danielle@foodtechconnect.com or louisa@agfunder.com.Sonalie Figueiras - Green Queen MediaArticle: Food System Change: ‘Who's Making Decisions, Who's Benefiting, Who's Gaining The Wealth?' Errol Schweizer's Got QuestionsErrol Schweizer - Forbes/TheCheckOut Article: How New York City Delivery Workers Are Rewriting The Rules Of Gig WorkArticle: Not Just Junk: Why We Need To Re-Think Food ProcessingLouisa Burwood-Taylor - AFNArticle: Bowery bags ‘biggest-ever' vertical farming raise with $300m Series CPodcast: Up, up and away! Irving Fain on building Bowery's biggest vertical farm yetChloe Sorvino - ForbesArticle: JBS Cyberattack Shines A Spotlight On The Biggest Risk To Big Meat: ConsolidationJenn Marston - The SpoonArticle: Tesla May Soon Open Its Own RestaurantSam Silverstein - Grocery DiveArticle: Amazon to open its first Fresh supermarket with checkout-free technologyKristen Hawley - EaterArticle: Delivery Apps Are Making Concessions to Restaurants. But Who Pays?Thin Lei Win - ThinInk

The Future Food News Review is part of a collaboration between AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect to host meaningful conversations about the future of our food system on Clubhouse and other platforms.The Future Food News Review features leading journalists in foodtech and agtech sharing and discussing their top headlines of the week, hosted on Clubhouse.See below for a list of participating journalists and the articles they introduced; some of them joined purely for the discussion and debate. We always strive for diverse voices on Future Food News Review, so if you're a journalist covering food systems, agtech or foodtech, or know someone who is that would make a great edition, please reach out to danielle@foodtechconnect.com or louisa@agfunder.com.Esther Honig - The NationArticle: The Story Behind Your Salad: Farmworkers, Covid-19, and a Dangerous CommuteSonalie Figueiras - Green Queen MediaArticle: Cell-Cultured Meat Pioneer Memphis Meats Is Now UPSIDE Foods, First Chicken Product To Launch This Year Pending Reg. ApprovalErrol Schweizer - Forbes/TheCheckOut Article: What Questions Should We Be Asking about Cultured Meats?Article: How Fast Food Workers Are Finally Getting $15 an HourElaine Watson - Food NavigatorUSAArticle: Brave New Animal Free WorldJoe Fassler - The CounterArticle: Regenerative Agriculture Needs a Reckoning Luke Winkie - VoxArticle: Right-wing coffee companies want to make coffee great againLouisa Burwood-Taylor - AFNArticle: Ginkgo Bioworks to go public at $15bn valuation as agrifood SPAC frenzy continuesChloe Sorvino - ForbesBettina Makalintal - VICE

The Future Food News Review is part of a collaboration between AgFunder and Food+Tech Connect to host meaningful conversations about the future of our food system on Clubhouse and other platforms.The journalists joining this week are:Ximena Bustillo - POLITICO (https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-agriculture)Sam Silverstein - Grocery Dive (https://www.grocerydive.com/news/amazon-unveils-aplenty-its-newest-private-label-food-brand/598223/)Leah Douglas - FERN (https://www.motherjones.com/food/2021/04/a-year-later-conditions-for-many-food-workers-at-high-risk-of-covid-19-remain-the-same/)Jenn Marston - The Spoon (https://thespoon.tech/restaurants-breakup-with-single-use-plastics-has-begun/)Lela Nargi - The Counter (https://thecounter.org/funding-investment-plant-based-proteins-meat-consumption/)Chloe Sorvino - Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2021/04/15/maker-of-mushroom-sourced-bacon-raises-40-million-to-reach-grocers-at-scale/?sh=498070b472d1)Louisa Burwood-Taylor - AFN (https://agfundernews.com/grab-confirms-record-breaking-40bn-spac-deal-archrival-gojek-nears-18bn-merger.html)Errol Schweizer - Forbes/TheCheckOut (https://www.thecheckoutradio.com/podcast/episode42-ufcw)Elaine Watson - Food NavigatorUSAMegan Poinski - Food DiveSign up for the Food+Tech Connect newsletter hereSign up for the AgFunder Weekly newsletter and research here

Finishing a PhD in tech during the 2008 financial crisis, Rob Leclerc, Founding Partner of AgFunder, identified food as a critical industry that you can “be your career on”. AgFunder was born out of the recognition that the food and agtech industries do not have a physical center of gravity. In response to this gap, AgFunder a source for information and an investment platform based in Silicon Valley, with a global reach. Our conversation with Rob Leclerc, Founding Partner of AgFunder, is a behind the curtain glimpse at the intersection of agtech and venture capital. This is a conversation for entrepreneurs wanting to understand how venture capital funding decisions are made. And it is a dialogue on tech innovation for anyone interested in the future of food.AgFunder is about attracting the best talent to food and agriculture, and getting the best businesses funded. Through the lens of AgFunder’s alternative proteins and ESG funds we’re exploring how creating specific funds concentrates capital and creates more opportunity in a sector. And Rob is sharing his take on what makes companies ripe for investments: what stands out are exceptional founders. It is all about the right team coming along to solve key problems--and Rob talks about what qualities make up that special sauce. We are going far beyond investment strategies and to talk about the need to fuse technological innovation with respecting for ecological limits to solve our global food system challenges. And Rob is sharing analysis of where to focus food system investment and innovation in the time of Covid-19. The headlines: it’s about localizing and securing food chains through automation, alternative proteins, indoor agriculture. And focusing on how food technology supports better nutrition and health. Join us!

En el episodio de hoy, tenemos como invitada a Sofía Ramírez, Socia Adjunta de AgFunder (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiaramirezc/), Venture Capital de San Francisco que es el segundo más activo del mundo en su industria, invirtiendo en empresas tecnológicas que buscan transformar nuestro sistema agrícola y alimentario. En su rol, es parte del comité de inversión global del fondo y lidera inversiones.Si te gustó el programa, apoyanos con una contribución económica en Patreon. Con tan solo $3 al mes, nos puedes apoyar a cubrir los costos de producción de este podcast. Te invito a visitar nuestra página en patreon.com/innovacion. Tu contribución nos ayudará a crecer y mejorar el podcast. ¡Gracias por tu apoyo! Si tienes recomendaciones, por favor ayúdanos respondiendo esta breve encuesta: https://www.jaimesotomayor.com/encuestaPor último, si quieres mantenerte al día en temas de innovación, nuevas tecnologías, emprendimiento y startups, te invito a suscribirte a mi newsletter: jaime.peSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/innovacion)

According to the 2020 agrifood tech report - a total of $423 million was invested in startups innovating across Southeast Asia's food and agriculture segments in 2019. While that may seem low compared to more mature markets like the US and Europe, it represents a 400% increase since 2014.  To tap into this growing industry - AgFunder has launched an impact-focused investment vehicle, the GROW Impact Fund. To find out more, Prime Time's Rachel Kelly spoke to John Friedman, Director, AgFunder Asia & GROW Accelerator. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 started in Asia, and the region was the first to feel the social and economic impacts of the disease as it spread worldwide. It’s also where businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and governments have spent the most time dealing with Covid-19 and its effects. Their insights and experience – and the strategies they’ve adopted to ride out the pandemic – could prove invaluable to agrifood players not just in Asia, but elsewhere in the world, too.That’s why we focused the second episode of our new What The Fork?Digitalks by AgFunder series on Asia, and how agrifood businesses and investors here are tackling Covid-19. AgFunder’s hand-picked lineup of thought leaders also shared their thoughts on where the region’s investment landscape is headed as the pandemic eases.Joining AgFunder founding partner Michael Dean were:Anuj Maheshwari, managing director, agribusiness, at Temasek – a Singaporean sovereign fund and top tech investor with close to $222 billion assets under management;Suresh Sundararjan, managing director and group head, global corporate services, at Olam – a Singapore-based agribusiness corporation which is a major player in the global food commodity trade;Matt Kovac, executive director at Food Industry Asia (FIA) – an advocacy group representing the interests of food manufacturers, producers, and retailers across the region.

In this episode of The Assure Podcast: The Democratization of Private Investment, Jeremy takes the opportunity to explore the agricultural investment landscape with one its most influential experts and investors, Rob Leclerc, PhD, one of two founding partners of AgFunder. AgFunder, launched in 2013 in Silicon Valley, has established itself as the vanguard of global agri-foodtech (agricultural technology and food technology) investment, with more than 75,000 members and subscribers. In this discussion, Rob describes the expanding frontiers of agi-foodtech entrepreneurial development and investment, including a growing co-investment with A-list investors outside the firm's domain. He also lays out the strategic vision to expand agricultural productivity through far-reaching technology innovation, in the face of accelerating global crises.

Covid-19 is the first big crisis for agrifood investing, an investment area that largely emerged in the wake of the global financial crisis. How will investors respond and what does it mean for the future of investment across the sector? This is part of a new series of webinars AgFunder is hosting to navigate the crisis. This first episode features Dave Friedberg, founder of The Climate Corporation, agtech's first unicorn which sold to Monsanto for $1bn, and Blake Stevens, principal at Alexandria Ventures, part of real estate investment juggernaut Alexandria Real Estate (NYSE: ARE) and lead on its agtech efforts. They were joined by myself and my colleague Rob Leclerc, founding partner at AgFunder, one of the most active investors in foodtech and agtech. These special hour-long sessions are longer than you're used to, but I hope you still find them interesting!

Covid-19 is the first big crisis for agrifood investing, an investment area that largely emerged in the wake of the global financial crisis. How will investors respond and what does it mean for the future of investment across the sector? This is part of a new series of webinars AgFunder is hosting to navigate the crisis. This first episode features Dave Friedberg, founder of The Climate Corporation, agtech's first unicorn which sold to Monsanto for $1bn, and Blake Stevens, principal at Alexandria Ventures, part of real estate investment juggernaut Alexandria Real Estate (NYSE: ARE) and lead on its agtech efforts. They were joined by myself and my colleague Rob Leclerc, founding partner at AgFunder, one of the most active investors in foodtech and agtech. These special hour-long sessions are longer than you're used to, but I hope you still find them interesting!

Guests: Sanjeev Krishnan, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, S2G Ventures Rob Leclerc, Ph.D., Founding Partner, Agfunder

In Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks to movers and shakers in the sustainability world. In this episode, she talks to John Friedman, Director  Asia, AgFunder about agri-food tech investment

As economies reopen, a strange new norm unfolds from disrupted supply chains to inflated public markets. Amid tension & anxiety, can we imagine a way out of the crisis? AI experts David Hardoon, Jessica Groopman, PatSnap’s Jeffrey Tiong, AgFunder’s John Friedman, VCs David Williams, Brad Feld & IOT Council’s Rob van Kranenburg share solutions & ideas on the way forward.

Dani Nierenberg talks with Louisa Burwood-Taylor, Head of Media & Research for AgFunder and chief editor of their news site AFN. While you’re listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

According to AgFunder, over $6.5 billion was invested in agtech companies in 2019. Are growers seeing the benefits?

According to AgFunder, over $6.5 billion was invested in agtech companies in 2019. Are growers seeing the benefits?

What is the latest thinking around our food systems and how they impact society? Award-winning chefs Dominique Crenn and Samin Nosrat joined AgFunder's Head of Media and Research, Louisa Burwood-Taylor, to discuss the ways our food systems can be made more sustainable and equitable. Captured live, on-stage during Dreamforce ‘19. This special ten-part series based on conversations at Dreamforce 2019 is presented by WordPress VIP. With unparalleled power and flexibility, WordPress VIP is the leading provider of enterprise WordPress and powers digital customer experiences for companies like Facebook, Spotify, Capgemini, and more. In these ten episodes, you will hear from their CEO Nick Gernert on how he and his company view the future of work, digital transformation, and more. To find out more, visit wpvip.com.

Why work in the foodtech and agtech investment space? Which category of this emerging venture capital industry are most exciting? These are some of the questions I asked two of my teammates Yanniv and Quinten who joined AgFunder in 2019. Also find out who their favorite team member is - hint - it's me!

This episode is perhaps a tad awkward as I interview my boss Rob Leclerc, founding partner of AgFunder, but Rob was as insightful as ever, sharing his thoughts on working in and around the agriculture sector for the past decade. Rob first started working with our other founding partner Michael Dean when they set up an agriculture business in West Africa at the start of the decade before founding AgFunder in 2013. We talk about agtech acquisitions, food trends, the impending shift to look at food as medicine, lessons he's learned since starting to invest and who is favorite team member is - hint, it's me!

Mareese Keane is Platform Director with THRIVE, an AgriFood -Tech Accelerator, located at Salinas, California. In this episode, Mareese provides some background to her exciting work with THRIVE, recently acknowledged as being the, ‘Most Valuable AgriFood Tech Accelerator Programme’ in the United States by San Francisco based AgFunder.

Mareese Keane is Platform Director with THRIVE, an AgriFood -Tech Accelerator, located at Salinas, California. In this episode, Mareese provides some background to her exciting work with THRIVE, recently acknowledged as being the, ‘Most Valuable AgriFood Tech Accelerator Programme’ in the United States by San Francisco based AgFunder.

This is the fourth and final episode in a 4-part series sponsored by AgFunder! David Farquhar is the CEO of Intelligent Growth Solutions, a technology company that provides vertical farming systems for 3rd party indoor farms. IGS has been a leading innovator in the vertical farming space. David has an impressive background of scaling technology companies and shares the story and technology of IGS and what he has implemented since taking over as CEO. This is a must-listen episode! Connect with Intelligent Growth Solutions Website | Twitter Connect with AgFunder Fund | News | Twitter Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter Sign up for Acre Insights HERE

This is the third episode in a 4-part series sponsored by AgFunder! Abi Ramanan is the founder and CEO of ImpactVision, which uses machine learning and hyperspectral imaging to detect the quality and composition of food products to a degree that has not been possible before. This will enable food supply chains to reduce waste, maximize yield, and improve quality. Tune in to learn more about how the company was founded and developed over time, it's partnership with AgFunder, and more about hyperspectral technology. Connect with ImpactVision Website | Twitter Connect with AgFunder Fund | News | Twitter Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter Sign up for Acre Insights HERE

This is the second episode in a 4-part series sponsored by AgFunder! Sofia Elizondo is the co-founder and COO at Brightseed. She has an impressive background in CPG, pharmaceutical, and technology companies. Sofia co-founded Brightseed focusing on improving the nutrition in our food. The team has developed a computational search engine, Forager, which can identify plant compounds that can be instrumental in returning nutrition to food. We learn more about the company, their partnership with AgFunder, and where they are in the product development. Tune in! Connect with Brightseed Website Connect with AgFunder Fund | News | Twitter Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter Sign up for Acre Insights HERE Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE

This is the first episode in a 4-part series sponsored by AgFunder! Michael Dean is the founding partner of AgFunder, which is a venture capital firm whose mission is to invest in technology that will rapidly transform our food and agriculture system. AgFunder has built it's investing platform on top of it's best-in-class news publications, which has become the go-to hub for the latest on food and agri-tech investment. Michael is an entrepreneur and investor with a background in agriculture, finance and law. On this episode, we discuss how Michael and his co-founder, Rob, started AgFunder and their approach to growing the business. Michael also shares his perspective on the industry, including the M&A activity, which you won't want to miss! Connect with AgFunder Fund | News | Episode 30 | Twitter Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter Sign up for Acre Insights HERE    

Sofia Elizondo started her career as a management consultant in New York and after attending Stanford business school, discovered the world of food tech. She cofounded Brightseed in Silicon Valley to unlock the potential for plants to positively impact our health. In this episode, we discuss the vast untapped potential of the natural world for our nutrition; just 15 of the 50,000 edible plants on the earth provide 90% of our calories! So Sofia founded Brightseed to unearth the bioactive compounds in plants that have positive impacts on our bodies using artificial intelligence and computational biology. "Thirty years from now I think for sure we will know much more about the impact that food has on us. More or less, the level of science today is vegetables are good so have more of that, but I think in 30 years time, from the moment we are born, we're going to know exactly what foods we should eat, and for what purpose, and we are going to be able to source them, and enjoy their benefits." Sofia also provides great tips for other female founders. Enjoy! (Disclosure, Brightseed is an AgFunder portfolio company and I work for AgFunder.)

Hi, this is Graham Brown from Asia Tech Podcast. Welcome to the EvokeAg Podcast series, brought to you by the team at Beanstalk.In episode 3 Rob and Will cover agtech investment in Asia with Michael Dean, Cofounder of AgFunder, and Eugene Wong, Founder and Managing Director of the Sirius Group. Michael and Eugene are both experienced investors, and they share amazing some nuggets of information for startups looking to explore opportunities in Asia.Singapore is fast emerging as a key agrifood tech hub in Asia, and the Government are making big efforts to attract investment in vertical farming, aquaculture and new protein. They discuss the need for patient capital in Agtech and the importance of collaboration.And this episodes’ Crusty Quote comes from Michael;“Startup life is hard work, and you need a personality type that can walk through walls”.Enjoy the journey!

Farm robotics and online restaurants are already a reality. But there’s much more to come in food and agtech innovation. What ideas are making it off the drawing board and onto our plates? AgFunder’s Louisa Burwood-Taylor sheds some light.

Watch our Cheddar TV Segment HERE Tune in this week to hear from one of the premier thought leaders in the agriculture industry, Vonnie Estes. Vonnie holds the position of Vice President of Technology at the Produce Marketing Association and has an impressive background in science and technology as it relates to agriculture. Vonnie dives into a recent AgFunder article she wrote sharing 5 things she saw at the recent Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco as well as sharing more about her role at PMA. You won't want to miss this episode! Connect with Vonnie LinkedIn | AgFunder Article | PMA Website Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter

Ep. 49: Karen Karp - CEO & founder of KK&P || Karen Karp is a fourth-generation food entrepreneur. Her great grandfather Morris, a first generation immigrant from Ukraine, opened a butter, eggs, and cheese wholesale outlet on Manhattan’s far west side, and later a feed and seed company on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Karen’s father served the farmers of Long Island’s East End as a real estate broker concentrating on industrial and agricultural properties, and brokered the country’s first Transfer of Development Rights deal in the 1970s.  This stuff and that area are in her blood. Karen Karp is now leveraging her diverse background in food and its production, in public health, and within investment communities in The City to empower more young women to assess things differently; to take more control of their own destinies. For episode 49 of Sourcing Matters we focus on Karp's recent project - “Investigating the Role of Women, Capital, and the Transformation of Food and Agriculture.” Co-chaired by leadership at AgFunder and 'The New Food Economy', this analysis sets to find some answers to timely and important questions that we all need to pay more attention to.  As sons, husbands, brothers & fathers - we all need to pay better attention too. Since establishing Karen Karp & Partners in 1990 she's focused efforts on developing a range of bespoke strategies that explore the interconnections between agriculture, food, policy and people, and how to marry common interests of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. KK&P has grown to become a nationally respected boutique consultancy with a uniquely skilled staff and a diverse roster of clients - including nearly a decade co-producing the James Beard Foundation conference. . Karen and her team are equally adept in the boardroom, in the kitchen, or on the land – their systems-based approach is always both conceptually rigorous and grounded in practical understanding. Have a listen to our discussion about finding gender equality in innovation economies; at the workplace; at home; within food and its production.

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE On our 30th episode (!!!) we had the great privilege to talk with Rob Reclerc, who is the Co-Founder and CEO of AgFunder. AgFunder is the leading online investment platform, focused on AgriFood Tech investments. We talk about how the business started, how it's evolved, and how it's focused on media and news to grow their online presence. Rob had so much insight to share about the state of the industry, not to mention how to start a thriving ag business. Tune in! Connect with AgFunder Website | Twitter Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

In this episode, Hall interviews Cliff Hinrichs of Steele VC. Cliff talks about what Steele ventures invests in, and provides some examples of high quality investments such as MyRepublic and AgFunder. Cliff and Hall discuss what angels starting out should look for.

AgTech has experienced quite a boom over the years. There is no question that innovation can boost tremendous improvements in the Agriculture industry. And like me, many Agriculture professionals and business owners are curious and eagerly awaiting the next big thing from AgTech. Louisa Burwood-Taylor is currently at the heart of the AgTech industry as the Chief Editor of AgFunderNews.com. She was originally a financial journalist and was privileged to shift to AgTech just when the industry started gaining significant progress. In today’s show, Louisa shares her experience in AgTech, along with invaluable entrepreneurial advice, insight and a glimpse of what is to come in the industry. “Agriculture is the least digitized industry in the world, which is pretty concerning because it is one of the most essential industries in our daily lives.” This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The Agriculture industry is currently experiencing an Intersection between food, technology, and entrepreneurship. Women are making great strides in the Agriculture industry and it makes sense to have more of their voice in the corporate scene, because they influence more than half of the food choices in the family). Consumer demand and changes are really going to impact how farmers plant, what they plant, and how they grow it. There's a huge potential for robotics to revolutionize farming, but it has not yet raised much funding because the technology is not quite there yet and it can be quite expensive. Louisa shares the “hot” areas for AgTech where there are a lot of start-ups and tech innovation hubs. She discusses what accelerators do and their role in AgTech. Entrepreneurs are demonstrating more enthusiasm with AgTech this year. It may take some time before AgTech finds another unicorn, because the investors have pulled back over the last few years. Resources Mentioned How Consumer Preferences and the Role of Women are Informing Food & Ag Innovation The Climate Corporation Memphis Meats Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology Research Triangle Park Volcani Center Swiim Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies Reach out with Damian Mason: Louisa Burwood-Taylor on Twitter Louisa Burwood-Taylor on LinkedIn com com AgFunder on Twitter AgFunder on Google+ Get First Access to the Farm & Rural Ag Network! If you enjoyed this show, then you'll also love the Farm & Rural Ag Network! It is an exclusive community led by the founders of the fastest growing agriculture podcasts: the Shark Farmer Podcast, the Ontario Agcast, and yours truly – the Future of Agriculture Podcast. Subscribe now to join the community and gain access to our robust content library and grow your network by connecting to other industry players. Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website  AgGrad on Twitter  AgGrad on Facebook  AgGrad on LinkedIn  AgGrad on Instagram   

Luke Stronach. He’s spent the last few years raising money for his farmland fund. He’s got one single family office as an investor. He’s currently 44, he’s taught finance, and most of his background is in low-income housing. He’s really looking forward to coming to the show and he’s a listener. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – The Fish That Ate the Whale What CEO do you follow? –  Stewart and Lynda Resnick Favorite online tool? — Duolingo Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— 7 If you could let your 20-year old self, know one thing, what would it be? – If you want to have a meaningful life, you should be doing meaningful things   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan introduces Luke to the show 01:46 – Luke shares what he likes about The Top 02:04 – Luke has raised less than $10M for his farmland fund 02:15 – Luke is currently in the process of moving to Atlanta 02:20 – Luke is about to close his first farm 02:28 – Luke’s second orchard is under contract 02:34 – Luke wants to develop a 100 acre orchard in Georgia 03:06 – Luke mentions what farmland investors are looking for in a farmland 03:24 – Luke’s first orchard had good irrigation 03:43 – It has 600 acres and was almost $2M 04:41 – 40% of North America’s farmland is leased to farmers 04:50 – Investors buy the farmland, lease to farmers who rent per acre or have a revenue share agreement 05:35 – Many farmers are cash flow farmers 06:00 – There are differences across different crops 06:45 – Luke shares the farmer’s perspective on crops 07:01 – Average rent per acre 07:40 – The farmers growing rice and corn are renting at $250 per acre 08:00 – Luke’s return on his $2M investment 08:50 – The return will always depend on the yield which varies 09:06 – People look at farmland investing as a way to lock value into the land 09:12 – There are people who are after the yield and there are those who are not 10:05 – Luke shares what happened in 2007-2009 10:10 – S&P 500 lost 50% of its value 10:46 – Historically, farmland has done well with inflation 11:00 – Luke’s opinion regarding inflation 11:14 – The returns in farmland can be attractive 11:57 – Farmland is not as big as commercial property 12:03 – Farmland investment is a hard space 13:10 – It is a persistence game 13:40 – Luke is currently in Alabama 14:00 – Nathan wants to study Luke’s field and work with Luke 17:17 – There are so many things to do in Georgia and Luke will keep Nathan busy 18:08 – Luke makes software for farmers 18:59 – In Episode 450 of The Top, Nathan had Robert Leclerc, the founder of AgFunder 19:23 – The Famous Five   3 Key Points: The farmland investment industry is a hard space and requires persistency. People look at farmland investing as a way to lock value into the land. If you want to have a meaningful life, you should be doing meaningful things.   Resources Mentioned: Acuity Scheduling – Nathan uses Acuity to schedule his podcast interviews and appointments Drip – Nathan uses Drip’s email automation platform and visual campaign builder to build his sales funnel Toptal – Nathan found his development team using Toptal for his new business Send Later. He was able to keep 100% equity and didn’t have to hire a co-founder due to the quality of Toptal Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for the cheapest price possible. Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) to listen to audio books. The Top Inbox  – The site Nathan uses to schedule emails to be sent later, set reminders in inbox, track opens, and follow-up with email sequences Jamf – Jamf helped Nathan keep his Macbook Air 11” secure even when he left it in the airplane’s back seat pocket Freshbooks – Nathan doesn’t waste time so he uses Freshbooks to send out invoices and collect his money. Get your free month NOW Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

According to AgFunder, over $4 billion poured into AgTech investments in 2015. Many times when people think of the recent AgTech craze, their mind immediately goes to drones. I have been curious about drones for quite some time, both from a "coolness factor" perspective and from the perspective of "what's really that great about them in agriculture?". I had been looking to bring on a drone expert to the podcast for quite some time, but didn't want someone who would be too technical or would look at it from an impractical angle. One day on Linkedin I came across the article "Applications of UAVs in Agriculture" by Michael Dunn, CCA. I knew I had found my next podcast guest. Michael is able to talk about drones from the perspective of the farmer and from someone who is trying to help the farmer utilize technology to improve their operation. He is both technically knowledgeable as well as practically sensible about the uses of drones in agriculture, their limitations, and their potential. I hope you enjoy this interview with Michael Dunn of Anez Consulting.   Connect with Michael on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunn-cca-75a64028 Check out Anez Consulting: http://anezconsulting.com/   Thanks for listening! We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Future of Agriculture Podcast. The response has been outstanding. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment section below. The best way to spread the word about our Podcast is to share your favorite episode using the social media share buttons in the podcast player you are using.  You can also leave a review on iTunes. This helps us spread the word about the people, perspectives, and innovations that provide our future food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and natural resources. We also encourage you to tell any of your friends that are interested in farming, livestock, agribusiness, or AgTech to check out our show!

Robert Leclerc, co-founder of Agfunder – an online investment market place for global agriculture industry. He is a Forbes contributor and has five degrees including a PhD from Yale. Listen as Rob talks about the global agriculture industry and how important Agfunder is for the investors. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Mini MBA What CEO do you follow? – N/A Favorite online tool? — MailChimp Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Definitely not If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? – N/A   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:44 – Nathan introduces Robert to the show 02:24 – Agriculture represents about 10% of global GDP 02:40 – Agfunder’s idea is to create an online investment platform that made this space mainstream 02:53 – Like AngelList in agriculture 03:28 – Agfunder focus is food and agriculture technology 03:40 – Eventually, they will be able to offer farm lands and agri-business 03:55 – Technology is needed to centralize management and scale the opportunities 04:10 – Started as a pure market place 04:28 – Taking the transaction fees 05:00 – Revenue in the first quarter of 2016 05:11 – Raising capital funds 05:35 – Total revenue In 2015 05:43 – They are on venture-funding 06:10 – Business was founded late 2013 06:20 – $0 revenue for the first year 06:40 – “We just need to know that the market works for the first year” 06:58 – Number of investors 07:38 – Investors seek them out 07:56 – Number of sellers/companies 08:10 – They are series A companies 08:30 – Take 5% transaction fee to make money 08:48 – Nathan’s sample scenario how to get the 5% 09:45 – They we’re not taking any transaction fees for the first year 10:07 – “In August 2016, how many investors put money into how many companies?” 10:25 – There’s a deal timeline 10:50 – Average raise size 11:05 – Notes and actual equity funding 11:18 – The companies set the market rate term 11:45 – What’s so special with Agfunder? 12:10 – When they started Agfunder, it was the dark ages of food and agriculture technology 12:30 – Built a very progressive business model 13:18 – 17 team members based in SF 13:23 – Connect with Robert through Agfunder.com 15:33 - The Famous Five   3 Key Points: It is important for customers to know things about your company – transparency is the key. Agriculture is as important as food. There’s always a trial period – you either make or break it.   Resources Mentioned: Toptal – Nathan found his development team using Toptal  for his new business Send Later. He was able to keep 100% equity and didn’t have to hire a co-founder due to quality of Toptal  developers. Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible. Freshbooks – The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts. Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+ Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books. Agfunder.com – Robert’s business website Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives