Astanor Ventures II

Astanor Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who are innovating in the food, marine, and agriculture sectors. The firm focuses on technology-driven companies that aim to transform the agri-food value chain, utilizing disruptive technologies to foster a future of food that is nourishing, regenerative, and sustainable. Astanor Ventures combines its capital with extensive sector expertise and a robust network that includes entrepreneurs, impact investors, technologists, scientists, farmers, chefs, policymakers, and food enthusiasts. This collaborative approach is designed to cultivate a food system that is not only trusted and scalable but also emphasizes quality and environmental responsibility.

Eric Archambeau

Investor

David Barber

Partner

Valerie Christy

Associate

George Coelho

Partner

Arnout Dijkhuizen

Principal

Emmanuel Faber

Partner

Adrian Friederich

Associate

Arne Hautekiet

Analyst

Leslie Kapin-Royere

Principal

Hans Marteau

Partner

Kathleen A. Merrigan

Venture Partner

George Powlick

Partner

Kanira Shah

Principal

Luisa Somaini

Analyst

Christina Ulardic

Partner

Hendrik Van Asbroeck

Managing Partner

Laetitia de Panafieu

Principal

Past deals in AgTech

Monarch Tractor

Series C in 2024
Monarch Tractor is a company that specializes in the development of fully electric and autonomous tractors aimed at improving agricultural productivity, sustainability, and safety. These tractors significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and assisting farmers in achieving their sustainability objectives. By employing advanced sensors and machine learning, Monarch tractors navigate fields and monitor crop health autonomously, facilitating precision farming without the need for human intervention. Equipped with sophisticated technology, including cameras and sensors, these tractors collect and analyze data on crop health, soil conditions, and other critical variables, providing farmers with actionable insights to optimize their farming practices, enhance operational efficiency, and increase crop yields.

ProducePay

Series D in 2024
ProducePay, founded by Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, is an AgTech company dedicated to transforming the fresh produce supply chain. By addressing the economic and food waste caused by its volatility and fragmentation, ProducePay offers a Predictable Commerce Platform that enhances connectivity between growers and buyers. This platform provides farmers with immediate access to financing, liquidity, and real-time pricing data, fostering transparency and enabling efficient business operations. Additionally, it facilitates connections with key industry players, allowing farmers to access tailored cash flow services. Through these innovations, ProducePay is committed to delivering fresher produce to consumers while promoting sustainable practices within the global fresh produce industry.

Source.ag

Series A in 2023
Source.ag employs AI-powered glasshouses to enhance access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Its team of engineers and plant scientists uses proprietary algorithms to simulate plant behavior, optimizing cultivation strategies based on millions of data points. By improving efficiency and scalability, Source.ag aims to provide nutritious food while minimizing resource usage.

Vivent

Venture Round in 2022
Vivent equips growers, breeders, and agrochemical companies with real-time plant data. It monitors plant responses to environmental changes and detects stressors early, enabling optimized growing conditions, improved crop protection, accelerated product development, and trait identification.

IUNU

Series B in 2022
IUNU develops an agricultural AI and computer vision platform that supports greenhouse management through a SaaS solution. Its platform provides growers with actionable insights and granular production management capabilities, enabling precise monitoring of crop growth. The LUNA greenhouse AI platform uses computer vision to track plants in real time, identify growing maladies before they affect yields, and promote accountability of growing practices. Founded in 2013 and based in Seattle, the company connects plants, facilities, and people through a single interface, helping commercial greenhouses become precise, predictable, demand-based manufacturers and enabling global access to its technology.

Source.ag

Seed Round in 2022
Source.ag employs AI-powered glasshouses to enhance access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Its team of engineers and plant scientists uses proprietary algorithms to simulate plant behavior, optimizing cultivation strategies based on millions of data points. By improving efficiency and scalability, Source.ag aims to provide nutritious food while minimizing resource usage.

PhytlSigns

Venture Round in 2021
PhytlSigns is a pioneering plant signal technology system from Vivent which provides early warnings of a wide range of crop stressors.

Monarch Tractor

Series B in 2021
Monarch Tractor is a company that specializes in the development of fully electric and autonomous tractors aimed at improving agricultural productivity, sustainability, and safety. These tractors significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and assisting farmers in achieving their sustainability objectives. By employing advanced sensors and machine learning, Monarch tractors navigate fields and monitor crop health autonomously, facilitating precision farming without the need for human intervention. Equipped with sophisticated technology, including cameras and sensors, these tractors collect and analyze data on crop health, soil conditions, and other critical variables, providing farmers with actionable insights to optimize their farming practices, enhance operational efficiency, and increase crop yields.

Smallhold

Series A in 2021
Smallhold, Inc. is a farming technology company based in Brooklyn, New York, that specializes in growing mushrooms using innovative methods. Established in 2017, Smallhold utilizes climate-controlled, do-it-yourself mini farms to cultivate a variety of mushrooms. The company partners with restaurants, grocery stores, and markets to distribute its produce, ensuring freshness and local availability. Smallhold's modular and automated growing systems allow food industry professionals to customize their produce based on specific business requirements, while also capturing extensive data to optimize growing conditions. By providing a reliable source of local produce, Smallhold bypasses the challenges posed by climatic changes and market fluctuations.

ProducePay

Series C in 2021
ProducePay, founded by Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, is an AgTech company dedicated to transforming the fresh produce supply chain. By addressing the economic and food waste caused by its volatility and fragmentation, ProducePay offers a Predictable Commerce Platform that enhances connectivity between growers and buyers. This platform provides farmers with immediate access to financing, liquidity, and real-time pricing data, fostering transparency and enabling efficient business operations. Additionally, it facilitates connections with key industry players, allowing farmers to access tailored cash flow services. Through these innovations, ProducePay is committed to delivering fresher produce to consumers while promoting sustainable practices within the global fresh produce industry.

Apeel Sciences

Venture Round in 2020
Apeel Sciences, based in California, addresses the global food waste crisis by developing plant-derived solutions that extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Founded in 2012, the company creates pre-and post-harvest products using natural plant extracts, such as Edipeel and Invisipeel, which protect fruits and vegetables from environmental factors and pre-harvest issues. These innovations effectively double the lifespan of harvested crops without refrigeration, helping to reduce spoilage and conserve resources like water and energy. By leveraging materials found in the skins, peels, and seeds of fruits and vegetables, Apeel aims to minimize food waste and promote sustainability throughout the supply chain. The company's efforts are supported by a range of private investors and philanthropic organizations.

Vivent

Series A in 2020
Vivent equips growers, breeders, and agrochemical companies with real-time plant data. It monitors plant responses to environmental changes and detects stressors early, enabling optimized growing conditions, improved crop protection, accelerated product development, and trait identification.

Infarm

Series C in 2020
Infarm is a Berlin-based company that specializes in building and distributing efficient vertical farms within urban environments. Founded in 2013, Infarm employs IoT technologies and machine learning to create a modular farming system designed to enhance food production. Its innovative approach allows cities to grow fresh produce locally, promoting self-sufficiency while improving the safety, quality, and environmental impact of food. By integrating advanced technology with compact growing kits, Infarm aims to provide a resilient and transparent alternative food system that meets the needs of urban populations.

MagGrow

Series A in 2020
MagGrow is an Irish company founded in 2013, specializing in innovative magnetic spraying systems for the horticulture and arable sectors of agriculture. Based in Dublin, MagGrow has developed a patented technology that enhances droplet formation, leading to significant reductions in spray drift and improved coverage. Key products include the MagGrow backpack 1200, which features a harness and frame, the MagGrow vertical boom, and the MagGrow boom Kit 7000, designed with cast aluminum and no moving parts. The company's technology offers customers substantial benefits, including up to 70% reduction in pesticide drift and typical coverage improvements of 20-40%. By optimizing pesticide usage and conserving resources such as water and labor, MagGrow's solutions help extend spray windows and comply with environmental regulations. The company operates across multiple regions, including the USA, Canada, and Europe.

Infarm

Series B in 2019
Infarm is a Berlin-based company that specializes in building and distributing efficient vertical farms within urban environments. Founded in 2013, Infarm employs IoT technologies and machine learning to create a modular farming system designed to enhance food production. Its innovative approach allows cities to grow fresh produce locally, promoting self-sufficiency while improving the safety, quality, and environmental impact of food. By integrating advanced technology with compact growing kits, Infarm aims to provide a resilient and transparent alternative food system that meets the needs of urban populations.

Artemis

Series A in 2019
Artemis is a technology company that develops a cultivation management platform designed for enterprise greenhouses, indoor farms, and high tunnel farms. The platform enables growers to efficiently manage their operations by providing tools for tracking productivity, compliance, and data insights. Users can monitor their facilities remotely through desktops, tablets, or smartphones, facilitating workflow management, crop batch registration, and food safety tracing. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, Artemis aims to empower indoor farm operators to make data-driven decisions that enhance plant performance and reduce operating costs. The company was previously known as Agrilyst Inc. before rebranding in May 2019.
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