Rabobank Food & Agri Innovation Fund

Rabobank emerged from several small agricultural cooperative banks, founded by Dutch farmers in the late nineteenth century. Food & Agriculture (F&A) is in our DNA, from which we built a unique position in the F&A sector as a key financier and international player, attributes which we leverage for the benefit of our stakeholders and portfolio companies. We recognise and understand the food security challenges lying ahead of us and how Innovation in F&A supply chains is key to the solution, which is why we are dedicated to committing capital to the space.

Pieter Van der Meche

Managing Director

Past deals in Agriculture

Enko Chem, Inc.

Series C in 2022
Enko Chem, Inc. is a company focused on discovering and developing innovative small-molecule products aimed at protecting crops from pests and diseases. Established in 2017 and based in Woburn, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a proprietary technology platform to create safe and cost-effective solutions that contribute to sustainable food production. Through its research and development efforts, Enko Chem seeks to address the challenges faced by farmers while promoting environmentally responsible agricultural practices.

Full Harvest

Series B in 2022
Full Harvest Technologies, Inc. operates a business-to-business platform that connects large farms with food companies, facilitating the sale of surplus and imperfect produce. Established in 2016 and based in San Francisco, the company addresses the significant issue of food waste in the United States, where approximately 20 billion pounds of produce are discarded annually due to strict retailer standards regarding appearance. By creating a marketplace for this unutilized yet perfectly edible produce, Full Harvest aims to provide farmers with an additional revenue stream while helping food businesses reduce costs. The platform utilizes proprietary technology and an innovative supply chain model to enhance sustainability in the food system, ultimately benefiting both producers and consumers by minimizing waste and promoting the availability of affordable, healthy food options.

BeeHero

Series A in 2021
BeeHero is a company that specializes in beehive technology aimed at enhancing crop yields through effective pollination. Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, along with low-cost sensors, BeeHero collects data from within the hives to optimize their performance during critical pollination periods. This innovative approach not only helps farmers maximize pollination efficiency but also aids in protecting beehives from colony collapse, thereby supporting agricultural productivity on a global scale.

Vence

Series A in 2021
Vence Corp specializes in developing and manufacturing connected wearable devices for livestock, aimed at reducing fencing and labor expenses on farms. The company's technology includes sensors that monitor the wellbeing of animals and software that enables virtual fencing and autonomous animal control. By utilizing artificial intelligence, Vence optimizes rotational and strip grazing, enhancing livestock yield and improving grass utilization. Farmers can manage and control their livestock remotely through a smartphone application, which also provides insights into animal behavior, health, and fertility. Founded in 2016, Vence is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an additional office in Key Largo, Florida.

Sollio Cooperative Group

Venture Round in 2020
La Coop fédérée is an agri-food federation of cooperatives that represent agricultural producers and consumers. It represents more than 60,000 members grouped into close to 70 cooperatives in multiple Canadian provinces. La Coop fédérée employs more than 13,000 employees and has a revenue of $6.3 billion. Its activities are divided into three divisions: Olymel S.E.C (under the Olymel, Flamingo and Lafleur banners, the Agri-business division (under the La Coop, Élite, Agrocentre, Agrico and Agromart banners), and the BMR Group (under the BMR, Unimat and Potvin & Bouchard banners). La Coop fédérée was founded on 1922 and is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec in Canada.

Saga Robotics

Venture Round in 2020
Saga Robotics AS, founded in 2016 and based in Oslo, Norway, specializes in the manufacturing of modern farming equipment, focusing on the development of autonomous robots for the agricultural sector. The company has created an agricultural platform known as Thorvald, a versatile modular robot that can be adapted for various agricultural tasks. By offering solutions that perform operations more efficiently and at a lower cost than traditional methods, Saga Robotics aims to be a leading provider of agricultural robotics. The company's short-term objective is to deliver robots that provide clear benefits to farmers, while its long-term vision involves establishing comprehensive autonomous systems capable of handling all agricultural operations, thereby promoting sustainable and profitable food production.

Enko Chem, Inc.

Series B in 2020
Enko Chem, Inc. is a company focused on discovering and developing innovative small-molecule products aimed at protecting crops from pests and diseases. Established in 2017 and based in Woburn, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a proprietary technology platform to create safe and cost-effective solutions that contribute to sustainable food production. Through its research and development efforts, Enko Chem seeks to address the challenges faced by farmers while promoting environmentally responsible agricultural practices.

BeeHero

Seed Round in 2020
BeeHero is a company that specializes in beehive technology aimed at enhancing crop yields through effective pollination. Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, along with low-cost sensors, BeeHero collects data from within the hives to optimize their performance during critical pollination periods. This innovative approach not only helps farmers maximize pollination efficiency but also aids in protecting beehives from colony collapse, thereby supporting agricultural productivity on a global scale.

BioLumic

Series A in 2020
BioLumic is a New Zealand-based company that specializes in innovative lighting solutions for horticultural producers, utilizing smart light array technology. Founded in 2012, BioLumic focuses on enhancing the quality and growth of transplant crop seedlings, as well as improving the growth and quality of indoor leafy vegetables and salad herbs. The company employs a photogenics platform that uses light signals to activate plant growth and unlock the genetic potential of various crops, including soybean, cannabis, and other vegetables and fruits. BioLumic's systems leverage ultraviolet radiation to regulate plant responses, resulting in increased crop yields, improved vigor, enhanced disease and pest resistance, and better crop composition, all without the need for chemicals or amendments.

RootWave

Series A in 2020
RootWave develops and distributes machinery that kills weeds in the agricultural lands. It offers hand weeders for growers, gardeners, and groundskeepers to spot weed and treat invasive species; and solutions for automating weeding in agriculture using visual recognition and to target weeds in arable crops. The company sells its products through distributors in France, Australasia, Ireland, and South Korea. RootWave was founded in 2012 and is based in Kineton, United Kingdom.

BioLumic

Series A in 2018
BioLumic is a New Zealand-based company that specializes in innovative lighting solutions for horticultural producers, utilizing smart light array technology. Founded in 2012, BioLumic focuses on enhancing the quality and growth of transplant crop seedlings, as well as improving the growth and quality of indoor leafy vegetables and salad herbs. The company employs a photogenics platform that uses light signals to activate plant growth and unlock the genetic potential of various crops, including soybean, cannabis, and other vegetables and fruits. BioLumic's systems leverage ultraviolet radiation to regulate plant responses, resulting in increased crop yields, improved vigor, enhanced disease and pest resistance, and better crop composition, all without the need for chemicals or amendments.

Vence

Seed Round in 2018
Vence Corp specializes in developing and manufacturing connected wearable devices for livestock, aimed at reducing fencing and labor expenses on farms. The company's technology includes sensors that monitor the wellbeing of animals and software that enables virtual fencing and autonomous animal control. By utilizing artificial intelligence, Vence optimizes rotational and strip grazing, enhancing livestock yield and improving grass utilization. Farmers can manage and control their livestock remotely through a smartphone application, which also provides insights into animal behavior, health, and fertility. Founded in 2016, Vence is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an additional office in Key Largo, Florida.
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