Participated · Series A · Nov 2024

Four Growers develops autonomous harvesting robots that use multiple stereo cameras to identify produce at the desired ripeness and maneuver arms around vines. The robots currently work with tomatoes and the company says the tech will be commercially available for cucumbers in the near future. Four Growers launched the current iteration of its robots in 2023 and was founded in 2018; the company is based in Pittsburgh. It works with five customers and its robots have picked millions of tomatoes. The startup recently raised a $9 million Series A as part of a total $15 million in venture funding and plans to use the proceeds to build more robots to meet demand. The company is also working to expand its technology beyond harvesting and into outdoor farms, positioning the systems as labor augmentation rather than full replacements.

Participated · Series C · Jan 2024

Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) develops vertical farming technology and indoor farming systems. The company is pursuing significant global expansion and is partnering with Dubai-based ReFarm to build a 900,000 square foot GigaFarm in the United Arab Emirates. The planned waste-to-value farm is designed to recycle more than 50,000 tonnes of food waste and grow two billion plants each year. IGS intends to deploy its vertical farming technology to customers worldwide as it scales. To support this expansion the company completed a £22.5 million Series C. Leadership changes accompanied the raise, with Andrew Lloyd named CEO and Sonya Hotson appointed full-time CFO and joining the board. Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) develops patented plug-and-play vertical-farming technology and designs and builds controlled-environment farms for food, pharmaceutical and fragrance customers. The company has deployed its technology to customers across four continents and launched its first crop research centre in August 2018. IGS says its sales pipeline has quadrupled in the past 12 months. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Glasgow, the business emphasizes efficiency and simplicity in indoor growing. The company positions its technology to address food security and environmental challenges and aims to scale controlled-environment agriculture through further commercial deployments. Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) is a Scottish indoor AgriTech and Commercial Lighting business that has developed and productised a patented IoT-enabled power and communications platform, including electrical, electronic and mechanical technologies and a ventilation system. The platform is managed by a SaaS and data platform using AI to deliver economic and operational benefits to indoor environments. Led by CEO David Farquhar, IGS has prepared its technologies for commercial deployments. IGS completed the second and final close of its Series A with £1.6M, bringing the total Series A to £7M. The £1.6M comprised £1.5M from Ospraie Ag Science and an additional £100K from AgFunder; existing Series A investors include S2G Ventures and the Scottish Investment Bank. The funding is intended to expand IGS's market presence through global sales operations for both AgriTech and Commercial Lighting. Demand for its systems is reported as high, with first deployments expected in early 2020. Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) supplies plug-and-play vertical farming technology to indoor farms to enable efficient food production in any location. Led by CEO David Farquhar, the company opened its first vertical farming demonstration facility in August 2018. IGS has seen global interest and mounting orders for its patented technologies. The company raised £5.4m in a Series A funding round to support growth. Proceeds will be used to create jobs in software development, engineering, robotics and automation and to increase product development. IGS plans continued innovation in AI, big data and the Internet of Things. The company also intends to expand global marketing, sales and customer support teams across three continents.

Participated · Series B · Dec 2023

AgroSpheres has built a fully vertically integrated platform that manufactures, encapsulates and delivers biological pesticides—encasing RNA actives in a protective shell to improve stability, shelf life and field performance. The encapsulation shields active ingredients from heat, UV and other environmental factors, enabling a consistent gene-silencing response that targets pests while sparing beneficial insects such as bees. The company says its AgriCell approach is microplastic-free and biodegrades after use, aiming to reduce overall pesticide use and biodiversity harm associated with conventional crop protection. AgroSpheres is advancing regulatory approvals with the U.S. EPA and is co-developing a new product pipeline with major industry partners. The startup is building a pilot facility in Charlottesville to support scale-up and plans to have its first product approved and in market by the end of 2024. It has also launched a plant health program with the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research to develop compounds that increase yield and drought tolerance. AgroSpheres develops a delivery platform that makes it cost-effective to deliver oils, small molecules, and semiochemicals in the field at reduced doses. Its patented AgriCell and AgriShell technologies enable the development of biological pesticides with multi-year shelf-life and high efficacy in the field. The company offers friendly crop health products and plans to broaden applications of its AgriCell platform. Management is led by CEO Payam Pourtaheri and CTO Ameer Shakeel. AgroSpheres raised $22M in a Series B and intends to use the funds to accelerate product commercialization and expand manufacturing capacity. The financing is intended to support commercial scaling and seeding of broader platform applications.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2023

Agragene develops CRISPR-based genome-engineered sterile male insects as eco-friendly crop pest protection, initially targeting Spotted Wing Drosophila. Its applications are described as safe for bees, birds and workers. The company relocated from San Diego to St. Louis, joining the Helix Center, to reduce costs and extend financial runway. Management says the move lowered burn rate and enabled the firm to regrow to a staff of eight and hit testing milestones for achieving sterility. Agragene holds an exclusive worldwide license on the underlying intellectual property and is pursuing a commercial product launch in the United States alongside an aggressive global licensing strategy. The company has raised $7.2 million to date. Agragene develops Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT) and semiochemical attract-and-kill products as chemical-free pest-control solutions. Its lead product, Knock-Out™, uses a CRISPR-based approach to engineer sterile males that mate with female crop pests, producing unfertilized eggs and reducing pest populations. Knock-Out™ is applied via drone and is described as more affordable than traditional chemical formulations and safe for bees, birds and workers. Border Patrol™ is a semiochemical attractant on a fiber mat that lures females to lay eggs where larvae desiccate and die. These two products form the core of an integrated pest management system, and the company says it has additional pipeline products for real-time insect detection and mating disruption. The company is led by CEO Gordon Alton and is based in San Diego, California. Agragene develops Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT), a CRISPR-based approach to engineer sterile male crop pests that mate with wild females as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. Using advanced genome engineering, the company says its products are applicable to thousands of insect pests worldwide. Agragene aims to expand field trials and advance commercialization of its biological crop pest protection. The company plans a commercial product launch in the United States and a worldwide licensing strategy. Led by CEO Gordon Alton, Agragene was founded in 2017 in San Diego, California. It recently completed a seed financing to support its next development and commercialization steps.

Led · Series B · Nov 2022

Freight Farms develops vertical hydroponic farms housed in shipping containers that enable year-round local food production. Its farm automation software, farmhand®, allows indoor farm operators to control temperature, lighting, and other environmental variables and is flexibly architected to support many different indoor grow setups beyond Freight Farms’ containers. The company serves global customers ranging from small business farmers to corporate, hospitality, retail, education, and nonprofit sectors. Led by CEO Rick Vanzura, Freight Farms pursues a mission to create resilient, self-sufficient communities that can grow fresh, local, healthy food 365 days a year. The company raised $17.5M in a Series B3 round and intends to use the funds to expand operations and broaden its business reach. Freight Farms builds containerized vertical hydroponic farms for local production of fresh food. Founded in 2010 by CEO Brad McNamara and COO Jon Friedman and based in Boston, MA, the company pairs its hardware with an integral IoT data platform, farmhand®. It supports a large network of connected farms with customers in 25 countries and 44 U.S. states across small business, corporate, hospitality, retail, education and nonprofit sectors. The company raised $15M in a Series B to advance the technical potential of its platform through continued innovation. The round was led by Ospraie Ag Science with participation from existing investor Spark Capital, bringing total funding to more than $28M. Freight Farms plans to use the proceeds to continue product and platform development. Freight Farms builds shipping-container farms that grow lettuce using hydroponic technology, LED lighting, and automated watering and fertilizing systems. Its containers include cameras and a mobile app that let farmers track and control operations remotely. The company has deployed 100 farms to date. Financially, Freight Farms has completed a $7.3 million Series B and has now raised a total of $12 million. The startup previously raised $3.7 million in a 2014 Series A. Freight Farms was formed in 2010 by Brad McNamara and Jon Friedman. Freight Farms makes freight-truck-sized "farm-in-a-box" units that include all necessary equipment and storage to grow produce. The company released its 2015 model as an annual hardware update cycle and the founders describe it as the culmination of their performance improvements. The system can save up to 90% of water compared with traditional agriculture and may be able to go off-grid soon via solar or wind power. The farms auto-update their software over the internet, have a modular design to sit on brownfields with access to electricity and water, and use insulation to operate in different climates. Individual units are priced at $76,000 and the company highlights financing options for customers, including federal farm loan programs. The article also notes longer-term potential to ship units to regions like Africa and India and to serve both community and commercial growers.