Participated · Series A · May 2026

Pacifico Biolabs develops protein ingredients using mycelium fermentation technology and produces them in standard beer brewery fermentation tanks rather than purpose-built bioreactors. By repurposing existing brewery infrastructure the company seeks to lower production costs and scale more quickly using underutilised fermentation capacity. Pacifico positions its product as a domestically produced protein alternative to imported feed protein, aiming to shorten supply chains and reduce environmental and geopolitical exposure. The company plans to scale production in Saxony, Germany, expand its team, and roll out commercial launches across the DACH region and Nordic Europe, targeting retail launches by late 2026. The recent €7 million Series A will fund those near-term expansion and commercialization efforts.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2025

Helios AI is a Tysons, Virginia–based agtech company focused on bringing advanced data analytics to the food supply chain. Its core product, Helios Horizon, is an AI-powered co-pilot that integrates price forecasting and climate predictions across more than 75 agricultural commodities and 2,500 price series, covering staples such as coffee, soybeans and cocoa. The system relies on a multi-agent AI architecture that ingests billions of real-time signals and, according to internal benchmarks, delivers forecasting accuracy five times higher than traditional seasonality- and supply-demand-based models. By packaging Wall-Street-grade analytics into an accessible interface, Helios AI aims to help farmers, procurement leaders, CPG companies and retailers anticipate market shifts rather than react to crises. The company plans to channel new funding into expanding commodity coverage and hiring key talent. Founder and CEO Francisco Martin-Rayo positions the platform as “a team of Bloomberg analysts in your pocket 24/7,” underscoring its goal of democratizing sophisticated market intelligence. Financial details on revenue or users were not disclosed, but the firm is targeting a multi-trillion-dollar global food market.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2025

Cascade Bio’s core technology, branded as Body Armor for Enzymes, uses affordable, scalable materials to protect enzymes from early degradation and extend their useful lifespan from hours to months. The company deploys these fortified enzymes in cell-free systems, aiming to simplify scale-up, speed reaction rates, reduce purification steps, and lower manufacturing costs compared with microbial-host approaches. Cascade has applied its stabilization platform to more than thirty distinct enzymes and reports a consistent track record of improved durability. Early partnerships with chemical, flavor and fragrance companies, food-ingredient manufacturers, and pharmaceutical firms have demonstrated integration into existing processes and meaningful cost savings. The founding team brings expertise from Zymergen, Stanford, and the University of Colorado Boulder, supporting technical development and commercial collaboration. Headquartered in Denver with satellite teams in California and New York, Cascade plans to accelerate the transition from petrochemical processes to enzyme-driven manufacturing. Cascade Biocatalysts has developed a patent-pending Body Armor for Enzymes™ technology that improves enzyme performance and longevity to enable cost-effective, cell-free biomanufacturing. The company reports working on 15 different enzymes and achieving 100% success at improving stability under industrial conditions, including multiple paying customers at the lab scale. Initial projects target applications such as carbon dioxide capture, fragrance manufacturing, and wastewater treatment, demonstrating broad commercial potential. Cascade plans to scale its technology from the lab bench to pilot scale and support an initial wave of customers. The founders, Alex Rosay and James Weltz, combine chemical engineering backgrounds and industry experience; James invented the technology during his PhD. Headquartered in Denver, the company also has a presence in California and New York.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2025

NuCicer develops high-protein chickpea varieties and sustainable ingredient solutions for food brands. Its products generate simply milled protein and flour ingredients that help companies meet protein and fiber targets without relying on highly processed isolates. The company operates a licensing-based model to scale rapidly through strategic supply chain partners, allowing adoption without disrupting existing infrastructure. NuCicer’s current variety matures 10–20 days earlier than most conventional chickpeas, reducing late-season weather risk and the need for chemical desiccants. It planted over 2,500 acres in 2025 and plans to 10x acreage by 2026. Led by CEO Kathryn Cook, NuCicer intends to use the new funding to expand operations and advance development efforts. NuCicer has developed a chickpea variety that contains up to 75% more protein than regular chickpeas, enabling much higher-yielding chickpea protein ingredients. The company says this could slash the cost of chickpea protein by nearly half — the first time a plant protein cost has been reduced this dramatically. Its ingredients target applications such as texturised vegetable protein (TVP) and alt-dairy products like yogurts. NuCicer is a father-daughter run startup founded by Kathryn Cook and UC Davis researcher Douglas Cook. The company will use new funding to support commercialisation trials and to scale its speed-breeding program to further develop and improve products. NuCicer recently closed an oversubscribed $4.5M seed round to advance those plans.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2025

4AG Robotics develops a plug-and-play robotic harvesting platform that uses AI-powered computer vision, precision suction grippers, and advanced motion control to autonomously harvest, trim, and pack mushrooms 24/7. The system is designed to retrofit into existing Dutch-rack infrastructure, enabling consistent quality, reduced labour costs, and real-time operational data for growers. Its robots are already in use across Canada, Ireland, and Australia, with new deployments planned in the Netherlands and the United States, and the company says it is active across five countries. 4AG reports deposits for over 40 additional robots and a fleet that can pick up to 1 million mushrooms per week. Financially, the company closed a $40M CAD Series B that brings total capital raised to $57.5M over the past two years after a $17.5M round in 2023. The funding is earmarked to expand manufacturing in Salmon Arm, BC, grow field service and customer success teams, and accelerate development of next-gen features such as punnet packing, disease detection, and AI-driven yield optimization. 4AG Robotics has developed an autonomous robotic harvester that scans mushroom beds, picks mushrooms, trims stems and places produce into containers for retail. Its systems are entirely autonomous and built to operate consistently without human intervention for well over 24 hours. Robots currently target indoor farms growing common white and brown mushrooms, which O’Connor says account for roughly 90% of global production. The company has completed multiple pilots, harvesting more than 13,000 pounds of mushrooms that were sold in North America. 4AG says it is entering the commercialization stage with two secured orders valued at just under $1 million each (one in Canada and one in Europe). The new funding will support scaling manufacturing capacity and proving the company can scale a robotics business. While focused on mushrooms today, 4AG says it may work with other indoor crops over time as it seeks to become a global leader in indoor-agriculture harvesting solutions.