startups

Bonus Ep: Later-Stage Agtech Startup Wrap, feat. Anastasia Volkova, Regrow

Bonus Ep: Later-Stage Agtech Startup Wrap, feat. Anastasia Volkova, Regrow

Where are all the women founders in agtech, especially at later-stage startups? What does an acquisition really feel like, and when does it make sense? In this Bonus episode, we answer both these questions, as well as build on the key insights from our latest series: “Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons”.

This episode features Anastasia Volkova , co-founder and CEO of Regrow, an independent measurement reporting and verification platform. Regrow, (formerly Flurosat), recently acquired US agtech company, Dagan, and raised $17 million in Series A funding.

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #3 - Farmers Business Network

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #3 - Farmers Business Network

Farmers Business Network is one of the most well-funded startups in agtech. Just recently, they announced a $300M Series G round, bringing their total funds raised to $870M and their valuation to nearly $4 billion.

So, where did it all begin?

In this episode, FBN co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Charles Baron, explains how his Silicon Valley upbringing unexpectedly collided with rural Nebraska, resulting in an idea for a new kind of agribusiness- one that would connect farmers and increase their bargaining power for chemicals and seeds.

Charles talks about several key factors in the company’s success, including questioning Silicon Valley’s ‘founder obsession’ to instead create a ‘farmer-centric’ ideology.


Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #1 - Semios

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #1 - Semios

In this 3-part series, we’ll share the lessons from agtech startup founders who have grown their agtech companies from idea to at least 100 employees.

This episode features Michael Gilbert, CEO and founder of Semios, a crop management platform initially focused on tree fruit, nuts and vines, based in Canada. Michael has a PhD in chemistry and started his career in pharmaceuticals and biotech, before realizing his knowledge could be applied to agricultural inputs.

This initial idea has led him on a journey from biologicals, to creating a company with more than 300 employees and over $225 million in external capital raised to date.


Farmers and Startups: Tips for Collaboration

Farmers and Startups: Tips for Collaboration

The divide between farmers and startups can seem like a chasm. Tech culture and agriculture have evolved from completely different backgrounds, and even seem to have their own languages. So how can agtech bring together two very different groups?

In this episode, you’ll hear practical tips from farmers and agtech experts on how to build mutually beneficial relationships. For startups, this includes approaching farmers as partners, rather than ‘customers,’ and understanding ‘grower economics’. And for farmers, it’s about finding opportunities to access and help shape new products as the startup iterates.

What it's REALLY like to work in an agtech startup

What it's REALLY like to work in an agtech startup

If you’re looking at a career in agtech, chances are you’re going to spend time working with startups. But what’s it like to work IN an agtech startup? A fast-paced environment, no red tape, and a big vision may come to mind. But there can be downsides, too, such as long hours and setbacks. Hear about the realities of startup life and whether this is the career for you from Soroush Pour (Vow) Alissa Welker (Steward) and Kerryn Thomas (Goterra).

Ep 66: Jim Chambers (Trimble) and Derek Norman (Bayer) on agtech acquisitions

Ep 66: Jim Chambers (Trimble) and Derek Norman (Bayer) on agtech acquisitions

Today’s episode is all about corporate investments and acquisitions in agtech. Two guests, Derek Norman (VP at Leaps by Bayer) and Jim Chambers (President and General Manager of the Worldwide Agriculture Business at Trimble) cover different ways startups can engage with corporates, from early stage direct strategic investments, to channel partnerships, to acquisitions.

This episode was recorded LIVE at an event we co-hosted with Tim Hammerich, host of the Future of Agriculture podcast. If you're not yet a FoA listener, check out episode 201 featuring AgThentic Partner Matthew Pryor.

Ep 57 Fee Turner and Lee Coleman on being farmers and agtech founders

Ep 57 Fee Turner and Lee Coleman on being farmers and agtech founders

Fee Turner (Bitwise Agronomy) and Lee Coleman (FarmSimple) are both farmers as well as founders of agtech startups. They, along with six other farmer-led businesses, have been selected into the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp program, an intensive 3 month accelerator that is helping them take their business to the next level.

In this episode, Fee and Lee tell us about their farms, startups, and the challenges they're facing being farmers and founders.

This episode is produced in partnership with Farmers2Founders. To learn more, check out https://www.farmers2founders.com/ or follow @farmers2founder on Twitter.