Thursday, August 18, 2016

Ag tech investments double in 2015 regardless of U.S. farm stoop


Investments in agriculture technology startups surged to a document $four.6 billion in 2015 regardless of a steep drop in U.S. farm profits and slumping earnings at farm-affiliated companies inclusive of machinery producers and seed makers, consistent with a look at launched on Wednesday.


The investments had been almost double the $2.36 billion seeded by assignment capitalists and others in 2014, in line with the once a year file from on-line food and agriculture funding platform AgFunder.

The bounce got here as net U.S. farm income is projected to drop for a 3rd straight year and as industry stalwarts along with system maker Deere & Co and seed and agrochemicals corporation Monsanto Co face slumping income and activity cuts.

"There is in reality been a downturn within the broader marketplace, but in the end the course of agriculture goes towards an extra technologically driven future," stated AgFunder CEO Rob Leclerc.

Investments in 2015 were additionally especially less American, as simply 58 percentage of offers have been in U.S.-based totally groups, versus 90 percent in 2014.

food e-commerce companies, along with on line grocers and meal transport services, raised $1.sixty five billion in 2015, led with the aid of hefty investment rounds via COFCO [CNCOF.UL] subsidiary Womai, U.S.-based Blue Apron and Germany's HelloFresh.

the world become by means of a long way the yr's most energetic with 36 percentage of overall investment, leapfrogging 2014's pinnacle section, bioenergy, which confronted headwinds from weakening oil charges. The e-commerce segment's increase, but, might be limited with the aid of marketplace saturation, Leclerc stated.

Drones and robotics investments grew by means of 237 percentage from 2014 and AgFunder pointed to a shiny destiny for the section as greater growers are predicted to apply crop-scouting drones and diverse self sufficient farm machines for information analysis and precision farming.

satellite tv for pc imagery enterprise Planet Labs and China-based drone maker DJI raised the maximum within the precision agriculture zone. also, 19 exclusive precision agriculture software businesses raised capital in 2015 as greater farmers are expected to tap records science to enhance yields and decrease prices.

"Ag tech startups are capitalizing at the consolidation and professionalisation of farming. lower commodity fees will boost up each tendencies," said Sid Gorham, CEO of farm control software program employer Granular, which raised $21 million remaining year.

concerns approximately climate change, sustainable farming and soil health propelled investment in soil and crop technology corporations, which raised $168 million. Biotechnology enterprise AgBiome scored the arena's biggest deal with investment from the invoice & Melinda Gate

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