Remi Koan Schmaltz
General Partner
Remi is a proven ag-business leader with a true entrepreneurial passion; experienced in driving meaningful revenue and value in agriculture including raising capital, structuring strategic partnerships, building businesses and exiting. Recently he led and Co-founded Decisive Farming an industry leading digital agtech company that raised venture funding from McRock Capital, one of Canada’s top technology venture funds. Remi successfully negotiated an exit to TELUS that resulted in Decisive Farming being a founding part of TELUS Agriculture and was awarded the Most Significant Tech Transaction in 2020.
Today, Remi is the Founder & General Partner of Koan Agtech Capital. He actively mentors start-ups as a THRIVE mentor, A100 member, CDL Ag Associate, an advisor and Director on several private company boards.
A Family Dedicated to Advancing Agriculture
The Schmaltz Family has been involved in Ag Business for over 100 years and 4 generations; always leading agriculture to the next level of efficiency and profitability. It all started with the Schmaltz’s farming in the late 1800’s in the Beiseker, Alberta area. The farm soon evolved into selling short line farm equipment and then Remi’s great grand father expanded into a Ford and Massey Harris farm equipment dealership called Beiseker Motors. Remi’s grand father Felix joined Beiseker Motors and soon found the next innovation on the farm; fertilizer. That side business grew quickly, and Felix soon opened DynAgra Corp an Ag-Retail selling fertilizer, chemical and seed. In the 70’s Remi’s father Bruce took over the business and expanded it to 4 locations. Remi and Tasha Schmaltz took over management in 2006 and subsequently sold it in 2012 to CHS Inc after growing revenue from $15MM to over $30MM. Prior to the sale of the DynAgra Corp, Decisive Farming Corp was launched in 2011 to develop and commercialize agricultural technologies. After successfully building the team and technology, raising venture capital and generating significant revenue, TELUS acquired the business in 2019. Remi continued with TELUS Agriculture to build out their strategy as the Director of Business Development North America till the end of 2021.
- Chris Ewing
CFO
As Founder and Managing Director of the AudaciterGroup, Chris brings proven expertise in corporate finance and an accomplished track record defined by progressive financial executive roles at distinguished blue chip organizations. Chris currently leads real estate development, alternative investment and asset management activities at Audaciter, and serves in Board Member and outsourced CFO roles for growth-minded organizations.
Prior to founding Audaciter, Chris was Treasurer & Head of Tax for Knauf North America where he was responsible for all operational and strategic treasury and tax functions. He successfully led a financing strategy involving the negotiation of $425 Million of revolving and term debt as wellas the design and implementation of a New Markets Tax Credit structure to facilitate the company’s US expansion. While at Knauf, he also implemented foreign currency and commodity hedge plans to mitigate risks related to currency fluctuation and energy price volatility.
Before joining Knauf in 2011, Chris served as Chief Financial Officer at Vodafone Americas Inc., a financial holding company forthe world’s leading wireless telecommunications firm. There he managed U.S. cash flows of $3.5 Billion annually, assisted with enterprise valuations of the company’s portfolio of wireless operating companies including Verizon Wireless, and co-led efforts towards a successful $1.4 Billion private placement debt offering.
Chris combines financial expertise with entrepreneurial thinking, and is especially adept at implementing strategic objectives to support business growth and drive shareholder value. He began his career with Arthur Andersen LLP and is a licensed CPA. Chris enjoys adventure travel, hiking andclimbing in Colorado and Montana, and spending time outdoors with his family.