CALGARY, AB, Jan. 25, 2022 – Koan Capital Corp launches Koan AgTech Fund to invest in and help commercialize early stage AgTech companies that improve agriculture and the environment.

Koan Capital is pleased to announce the Koan AgTech Fund and its investments in leading Canadian AgTech start-ups; Index Biosystems, Nectar, Sawback and Techbrew Robotics. The starting portfolio companies showcase the range of amazing opportunities in the market; from yeast based microscopic on-product barcodes, bee health technology, real time soil monitoring to mushroom picking robots.

The team at Koan brings deep agriculture domain expertise and business operational excellence. The General Partner and Founder of the fund is Remi Schmaltz, an active angel investor and serial entrepreneur with a successful history of building and scaling agricultural companies. Including most recently as the CEO and Co-founder at Decisive Farming where the company was acquired by TELUS and awarded Most Significant Tech Transaction of the Year in 2020.

The fund enables proven AgTech start-up operator and founder experience to be combined with financial acumen for the investments it makes, including a major focus on go to market, corporate governance, raising capital, team building and exit. “There are some amazing AgTech start-ups in Canada with the best technology but one of the main challenges in agriculture is building out and executing on a robust go to market plan.” says Schmaltz. The funds team and limited partners bring deep-seated relationships across multiple verticals within the agricultural industry. Schmaltz is personally a mentor at THRIVE and Creative Destruction Lab, member of the A100 and recently added as a Venture Partner at Panache Ventures.

Agriculture is one of the oldest and most diverse industries, as it continues to adapt to meet environmental, social and governance needs of the world, massive opportunities will be created. Satellite and 5G networks will enable unseen before connectivity and imaging in agriculture. Sensors and digital technologies; through AI and machine learning; will create transformational insights to power autonomous and enhanced human systems. These combined technologies will fundamentally change how the world produces and consumes agricultural products. According to McKinseys Agriculture’s connected future: How technology can yield new growth report, “if connectivity is implemented successfully in agriculture, the industry could tack on $500 billion in additional value to the global gross domestic product by 2030”. Most of that value creation will come from advancements in autonomous systems, robotics, IOT, traceability technology, novel farming systems, biotech, remote sensing and monitoring; being applied in crops, livestock, and aquaculture.

“The level of interest and commitments to the fund have been overwhelming, it really showcases the importance that agriculture and the environment has recently gained in our society.” says Schmaltz. Although most of the funds capital is already committed by the original Limited Partners (LP), there is still room for a few additional investors to join. The rolling fund structure enables an LP to join at the start of any quarter during the life of the fund.

Koan will make a significant impact globally by investing in companies with teams that are creating solutions in agriculture by utilizing thought processes and technology from a different paradigm from which the problem was created; to improve agriculture and the environment, increasing productivity and overall value of food products.

 

SOURCE Koan Capital

 

For further information: media inquiries, please reach out to: Remi Schmaltz, General Partner, Koan Capital, info@koan.vc

www.koan.vc