Shaping the future of agriculture and food through investments in innovation

According to the World Economic Forum, global food systems will need to support about 10 billion people by 2050. Identifying solutions to achieve food security is more important than ever before to meet the growing demand. Syngenta Group Ventures, the venture capital arm of Syngenta Group, has launched its operating model driven by a renewed mission to shape the future of agriculture and food through technology and business model innovation.  Since 2009, the group has invested more than $100 million in innovative start-up companies worldwide. The team supports innovation by investing in promising start-up companies, facilitating collaboration with Syngenta Group, and providing thought leadership on the future of ag and food. 

Investors of transformative innovation

Not only does Syngenta Group Ventures provide capital to its portfolio companies, it also brings unmatched agronomic expertise and access to a global network. Syngenta Group Ventures improves agriculture and global food security by enabling growers to make better use of available resources and leave the planet in better shape for generations to come. As a supporter of sustainable agriculture, the group continues to invest in innovations aligned with its core strategy in all agriculture inputs – spanning seeds, crop protection, biologicals, crop nutrition, digital technologies and advanced distribution platforms. 

Moving beyond product research and development, Syngenta Group Ventures also supports opportunities that seize new markets, improve farming economics and help growers invest in new technologies. By anticipating and keeping a pulse on market trends, the group continues to shape the agri-food system.

“The vision of Syngenta Group Ventures hinges on our core commitment to farmers, helping maximize their profit, productivity and potential,” said Shiri Ailon, head of Syngenta Group Ventures. “Our team is at the forefront of ingenuity and investments that are essential to charting a brighter future for the agri-food ecosystem within the ag and food tech space.”

Supporting game-changing products and businesses

The Syngenta Group Ventures team has deep experience in venture capital, management, entrepreneurship, and a diversity of expertise in technical and scientific disciplines. The team is united in its knowledge of and connection to agriculture – with a passion to create the future of farming.

“Our strategic investment approach provides entrepreneurs the ideal mix of capital, insight, and know-how,” said Ailon. “We look around corners at emergent innovations that span climate change solutions, marketplaces, business models, digital solutions, and increased access to safe and nutritious food.” 

Recent Syngenta Group Ventures investments range from biologicals and seed treatment to digital and precision agriculture. Over the past year, the group’s portfolio has experienced impressive expansion, such as investing in Greeneye, which creates a next generation artificial intelligence platform to detect and spray weeds in real-time, and Tarfin, a developer of digital ag platforms to provide farm inputs with competitive credit terms. 

Other notable investments include BioPhero, which replaces chemical insecticides with sustainable biological insect pheromones for controlling pests in a variety of row crops and Sound Agriculture, which develops products that help growers increase productivity, while reducing reliance on inputs such as water and fertilizer. 

To explore opportunities with Syngenta Group Ventures that help make this vision a reality, reach out to our team.