1、A G R I C U L T U R ECVC INSIGHTS REPORT2 0 2 1When AgFunder and gener8tor set out to compile this report,it was set against a backdrop of furious deal activity in the agrifoodtech sector and an ongoing global pandemic.The trend was counter-intuitive by all counts.Globally,many venture capital firms
2、 hit pause on dealmaking in April as rolling lockdowns shut borders and crippled markets.Startups and venture capital investors went into survival mode.But then they caught their breath and began to pivot.By mid-year,investors were cutting checks again.The final tally of agrifoodtech investment doll
3、ars committed in 2020 is expected to outpace 2019 by 34.5%,according to AgFunders 2021 AgriFoodTech Investment Report.Remarkably,capital rushed into“upstream”innovationsthose closest to the farm,and often the most capital,time and resource-intensive.Robotics.Remote sensing.Biotechnology.Alternative
4、proteins and other novel foods;investors were signaling their commitment to the long-term future of food rather than just the next software unicorn.Few have more to gain from this mindset than agrifood corporations.Amid shifting consumer preferences and labor trends,regulatory pressure over agrichem
5、ical use,and an overall global push to make the food system greener and more sustainable,agrifood corporations are betting on new innovations to help them align their businesses for long-term trends and profitability.This report takes an up-close look at six major agrifood companies corporate ventur
6、e investing activities.The biggest players,Syngenta Ventures and Leaps by Bayer,share insights of their priorities amid the recent market consolidation of agrichemical competitors and peers.Cargill provides a deep dive on investments addressing animal health and nutrition as the company restructures