Agtech funding recap for Feb. 2026: Kubota invests in Kilter, Corteva Catalyst in Resurrect Bio
Does a recent slew of agtech funding news point to a broader investment trend for 2026?
Funding, mergers & acquisitions
Securing the future: Nihon Agri raises over U$8m to overhaul value chain, accelerate expansion
Japan’s Nihon Agri has raised JPY1.3bn (US$8.26m) to optimise its value chain as it scales its business for future growth.
Dyson Farming and KWS join Wild Bio in five‑year sprint to commercial precision-bred wheat breakthrough
University of Oxford spinout expects precision‑bred wheat to reach UK farms within around five years, following the launch of a new consortium with seed giant KWS and Dyson Farming, the UK’s largest commercial farming operation
SP Ventures hits $50m milestone for third fund, after ‘watershed year’ in 2025
SP Ventures is attracting global investors into its third fund – a tough fund for venture capitalists
DSM‑Firmenich’s €2.2bn ANH exit underscores ‘barbell’ reality in animal health investment
Divestment to CVC highlights how volatility is reshaping capital allocation in animal nutrition, while specialist investors continue to see upside in value‑add animal health plays
Investors back Gabon potash mine as fertiliser prices rise
Millennial Potash Corp. has secured $18.3 million in fresh funding to accelerate development of its Banio Potash Project in Gabon, as investors increasingly seek exposure to new fertiliser supply sources amid ongoing geopolitical shocks
UK backs next wave of low‑emission farming tech with £1.34m innovation boost
DEFRA and Innovate UK target methane‑cutting feed, climate‑smart crops, biochar fertilisers and advanced waste-to-energy solutions across 15 projects
Heritable gets $5M for AI crop resilience as Africa emerges as agtech’s next frontier
Heritable Agriculture, the AI-powered crop improvement start‑up spun out of Google X, has secured a $4.98 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance climate‑resilient crops for smallholder farmers across Africa and other low- and...
Shaping outcomes: Funding differences steer agtech development across emerging markets
Agtech startups in emerging markets are developing along divergent paths as funding differences determine which solutions attract capital and achieve viable exits.
BASF to acquire biocontrol company AgBiTech, marking first M&A move of 2026
BASF started 2026 by scooping up a biological insect control company, as the chemical giant prepares to spin-off a portion of its agriculture business in 2027
Wild Bio and The Traits Company join forces to accelerate next-gen soybean development
UK ag-biotech Wild Bioscience and US-based The Traits Company announce a strategic collaboration to fast-track differentiated soybean varieties – validating demand for Wild Bio’s AI-powered trait design platform
VC for fighting biodiversity loss: Superorganism closes $25.9m debut fund
Superorganism is on a mission to address biodiversity loss with a portfolio of technology companies tackling the drivers of biodiversity loss
Moa Technology secures third major industry partner in 18 months with Certis Belchim collaboration
The UK-based herbicide innovator has joined forces with Certis Belchim to co-develop next-generation Moa Amplifier™ solutions, reinforcing growing industry demand for next-gen crop protection technologies
State of VC in agtech: Will 2026 be the year funding — finally — rebounds?
An agtech funding renaissance did not materialize in 2025, but venture capitalists are hopeful a new floor is firmly established this year, with AI and robotics leading the sector to its next growth stage
Investing in Brazil: How COP30 put the country’s ag sector ‘on the map’ in 2025
COP30 was a major branding event for Brazil’s sustainable ag sector, fueling investor interest in regen ag, AI, and digital farming
BASF exits glycinates as Biochem and private equity step up in animal nutrition M&A
German chemical company to sharpen focus on vitamins and carotenoids
Exclusive: Agreenculture banks €6m to fast‑track ‘plug‑and‑play’ autonomy – and the ROI to win over farmers
French start-up Agreenculture has raised €6 million to industrialise its certified, retrofit autonomy kit for tractors and implements. By emphasising quick payback and a simple integration path for OEMs, the company says it can turn autonomy from a...
How this Chilean aquaculture company uses oxygen to improve sustainability
Chile’s past with ecological disasters is spurring interest in sustainable aquaculture and the use of technology — like Oxzo — to secure the country’s food system
Private sector ramps up Australia’s agri R&D funding as government investment declines
Australian agricultural R&D funding is seeing more funding from the private sector as government pulls back investments, says new report.
Agtech VC trends in Q3 2025: AI spurs interest in robotics, biologicals slump
The flight to quality continues in agtech, as interest in robotics picks up fueled by general interest in AI and automation
Irish firm gets ESA backing to bring satellite-powered fertiliser tool to grassland farmers
Proveye wins European Space Agency funding to deploy ProvVari – a precision fertiliser platform designed to cut costs, boost yields, and curb emissions across Europe’s pasture-based dairy and beef systems
Rhizocore’s £4.5m funding fuels expansion of fungal tech for tree growth
Scottish biotech Rhizocore Technologies is using tailored fungal networks to boost tree survival and growth. With fresh funding, the company plans to scale production and expand into North America’s vast forestry market
COP30
Gates Foundation invests $1.4bn in farmers impacted by extreme weather
The Gates Foundation was one of many organizations making large commitments to support farmers and the agrifood system at COP30
‘We want a progressive relaunch’: How Naïo Technologies plots its comeback
After a tumultuous 12 months, French ag robotics pioneer Naïo Technologies is charting a gradual reintroduction to the market as it adapts to the ongoing crisis in wine production
Ginkgo and Bayer double down on microbial nitrogen fixation in renewed alliance
Ginkgo Bioworks and Bayer have extended their multi-year partnership to develop microbial nitrogen fixation technology that could reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers
Source.ag secures $17.5M to scale applied AI for growers in CEA
Backed by strategic investors including Enza Zaden and Harvest House, Netherlands-based Source.ag’s latest funding round highlights demand for AI tools that deliver measurable, daily value to greenhouse operators
‘Challenges don’t exist in silos’: New Alternate Futures Innovation Centre champions collective innovation to drive real impact
Newly announced Alternate Futures Innovation Centre aims to connect ideas and technologies to address complex challenges that are too often tackled in isolation.
Arevo raises €7.3M to scale bio-based fertiliser that boosts soy yields and slashes nitrogen emissions
Swedish start-up Arevo hopes to launch in Brazil in 2027 thanks to a €7.3 million funding round to expand its arginine-powered fertiliser and launch into global markets
$14M boost to unlock credit for Africa’s smallholders
New financing model aims to catalyze $200M in private sector lending across five African nations
AI automation company Agtonomy eyes global, market expansion with closure of $18m Series B round
Agtonomy is expanding into new markets and geographies with the support of a Series B round and a disciplined capital approach
Ambition to action: APAC agtech investment landscape more ‘focused and pragmatic’
Asia Pacific’s agrifood sector is at a critical juncture as investors streamline priorities to focus on food security, supply chain stability, climate resilience, and adaptation
BASF to partially divest agricultural solutions division via IPO in 2027
€10bn unit to gain autonomy as BASF reshapes its agribusiness strategy under “Winning Ways”
The Reservoir launches evergreen VC fund to support start-ups in AI, robotics, precision ag
The Reservoir continues its venture capital (VC) discipline with a new fund targeted at early-stage agtech start-ups
Biofungicide start-up Ascribe Bio closes $12m Series A round to support global rollout
Ascribe Bio is nearing regulatory approval for its biofungicide in Brazil and the U.S. and will use funds from a Series A round to support the launches
Ecorobotix secures $150M to supercharge AI-powered crop protection
Precision sprayer Ecorobotix has raised $150 million across Series C and D rounds to accelerate its expansion into new markets, deepen product development, and advance its proprietary AI technology
Phagos secures approval to market personalized phage-based veterinary drugs in EU
French biotech raises €25m to scale AI-powered phage therapy
Italy’s Maia Ventures launches €55M fund to back agri-food start-ups that need ‘polishing, not reinvention’
New Italy-based VC says it’s part of a more disciplined wave of investors focused on scalable, science-driven solutions to real food system challenges
What future for Indoor Ag? Join our FREE digital broadcast series to find out
Amid a challenging investment landscape and fluctuating market forces, we are shining the spotlight on indoor ag to gauge its future prospects and opportunities for growth.
BASF reviews next steps for feed enzymes business
Focus on strategic partnerships to unlock full potential
Is venture capital failing agri-food innovation? Experts call for a rethink
At the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, leading investors debated whether the traditional venture capital model is fit for purpose in agri-food
De Heus set to acquire CJ Feed & Care, accelerating Asian growth strategy
Acquisition includes 17 feed mills
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit London 2025
Helios AI’s agentic feature is like working with ‘a team of Bloomberg analysts’
Virginia-based Helios AI is using multiple agents to help procurers purchase commodities at the right time for the right price, as volatility continues to ripple across the supply chain
ADM, Alltech unite feed assets across US and Canada
Joint venture will be majority-owned by Alltech
Nofence celebrates largest funding round of the year
Virtual fencing company Nofence has raised over £26 million following the successful close of its Series B funding round. The company says the investment will be used to accelerate its international expansion and enhance its product offering to better...
Agrifood VC funding sharply down in H1 2025, PE fares better
The agrifood funding landscape was dealt another blow in the first half of 2025, with new fund size dropping drastically from several years ago, but emerging private equity (PE) firms are finding opportunities, according to PitchBook
Hyperspectral imagery: UK start-up Messium lands £3.3m to seed growth
UK-based Messium, which uses hyperspectral satellites and AI-driven crop growth models to measure crop nitrogen from space, is eyeing expansion after securing a £3.3 million seed investment
Acclym acquisition a ‘major step’ says CropX
Crop supply intelligence company Acclym ‘speaks the corporate sustainability language’, says CropX CEO Tomer Tzach, and brings significant customers like AB InBev, Nestle, General Mills, and McCain Foods to CropX’s agronomic farm management platform
The Yield Lab hits 100-company milestone
A decade from the formation of its first fund in St. Louis, Missouri in the US, global early-stage venture capital firm The Yield Lab celebrates investing in 100+ agri-food tech companies
Animal health and nutrition industry heats up with strategic deals
Kemin and Balmoral Funds finalize animal health and nutrition transactions, while CVC Capital Partners is reportedly the leading contender for dsm-firmenich’s ANH business
Start-up profile
From cow herder to unicorn… What’s behind Halter’s hefty market value?
Virtual fencing start-up Halter became one of New Zealand’s rare unicorns when it raised $100m in June this year from a sweep of Silicon Valley tech investors at a $1bn valuation. Its president Andrew Fraser explains its allure