Agrifirm bolsters start-up network through partnership with impact investor Astanor Ventures

Agrifirm, a Dutch cooperative with some 10,000 farmers and growers members, has teamed up with the impact investor Astanor Ventures. Astanor Ventures invests in impact-driven agri-food tech start-ups, focused on challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, circularity and health. This strategic partnership, combining Astanor’s impact investing expertise and international network of entrepreneurs and Agrifirm’s longstanding expertise and broad network in the agricultural sector will accelerate the expansion of innovative solutions to foster a responsible food chain for future generations.

The partners will reinforce one another in terms of knowledge, with Astanor having expertise on business growth and an international network of agri-food start-ups and Agrifirm having technical and practical knowledge on the agricultural sector and access to farm and fields. The cooperative is supporting Astanor on assessing companies and technologies for future investments. This also strengthens Agrifirm’s start-up network. At the same time, Agrifirm is granting the start-ups access to its extensive network of farmers to optimise their technologies and to support them with the commercialisation of products and services. Agrifirm is enabling startups to bring innovative, sustainable solutions and services to its members.

Shared vision of the future of agriculture

Astanor is dedicated to supporting food systems that are nutritious, regenerative, scalable and reliable, that produce delicious and healthy food for all. Astanor and Agrifirm have a shared vision on the future of agriculture and the agricultural sector, bringing solutions to the challenges of  sustainability and CO₂ emissions. The partnership is a solid contribution towards Agrifirm’s innovation strategy to launch new, sustainable solutions and revenue models for farmers.

Johan de Schepper, Chief Innovation Officer at Agrifirm: ‘This partnership is a true win-win situation, as we have the same objective and are strengthening each other by our expertise. We believe that innovation is the product of synergy between chain parties. That is why we are glad to be part of this fantastic international ecosystem. It's contributing to our knowledge base while giving us a window on what’s happening in the field of sustainable food and agriculture, with farmer income being paramount to support sustainability. At the same time it accelerates our innovation projects towards robust solutions. Access to new technologies and business models ensures our ability to innovate with our members, demonstrating that agriculture is an important part of the solution to deal with today’s challenges.’

Hendrik Van Asbroeck, Partner at Astanor Ventures: ‘Agrifirm’s expertise, network and deep understanding of the challenges facing farmers today makes them a valuable partner for Astanor. This partnership establishes a bridge between Astanor’s international network of entrepreneurs and the Agrifirm cooperative members, opening new avenues of collaboration and ensuring that the startups’ tech-driven solutions are well adapted to the reality in the field.’

About Astanor Ventures

Astanor Ventures is an impact investor that backs ambitious entrepreneurs across the world with disruptive, scalable solutions that will create systemic change across the agrifood value chain, from soil to gut. We partner with founders who are committed to restoring balance and sustainability to the land and oceans, prioritizing nature and culture, nurturing change and feeding growth. See more about Astanor’s commitment to impact here.