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Author Archives: Nicola Kerslake
Despite Technology Issues & Crop Costs, Investor Interest in 2nd Generation Biomass Remains
/ May 10, 2012 12:43 pm
Biomass-based biofuels – fuels produced from renewable biological resources – are arguably the most successful of sustainable agriculture sectors when it comes to attracting investors. While other sectors were fortunate to break $100 million in investments, 33 biomass deals raked in just under $1.4 billion last year, according to industry journal Biofuels Digest.
To Exploit Market Opportunity and Advance Sustainable Agriculture, Startup Develops Innovative Robotic Weeder
/ April 25, 2012 5:53 pm
Jorge Heraud, co-founder of Blue River Technology, a Stanford-derived startup that is leveraging concepts and technologies from the fields of robotics, machine learning, precision agriculture and more to advance sustainable agriculture, has deep roots in agriculture technology. Prior to starting the company, he spent 15 years at Trimble Navigation where at different points in his tenure there he headed up engineering for the company’s Continue reading
Sustainable Agriculture Startups Chase Venture Capital While Gov’t Grants May be a Better Option
/ April 3, 2012 5:23 pm
For a startup, the odds of obtaining venture capital funding are lower than one in 100[1], likely less for a sustainable agriculture startup as I’ve covered elsewhere. The odds of securing a federal grant on the other hand are more like one in six [2], and they rise if you’re a student or university researcher. Yet, most agriculture startups spend a Continue reading
Sustainable Agriculture Investor Sees Opportunity in Alternative Protein Sources
/ March 26, 2012 5:17 pm
Ejnar Knudsen is one of the better known hedge fund managers in the sustainable agriculture space; he was investing in the sector as far back as the late 1990s, when he led Rabobank’s investments into the early wave of food and agriculture internet sites such as farms.com, a collection of agriculture information sites, and eHarvest.com, a news provider. Knudsen is Continue reading
In on the Ocean Floor, Aquaculture VC Firm Sees Opportunity for Sustainable Returns
/ March 5, 2012 9:36 pm
The following post is part of a new column by real assets investor Nicola Kerslake that will focus on topics related to investment in sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. Last week’s post focused on the reason for a lack of venture capital investment in sustainable agriculture. ___________________________ Like many a software guy, David Tze was flipping through Wired magazine back in Continue reading
The Mystery Behind the Lack of Venture Capital Investment in Sustainable Agriculture
/ February 28, 2012 5:04 pm
The following post is part of a new column by real assets investor Nicola Kerslake that will focus on topics related to investment in sustainable agriculture. Sample topics will range from venture capital investment in sustainable agriculture and what VC investors look for in a startup to advice for entrepreneurs on obtaining government funding for agriculture projects and the benefits Continue reading
Looking to his Roots, Former Engineer Launches Sustainable Olive Oil Business in Corning, California
/ January 31, 2012 3:30 pm
When Dewey Lucero was laid off from his engineering job in 2005, he started to think about taking his career in a new direction. Growing up as the grandson of two olive farmers in California’s Central Valley, Lucero was accustomed to helping out with the harvest from a young age, and eventually turned to his roots. “I realized that I Continue reading
Boston-based Startup Freight Farms Aims to Reduce Food Miles in Used Shipping Containers
/ December 12, 2011 6:20 pm
Nearly three years ago, Jon Friedman and Brad McNamara left their careers in marketing to research the pressing issue of food miles, or the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. “It seemed crazy that we were shipping in lettuce from California. We figured there had to be a better way,” said Continue reading
Specialty Crop Institute Spurs Growth of Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems in Nevada
/ December 1, 2011 8:28 pm
Nevada has the fewest farmers of any state in the union – 3,131 compared to 81,033 in neighboring California, according to the USDA. Of these, only an estimated 200-400 are produce farmers, with ranchers dominating in the state. “I’ve lived in Reno for 30 years, and didn’t even realize there were farmers here for the first 20,” admits Ann Louhela, Project Continue reading
Socially-Minded Sustainable Farming Startup, Project Alba, Takes Root in Cambodia
/ November 21, 2011 5:44 pm
Nearly all authorities on entrepreneurialism preach the same message on founding your first start up: keep it close to home and trade what you know. Recently, I came across two twenty-something Frenchmen who threw out this rulebook, and seem to be thriving as a consequence. When Victor Combal-Weiss and Guillaume Virag began research for a European business plan competition, their Continue reading
