Smallholder Agriculture
Climate Finance | August 24, 2021
Regrow secures $17 million to help farmers monetize carbon reductions
ImpactAlpha, August 24 — “Implementing and scaling responsible, sustainable agricultural practices is the most actionable strategy we can take to reverse climate change,” …
Innovative Finance | July 28, 2021
India’s Samunnati to list green bond to back climate-resilient farming
ImpactAlpha, July 28 – Chennai-based Samunnati is a rare source of financing for India’s 130 million smallholder farmers, coupling capital with agricultural support …
Smallholder Agriculture | July 1, 2021
Impact investors step up to the migration challenge in Central America
ImpactAlpha, July 1 – The confluence in Central America of extreme weather events, gang violence, corruption, and poverty – exacerbated by COVID – is …
Green Infrastructure | June 15, 2021
SupPlant raises $10 million for affordable irrigation for smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, June 15 — SupPlant‘s sensorless hardware collects real-time data on plants, soil and the climate conditions to help farmers make precise irrigation …
Africa | June 2, 2021
ADAP Capital backs FarmMoja to train Kenyan farmers
ImpactAlpha, June 2 – Kericho-based FarmMoja operates in Kenya’s tea region, offering hundreds of smallholder farmers access to farming inputs and technical training, particularly …
Smallholder Agriculture | June 2, 2021
IDH Farmfit Fund acquires stake in LendXS to expand lending to smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, June 2 — Approximately 270 million smallholder farmers worldwide live in poverty; few banks are willing to extend them credit due to …
Dealflow | April 1, 2021
Root Capital secures $35 million from DFC to expand lending to rural agribusinesses
ImpactAlpha, April 1 — The U.S. International Development Corporation, formerly known as OPIC, is investing $35 million in the Cambridge, Mass.-based social lender …
Africa | March 24, 2021
African agtech is boosting yields, protecting resources and raising incomes
ImpactAlpha, March 24 – Field drones. Harvesting robots. Big Data-driven farm insights. Innovative technological applications in agriculture can have a profound impact on farmers’ …
Agrifood Tech | March 24, 2021
The Nature Conservancy is building a portfolio of agtech ventures to improve soil health
ImpactAlpha, March 24 — The Nature Conservancy has formed a partnership with iSelect Fund, an impact venture firm that invests mainly in agriculture …
Innovative Finance | March 22, 2021
Alt-credit and mobile-money apps give African fintechs a closeup view of climate risks – and opportunities
ImpactAlpha, March 22 – Financial technology firms have leveraged billions of data points across mobile phones and social media to transform loan underwriting across …
Dealflow | March 18, 2021
Pixxel raises $7.3 million to launch satellites for agri-analytics
ImpactAlpha, March 18 – Bangalore-based Pixxel is launching its own hyperspectral satellites to improve analysis of ground-level crop and water information for the agriculture …
Climate Finance | March 10, 2021
Six financial innovations for a sustainable recovery in Africa, Asia and Latin America
ImpactAlpha, March 10 – Voluntary and mandatory carbon markets are starting to drive sustainable investments around the world. Energy Peace Partners’ Peace Renewable …
Call Recording | March 1, 2021
Call No. 27: Opportunities at the intersection of gender and climate
ImpactAlpha, March 1 – Capital is flowing to climate solutions. Climate bonds have topped $1 trillion. SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies are …
Dealflow | February 9, 2021
TenderCuts raises $15 million to source and distribute quality meat and fish in India
ImpactAlpha, February 9 — Chennai-based TenderCuts aims to provide high quality meat and fish to customers in India. The company has raised $15 …
Dealflow | February 8, 2021
SJF Ventures closes $175 million fifth fund to ride COVID acceleration
ImpactAlpha, February 8 — SJF Ventures has closed its fifth fund at $175 million. The Durham, N.C.-based impact investing firm is looking to …
Dealflow | January 26, 2021
Pula raises $6 million to expand farmers’ insurance from Africa to Asia
ImpactAlpha, January 26 – Kenyan insurance tech venture Pula has facilitated crop insurance for more than four million smallholder farmers in 13 African …
Climate Finance | January 26, 2021
Accelerating climate emergency spurs innovative financing for adaptation
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 26 – Investments aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions have long overshadowed financing for efforts to help communities adapt to climate …
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 25, 2021
Digitization of smallholder farming draws investors to Indian agtech startups
ImpactAlpha, January 25 – Among the world’s largest producers of food, India stands out for its 130 million independent smallholder farmers who till, on …
Dealflow | January 20, 2021
DeHaat raises $30 million to support smallholder farmers in India
ImpactAlpha, January 20 — Agtech venture DeHaat, headquartered in the rural state of Bihar, runs an online marketplace that connects India’s small farmers …
Dealflow | January 4, 2021
Indian agrifood tech startups raise rounds to get ready for 2021
ImpactAlpha, January 4 – Three early-stage Indian startups covering the spectrum of emerging agrifood technologies closed out funding rounds ahead of 2021. Gramophone, …
SDGs | December 18, 2020
Solar irrigation subsidies aim to boost livelihoods for Togo’s smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, December 18 – New energy infrastructure and technologies often require subsidies to gain traction. That’s true for rural electrification, solar technology, and …
Dealflow | December 15, 2020
Arya closes $21 million to expand warehousing and financing for India’s farmers
ImpactAlpha, December 15 – Delhi-based Arya helps India’s smallholder farmers transport and store their goods post-harvest, and provides them with working capital for …
Dealflow | December 9, 2020
Spanish development bank launches $145 million fund for emerging market farmers
ImpactAlpha, December 9 — Compañia Española de Financiación del Desarrollo, or COFIDES, has launched a $145 million fund that will invest in microfinance …
Agrifood Tech | December 1, 2020
Aphea.Bio secures €14 million to develop eco-crop treatments
ImpactAlpha, December 1 — For decades, modern agriculture has relied extensively on chemical-based, often environmentally destructive crop treatments. Belgium-based Aphea.Bio is among the …
Africa | November 23, 2020
An ‘impact-first’ approach to investing for climate justice in rural communities
If you are an investor interested in learning more about how to invest in climate justice solutions, join us on December 3rd for …
2030 Finance | November 2, 2020
Iroquois Valley Farmland Trust raises $2 million to accelerate shift to organic
ImpactAlpha, November 2 – Iroquois Valley Farmland Trust encourages farmers to shift to organic practices with access to capital, mortgages and long-term land …
Dealflow | October 29, 2020
Acceso acquires Exensio to boost small farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 29 – Acceso is acquiring Mexico City-based Exensio to boost the information flow to small farmers in Latin America and the …
Dealflow | October 29, 2020
European impact investors launch $40 million emergency fund for smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, October 29 – Belgium-based impact investor Incofin estimates that COVID disruptions to the global food supply chain have cost each of the …
Financial Inclusion | October 22, 2020
Investments in financial inclusion and agriculture deliver impact
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 22 – ImpactAlpha has covered hundreds of investments aiming to drive access to finance and more sustainable agriculture. Two reports from …
Clean Energy | September 29, 2020
Eight climate finance innovations that can help accelerate a green recovery
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 29 – Innovation in climate finance is critical; with a global COVID pandemic raging, it’s doubly so. Eight new financial solutions …
Agrifood Tech | September 23, 2020
Beneficial Returns backs alt-leather manufacturer Ananas Anam with impact-linked loan
ImpactAlpha, September 23 – Ananas Anam, a woman-led enterprise in the Philippines, buys pineapple leaf waste from farmers and converts it into a …
Africa | September 14, 2020
Dairy processor Tanga Fresh clinches fresh capital and support for smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, September 14 – Tanga Fresh’s growth over nearly 25 years has made it the largest dairy processing company in Tanzania. The company, …
Conservation | September 8, 2020
Farmers Business Network spins off GRO Network to track agricultural carbon
ImpactAlpha, September 8 – A new venture from California-based agtech company Farmers Business Network is tracking the carbon footprint of grains. GRO Network’s …
Features | September 8, 2020
Smart subsidies for Africa’s high risk, low return smallholder finance market
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 8 – In well-functioning capital markets, expected returns on investment match the risk. In the fragmented agricultural markets of sub-Saharan Africa, risk …
Dealflow | August 31, 2020
ABC Fund backs INSOTEC to finance Ecuador’s small farmers
ImpactAlpha, August 31 – Quito-based INSOTEC provides loans and credit to Ecuador’s micro-business owners and smallholder farmers. Its $58 million loan book serves …
Impact Tech | August 27, 2020
Eight predictions for the future of Indian agriculture
ImpactAlpha, August 27 – By 2030, India will be home to more than 1.4 billion people who will collectively spend $1.6 trillion annually …
Catalytic Capital | August 20, 2020
One Acre Fund secures $20 million to catalyze institutional capital for African farmers
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 20 – Conventional investors see uncompensated risk. Investors of ‘catalytic capital’ see an opportunity for outsized impact. One Acre Fund has …
Catalytic Capital | August 18, 2020
Catalytic capital helps Acumen’s ALIVE bridge financing gap for social ventures in Peru and Colombia
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 18 – Entrepreneurs in Latin America are weathering the pandemic to create sales channels for small farmers, online education for students and …
Catalytic Capital | August 12, 2020
More than two dozen funds investing in tropical forests and communities
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 12 – More than two-dozen investment funds are making investments in tropical forests and communities. The funds have at least $2.6 …
Africa | July 15, 2020
Komaza secures $28 million to improve sustainable forestry in Africa
ImpactAlpha, July 15 – Kenya-based Komaza is working to fight deforestation by partnering with smallholder farmers to plant trees and practice sustainable wood …
Catalytic Capital | June 25, 2020
Building a better post-COVID food system with investments in small businesses in developing economies
COVID-19 is – and will continue to have – a huge impact on global food and nutrition security. On the supply side, restrictions …
Dealflow | April 14, 2020
Iowa’s soy farmers to be paid for sustainable soil and water outcomes
ImpactAlpha, April 14 – U.S. farmers plant more than 85 million acres of soybeans to supply animal feed, industrial biofuels and everyday food …
Dealflow | April 7, 2020
DeHaat secures $12 million to link India’s farmers to markets
ImpactAlpha, April 7 – Gurgaon-based DeHaat’s online marketplace connects India’s smallholder farmers to buyers, and to farming equipment, inputs and financing. It serves …
Europe | April 6, 2020
VanderSat uses satellite data to expand farmer insurance coverage
ImpactAlpha, April 6 – Hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers in East Africa are facing not only COVID, but also the worst locust …
Dealflow | March 16, 2020
BBG Ventures leads $2.7 million seed round for regenerative ag platform
ImpactAlpha, March 16 – San Francisco-based Planet FWD is creating “climate friendly” snacks as well as a platform to connect farmers using regenerative …