October 6, 2022

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Identifying as “part investors, part entrepreneurs”, BridgeLane is an alternative investment company established in 2009 in Sydney, Australia, by Markus Kahlbetzer. 

Under its focus on long-term agricultural projects, and a mandate to bring innovation to more traditional industries and transform underperforming farmland into high-yielding assets, BridgeLane has built significant rural portfolios through its Latin American subsidiary LIAG Argentina, and BridgeLane Pastoral in Australia.

Through a deal representing the largest agricultural transaction in Argentina’s history, BridgeLane announced it has sold its subsidiary company LIAG Argentina for US$201 million (AUD$295 million) to an unidentified party. 

Founded in 1982 by John Kahlbetzer (father of Markus Kahlbetzer), LIAG Argentina was operated by John and his son Johnny until 12 years ago, when the business was taken over by Markus and BridgeLane Group.

Over the past 40 years, the family became one of the largest agricultural producers in Latin America with properties producing grains, oilseeds, and cotton fiber in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, San Luis, Formosa, and Salta, totaling 79,000 hectares, of which 30,000 hectares are under irrigation, producing 320,000 tons of product per year. 

“The successful sale of LIAG closes an incredible chapter for the Kahlbetzer family and BridgeLane in Argentina and we are proud to have built a world class agriculture business that has flourished, even in occasionally challenging circumstances,” said Markus Kahlbetzer, CEO and founder, BridgeLane.

“In particular, we are proud of the growth and productivity achieved across these operations, and the  strong recognition of our environmental approach which received the Gold Award of La Nacion-Banco  Galicia for Agricultural Excellence.”

The sale of LIAG Argentina will also free up BridgeLane to shift its focus to Australia. Since 2010, the investor has grown its venture capital business with investments in companies such as Airtasker, Sprout Stack, and the purchase of the 2,400-hectare Bundarbo Stationand Angus breeding operation in 2019 through BridgeLane Pastoral. 

Kahlbetzer noted, “This transaction will free up significant capital for BridgeLane in a highly opportunistic environment and  aligns with our strategic focus to continue to explore growth opportunities in venture capital, agriculture, and commercial real estate in Australia.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

*The content put forth by Global AgInvesting News and its parent company HighQuest Partners is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. All information or other material herein is not to be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Global AgInvesting and HighQuest Partners are not a fiduciary in any manner, and the reader assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on this site.