June 28, 2024

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Inverness Graham Green Light Fund has made its third investment, executing a major recapitalization for My Yield, a direct provider of specialty and integrated seed treatment formulas, application systems, and agronomic support to growers. 

Active as a lower middle market buyout strategy, Inverness Graham Green Light Fund seeks to acquire innovative, high-growth businesses that deliver immediate tangible environmental improvements, aligning with its mission of Environmental Sustainability Now. 

To meet this goal, the strategy proactively targets four key investment themes where it sees sweeping transitions underway and growing demand for sustainable solutions driving a need for investment: the Agtech Transition; Energy Transition; Industrial Transition; and Built World Transition. 

Originally founded in 1995 in Oelwein, Iowa, as a manufacturer of seed handling solutions, My Yield has evolved into a leading seed coating and agronomics solutions provider. Its offerings improve crop yields by delivering highly targeted treatment technologies coated on seeds that protect and strengthen plants during critical phases of growth, including biological and nutritional components to improve overall soil health in the root zone.

“We are excited to partner with My Yield, a company at the forefront of innovation in performance seed treatment,” said Paul Nolen, managing principal, Inverness Graham. “My Yield’s comprehensive suite of seed treatment solutions enables improvements to yield and can also enhance soil health.”

“In addition, My Yield has demonstrated an ability to empower growers to quickly treat their seed on their farms, maximizing convenience and scheduling flexibility so growers can plant at the best possible time utilizing the latest technologies to maximize yield. We look forward to supporting My Yield’s continued growth and success.” 

The Inverness Graham Green Light Fund portfolio has been rapidly growing in recent months. In April of this year, Custom Agronomics (“Custom Ag”), the second of three active portfolio companies for the fund, announced it had acquired BioTek Ag, a Florida-based provider of solutions that improve and protect crop yields from corn, soybean, and cotton fields to vegetables and fruit orchards. 

The completion of this transaction expands Custom Ag’s range of private-label liquid plant nutrients, nitrogen stabilizers, and other specialty products that deliver key environmental improvements, including yield enhancement and better soil health. It also will serve to extend its geographical reach into the U.S. Midwest and Southeast regions.

“The acquisition of BioTek is an exciting opportunity for the combined business,” said Nolen at the time. “In addition to building upon Custom Ag’s strong private-label model and nutrient use efficiency product offering, the acquisition offers opportunities to augment formulation expertise, expand portfolio offerings to a new and broader customer base, and add great people to the team.”

“We look forward to supporting continued strategic acquisition efforts and organic initiatives to accelerate the growth of the overall platform.”

And so they did, with the acquisition of My Yield. “We are excited to have Inverness Graham as our partner,” said Austin Forsyth and Gabriel Gorman, co-CEOs, My Yield. “My Yield is changing agriculture by providing growers the tools they need to treat their seed with the pace, prescription and precision needed in today’s environment to maximize overall plant health and yield potential.”

“With the support of Inverness Graham, we aim to expand our offerings and capabilities to better serve our existing customers and reach new markets. Together, we look forward to embarking on our next chapter of growth and the continued innovation that we can deliver to our growers across the country.”

~ 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. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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