January 17, 2024

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Illinois-based Serra Ventures announced it has partnered with leading Netherlands-based regenerative farming asset management company Grondex International to launch the Serra-Grondex Ag & Food Tech Fund II. 

This partnership represents a collaboration between two teams with more than 150 years of collective experience that will work in tandem on all aspects of the fund’s operations including deal sourcing, financing transactions, and post-investment coaching of their portfolio companies.

Serra Ventures has offices in San Diego, Chicago, Park City, and Champaign, Illinois. The firm co-invests with leading venture firms in early-stage growth companies that have a deep technological focus on solving industry specific problems. 

The firm was originally launched with the intent to support emerging technologies being developed near research universities in the U.S. Midwest region where there is a lack of venture capital. However, over the years, the team realized that there are no geographic boundaries for innovation, and today, in addition to capital, the Serra Ventures team works alongside a wide range of entrepreneurs in all aspects of growth, from strategic planning to partnerships, business development, and capital formation. 

Grondex International purchases land and then implements regenerative farming and rewilding practices to improve nature, reduce emissions, and capture carbon to generate positive environmental and financial returns, and the team’s supply chain insight spanning from farm to fork brings a marked advantage to the agriculture and food startups they support. 

The three managers of Serra Ventures – Tim Hoerr, Dennis Beard, and Rob Schultz – each have more than a decade of venture experience in food and agtech, having made more than 50 investments in startups in the industry since 2011.

Joining them are the directors of Grondex International – Joost Pennings and Peter Prins – who also bring deep experience in agriculture and finance and manage thousands of acres of farmland and farming operations for institutional investors in Europe. 

“We are very excited about this powerful partnership with Grondex,” said Tim Hoerr, CEO, Serra Ventures. “Joost Pennings is a world-renowned agricultural economist at Wageningen University and Former Faculty Excellence Professor at University of Illinois. His colleague Peter Prins is an experienced risk manager, data analytics expert and practitioner of cutting-edge farming techniques.”

“We see tremendous value combining our ag tech venture expertise with this experienced team from the Netherlands, one of the world’s leading ag and food ecosystems. As Europe’s leading regenerative farming asset manager, Grondex offers unmatched insight and reach into the ag and food space from a global perspective. We look forward to solving the world’s biggest problems in ag and food together.”

Peter Prins, co-director, Grondex International echoed this sentiment, saying, ”We are thrilled to join forces with Serra Ventures. Our shared commitment to foster regenerative solutions in the ag and food tech sector is more than a business venture; it’s a step towards a healthy and sustainable future.”

“We look forward to building upon Serra Ventures’ impressive track record and to extend Serra’s network to Europe. Together, we aim to support founders that transform the ag and food industry, fostering startup growth that benefits both the economy and the planet.”

~ 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.

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