January 7, 2021

By Lynda Kiernan, Global AgInvesting Media

reNature, a startup that develops and scales regenerative farming and agroforestry projects, has closed on its first Seed round, adding four private impact investors that join existing investors DOEN Foundation and Meraki Impact. 

“We joined reNature in 2019 convinced of the enormous impact it will have on changing our food system,” said Fernando Russo, Meraki Impact. “It’s great to have an amazing group of like-minded impact investors joining us in this mission, and allowing reNature to jump to the next level with more structure to grow.”

Like mining, since the 1800s, it has been widely accepted that farming, by its very nature, is an extractive industry. But whereas mining is obviously so, the extractive nature of farming is much less so – embodied in water pollution, soil degradation, erosion, and loss of fertility.

Along with this, we have done a poor job in modernizing how we look at the profit and loss associated with farming. Higher crop yields and more animals, partnered with low cost of inputs, have traditionally meant higher profit. For centuries, the unaccounted losses tied to traditional extractive farming have been viewed as unavoidable, and inherent – but it need not be this way, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, who stated that a shift from extractive to regenerative agriculture is not only possible, but profitable, when taking a more modern, learned, and complete approach to the costs and output of agricultural production.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, reNature harnesses the potential of regenerative agriculture and regenerative agroforestry, and reimagining production models to design and implement regenerative systems of all scales to fight climate change, poverty, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.

With its network of research organizations, the public sector and technological partners, reNature creates connections for farmers with the necessary research, knowledge, funding sources, and buyers to foster transition to regenerative practices and to provide opportunities for growers to offset carbon.

After its first year in operation (during which the startup raised EUR 400,000 [US$4490,000]), the startup has projects underway in Brazil, Cote d’Ivoire, Chile, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Portugal, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Now with an additional EUR 150,000 in funding [US$184,000] and the vast experience these new investors bring in impact investing and regenerative ag, reNature can accelerate its mission.

“We’re facing a turning point in the history of agriculture,” said Marco do Boer, CEO, reNature. “We’re convinced that we as reNature have the ability to spread the knowledge of regenerative farming with the help of international experts. The closing of this last investment round gives us the financial space to make it happen.”

Joining as new investors are:

Arne Driessen – fund manager of the Netherlands-based impact-driven family fund Golden Bird. This investment in reNature is a perfect fit with Golden Bird’s mission to accelerate the transition to regenerative ag through focused investments in innovative food and tech companies. 

Josephine Korijn – co-founder of New AJE Capital, an investor that commits capital, time, and its voice to regenerative solutions for resilient food and ag ecosystems, and strives to support the transition to sustainable land use practices. 

Koen van Seijen – senior manager at the non-profit, Toniic; partner at a Milan-based financial advisor; and publisher of the podcast “Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food” that has featured more than 100 interviews with impact investors, fund managers, farmers and others (and has been featured in past issues of Agtech Intel). 

Simon and Murielle Pickard – Geneva, Switzerland-based impact investors with a focus on agriculture. 

“We’re incredibly excited and humbled to have Arne, Josephine, Koen and Simon join us as investors,” said Eva Teekens, CIO, reNature. “Besides the funding, which will help us achieve our targets, their experience and network will be of great value to reNature.”

– Lynda Kiernan is editor with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, and HighQuest Group’s Oilseed & Grain News. She is also a contributor to the GAI Gazette. She can be reached at lkiernan@globalaginvesting.com.