Emmertech closes $60M fund to try and help Canada become a global agtech leader
by CM Staff
Emmertech is an agtech focused venture capital fund managed and operated by Conexus Venture Capital Inc. (CVC) that invests in Canadian agtech companies from “farm to fork”.
SASKATCHEWAN — On Jan. 18, Emmertech announced the final close of $60 million CAD, headlined by The Mosaic Company (Mosaic) and Viterra who both joined prior to the final close on Dec. 31, 2021. Emmertech is an agtech focused venture capital fund managed and operated by Conexus Venture Capital Inc. (CVC) that invests in Canadian agtech companies from “farm to fork” with a special focus on “where technology meets farm”.
The Fund brings together investors from across Canada that are predominately agriculture stakeholders including farmers, agribusiness owners, ag-focused insurance companies, and several credit unions that are anchored in agricultural communities. Innovation Saskatchewan is also an investor in the Fund with a $15 million contribution. This investor base is a key differentiator for Emmertech as it aligns the Fund, its portfolio companies, and investors in driving significant value across the Canadian agriculture ecosystem.
“We first started as a grassroots fund, building from the industry upwards starting with farmers and local agribusiness owners,” said Sean O’Connor, Managing Director of Conexus Venture Capital Inc. & Emmertech. “Having brought on a Fortune 500 global agribusiness leader in Mosaic, along with the international network and brand of Viterra adds a completely new dimension of value-add for our portfolio companies. Our ground-level LPs give our founders the ability to speak with innovative farmers and agribusiness owners to understand how they can find product-market fit, and now our international LPs like Mosaic and Viterra can help educate our founders on how they can scale globally.”
“Emmertech is founded on the principle that Canadian agtech needs a new playbook, one which recognizes the nuances of building agtech companies compared to the typical venture-backed assets in Canada,” said Kyle Scott, the newest Managing Director at Conexus Venture Capital Inc. & Emmertech.
Emmertech has already closed two investments – Lucent BioSciences in British Columbia and Ukko Agro in Ontario. Two other investments are also in the final stages with expected announcements in the coming months.
“The next leap in agriculture will require advanced digital tools to enhance productivity and efficiency while being mindful of ever-growing environmental and social considerations,” said Scott. “Emmertech will empower entrepreneurs to lead this evolution, harness data and connectivity, and emerge technologies to positively transform agriculture, and the environment, for decades to come.”
Emmertech is the second fund launched by Conexus Venture Capital and continues its vision of engaging non-traditional Canadian tech ecosystems to support its founders. Along with the anchor investment from Innovation Sask, Emmertech has been supported by Canadian communities through credit unions in New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC. Mosaic and Viterra are accompanied by Prospera Credit Union as the leaders of Emmertech’s final close.
