Shows
Agtech - So What?Agtech trends: bundling, unbundling, LLMs and more with Shane Thomas and Matthew Pryor‘Bundling’ is a well-known business strategy, especially in tech, where it’s not only used to increase sales and move slow-selling products, but also to tie customers into an ecosystem (such as Apple or Microsoft).So what about all the unbundling that’s been happening in agtech recently? While historically we’ve seen seed companies offer bundled options, such as seeds, crop management, and data products, there is now a trend towards ‘unbundling’ in agriculture. This is exemplified by Corteva’s recent decision to unbundle its seed and crop protection divisions into two publicly traded companies. Similarly, Farmers Business...
2025-10-1532 minAgtech - So What?Making Sense of Recent AgTech Acquisitions with Shane ThomasDespite a persistent sense of uncertainty in the AgTech market lately, we’re still seeing startups get acquired– even if information about those acquisitions is opaque. Case in point: Syngenta recently purchased Intrinsyx Bio, a biologicals company, for an undisclosed sum. Why do companies conceal this information? And in this moment when everyone has their eyes peeled for some indication of where the market is headed, what can we learn from exits? Sarah sits down this week with Tenacious Ventures’ Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights, to do a deep dive into the...
2025-05-2835 minAgtech - So What?Solving for Adoption and Channel in AgTech… So what? with Shane ThomasThere are a few topics in agtech (and in the tech startup world more broadly) that are truly perennial– problems that must be solved again and again in new and innovative ways as markets, customers, and businesses evolve. Adoption is one of those challenges, and go-to-market strategies are another. We’ve been thinking about the challenge of adoption a lot recently, and also what changes in the marketplace will mean for the retail channel and product distribution for agtech in particular. Today, Sarah sits down with Tenacious Ventures’ Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insight...
2025-03-0536 minAgtech - So What?2025 in AgTech… So what? with Shane ThomasAs the new year gets underway, we’ve been thinking about the likely ups and downs ahead for the agtech world. We’ve been searching for insights in the recent announcement that FMC’s corporate venture capital division is shutting its doors, and thinking about what a trend in CVC pullbacks might mean for the lay of the land in agtech. We’ve also been taking time to think about the agtech companies that currently stand out in today’s tough market conditions, and what it is that sets them apart from the pack. Today, Sarah sits down with T...
2025-01-2233 minAgtech - So What?How Business Model Innovation Changed AgTech in 2024There’s nothing like the end of another year to have us reflecting on the recent successes in the world of agtech, and the many challenges still left to overcome. One thing that has continued to stand out to us in 2024 is the vital need for more business model innovation. There’s so much amazing technology that already exists, but for one reason or another, it is not getting adopted or utilized; it’s not delivering on the promised impact or commercial potential. Over the last twelve months we’ve talked to countless entrepreneurs and innovators who are findi...
2024-12-1134 minAgtech - So What?Rebooting AgTech Software with AI, with Rhishi PetheWe are certainly not alone in our interest in how artificial intelligence will shape agriculture in the coming years. We’ve been learning out loud about both the tech that might emerge, but also about how AI might shape existing tools, especially agtech software. In our recent report, Yield Maps Killed AgTech Software, Can AI Fix It?, we put forward some of our research and theories, and we got a ton of great feedback. Today, we’re going to respond to some questions and discuss further learnings from the report. Joining me in the task is both my co...
2024-06-1233 minAgtech - So What?AgTech News …So What? March 2024 with Shane ThomasThis week, we’re breaking down the freshest announcements from the agribusiness, agtech, and global ag policy worlds to share insights and ask “so what?” Sarah is joined this week by Tenacious Ventures Managing Partner J. Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights.For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the...
2024-03-2029 minAgtech - So What?Getting into the Weeds: AI, Computer Vision, and the Future of Non-Chemical WeedingWeeds are a very expensive problem. According to one 2016 study, if weeds were left to grow unchecked in agricultural fields across just the US and Canada, the cost in lost productivity would total over $43 billion. And challenges are mounting. Though the last century has been ruled by crop protection chemistries that have kept weeds at bay– crafty wild plants have quickly adapted and the existing tools are under pressure from regulators and consumers. As farmers try to turn elsewhere, agtech is stepping into the void, expanding the weed-fighting toolkit with everything from water and heat, to lasers and robots.
2024-02-2137 minAgtech - So What?AgTech News …So What? January 2024 with Shane ThomasThis week, in a new experimental format, we’re breaking down the freshest announcements from leaders in the agribusiness, agtech, and ag production worlds to share insights and ask “so what?” Sarah is joined this week by Tenacious Ventures Managing Partner J. Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights. What John Deere’s announced partnership with Starlink means for farmers, ag retailers, and the future of connected agtechWhat Jigsaw Farm’s evolving status as a vanguard of climate-smart agriculture tells us about future trouble in carbon and methane emission-reducing plansHow ag software roll-ups might be evolving as...
2024-01-2438 min
Transparent Venture Capital by Tribe Global VenturesInvestor Focus Ep 3: Sarah Nolet of Tenacious VenturesSarah Nolet is a co-founder of Tenacious Ventures, a venture firm focused on agriculture’s role in addressing climate change. With her co-founder J Matthew Pryor, Tenacious Ventures backs early stage start-ups who are building tomorrow’s agri-food system.
We love their open and empathetic approach to sharing their journey of building Tenacious Ventures through their blogs and podcasts making Sarah a perfect guest for our Transparent VC podcast. Tribe has a co-investment with Tenacious in SwarmFarm, a Queensland headquarters autonomous farming robot that is scaling internationally, and we’ve very much enjoyed our interactions.
Sarah ho...
2023-12-2657 minAgtech - So What?AgTech 2023… So What? A Wrap-upSomehow it’s December again, and another year has come and nearly gone. We've spent a lot of time reflecting on the highs and lows of a particularly unpredictable year for Tenacious Ventures, our portfolio companies, and agtech more broadly.In that spirit, we’re taking time to talk about what we've learned from a year of fundraising, advising, learning and podcasting. We’re joined today by our editor and producer, Sarah Mock, who facilitates a discussion between Tenacious General Partners Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor.For more information and resources, visit our website. The i...
2023-12-0627 minAgtech - So What?Reflecting on Nowadays, a Tenacious Portfolio Company Wind DownHearing the stats about startup failure rates (70 - 90%), and how one - only one- investment drives returns for most VC funds, is one thing. Actually experiencing it, is another. In line with our learning out loud ethos, today we're talking about Nowadays, a Tenacious portfolio company that recently wound down operations. Nowadays was a manufacturing platform for whole cuts of clean label plant based meat, whose flagship product is a plant-based chicken nugget made with just a handful of simple, clean ingredients. We’re speaking with Founder and CEO Max Elder about what happened, where he is now...
2023-11-2234 min
Agtech - So What?AgTech Headlines… So What? - Mineral Launch, Planet Labs Insurance, Deere Right-to-RepairBreaking news in the agtech world abounds here at the beginning of 2023, and as we've tracked the latest announcements, we've been thinking a lot about a few tech updates, especially from major brands, and what they might mean for the agtech landscape in the near future.Today, teammates Komal Patel and Matthew Pryor join Sarah to discuss a few pieces of news from the past few weeks that stood out. We dig into the details, read between the lines, and argue why we think they're worth paying attention to.For more information and resources, visit our...
2023-01-2523 min
Agtech - So What?Changing the Risk Profile of Agriculture: a farmer's perspective on parametric insuranceWe recently launched a three-episode deep dive into the future of risk and insurance in agriculture. Over the course of the series, we heard from one listener who offered to share his experience using novel insurance products to manage the risks of both too little and too much rainfall in his own farming operation. This from-the-field perspective was packed with insights, and was such a powerful contribution to our learning that we asked his permission to use the audio for this episode.Tom Ferguson is a farmer in Northern New South Wales, Australia, and this week you’ll...
2022-09-0733 min
Connect to CapitalSarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor - Food systems and Agtech innovation with Tencious VenturesIt is an extra special episode this week with 2 great investors sharing their passion for agtech and the specialist fund they co-founded Tenacious Ventures. The first half of today’s duo is Sarah Nolet, an internationally recognized food systems innovation expert who has been instrumental in building the early stage agtech ecosystem in Australia - from advising dozens of startups, designing accelerator programs and consulting to established agribusinesses, all the way to helping industry, universities and government develop and implement forward-looking initiatives in food system innovation. Sarah is also the host of the AgTech...So What...
2022-08-0647 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus Ep: Audience Responses to "The Three Fears of Farm Data"Back in May, we published an experimental bonus episode called “The Three Fears of Farm Data”. The conversation centered around the legitimacy of fears held by farmers about sharing their farm data, and kicked off with a particularly hot take:“We in agtech have completely f*****d farmers by making them afraid of sharing their data.”The episode got a huge reaction from around the industry - both positive and critical. It’s clear that the conversation around farm data is one that everyone in agtech, from farmers and startups to analysts and operators in agribusinesses, seem interested...
2022-08-0334 min
Agtech - So What?Ag Insurance...So What?This week we're bringing you the final episode in our three-part series on the future of ag insurance.Our journey started with learning the ins and outs of how the sector currently operates (check out the ag insurance 101 episode here) and then talking to key players about new products and technologies entering the industry (check out Damon Johnson on parametric insurance here).Today, Sarah is joined by Matthew Pryor to talk through their learnings in a live attempt to develop an investment thesis for ag insurance. They cover:Technologies and business models shifting the CAC/LTV equation in ag...
2022-06-2936 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus Ep: Ag Insurance 101Climate change will mean more frequent, extreme weather and more risk exposure for farmers around the world. This increased risk should be a driver for the business of agricultural insurers. But, it’s not easy to predict how climate change and digital-disruption might transform one of the world’s oldest industries.Actually, we’ve come to realize it isn’t easy to understand how agricultural insurance works at all.So, in the spirit of learning out loud, we’re releasing TWO episodes this week. This first one dives into the mysterious world of ag insurance with a 101-style con...
2022-06-1428 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus Ep: The Three Fears of Farm DataOur latest bonus podcast episode is an experiment.Rather than organize the contributions that usually make up an episode, we decided to hit record on one of the conversations that are always happening internally at Tenacious Ventures.It’s a snapshot into how we think, form and test our assumptions, and decide on what might be next.It also captured the team taking on a pretty hot topic on the mind of everyone in agtech battling with adoption and scaling digitally-native solutions:Have we in agtech completely f*****d farmers by making them afraid of sh...
2022-05-1129 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus Ep: The State of Fundraising in AgtechLife is moving pretty fast for founders and investors working in agtech.Recent years have seen record flows of capital into agrifood, driven in part by agriculture potential to provide climate solutions. And the massive disruptions of COVID-19 meant developed markets received a historic taste of what changes will be needed in a world impacted by climate change and further uncertainty.So, how have the last few years impacted agtech founders looking to raise capital, and investors on the lookout for opportunities with impact?For this bonus episode, Tenacious Ventures’ Partners Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor as...
2022-03-3049 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus Ep: Later-Stage Agtech Startup Wrap, feat. Anastasia Volkova, RegrowWhere are all the women founders in agtech, especially at later-stage startups? What does an acquisition really feel like, and when does it make sense? In this Bonus episode, we answer both these questions, as well as build on the key insights from our latest series: “Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons”.This episode features:Anastasia Volkova - co-founder and CEO of Regrow*, an independent measurement reporting and verification platform. Regrow, (formerly Flurosat), recently acquired US agtech company, Dagan, and raised $17 million in Series A funding.Matthew Pryor - co-founder of Tenacious Ventures, and partner at the Agthentic Group. He prev...
2021-12-0841 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus: The Economics of Valuing Natural Capital - Ken Henry, former Treasury Secretary of AustraliaDr. Ken Henry became well-known in Australia for his bold economic reforms as the Treasury Secretary throughout the 2000s. His approach to conservation and agriculture is equally as bold, advocating for the natural environment to be valued, and even predicting “an explosion” in financial instruments to measure soil carbon, vegetation, biodiversity and other aspects of nature.As an economist, former Chair of the National Australia Bank, and current board director of Accounting for Nature, he brings a unique perspective to agtech and agriculture.In this bonus episode, Ken talks with Agthentic co-founder, Matthew Pryor, about:How his father’s career...
2021-09-2939 min
Agtech - So What?Bonus Episode: Did Silicon Valley Kill Agtech?The Silicon Valley model for innovation has worked famously for many software based companies, such as Facebook and PayPal. However, when it comes to agtech, the Silicon Valley template for startup success hasn’t translated very well. This template, of either “user is the customer” or “user is the product” is rather limited in agriculture, where the farming population is small (restricting scale) and the stakes are high.This episode features Rob Trice, the founding partner of Better Food Ventures and The Mixing Bowl, along with Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor, who both lead the Agthentic Group and Tenacious...
2021-08-1844 min
Agtech - So What?The agtech adoption dilemma: IrrigationWe have the technology to measure and improve water efficiency on farms, yet adoption remains low- why is this?This episode explores our hypothesis in our recent report: that the problem is not with the technology, but rather with a limited understanding of the nuances of farmer psychology.We explore how tech developers, both startups and incumbent firms, can design business models that encourage irrigation tech adoption. We also discuss how farmers can make sure they’re getting the information they need to implement irrigation technology that will have a positive impact on the bottom line.This ep...
2021-03-2432 min
Agtech - So What?Regen Ag Series #5: Our VerdictRegen Ag Series #5: Our Verdict, with Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor from AgThentic and Tenacious VenturesIn this final wrap up episode of our regenerative agriculture series, the team from AgThentic is giving you OUR verdict. Sarah is joined by Matthew Pryor, Partner at AgThentic and co-founder of Tenacious Ventures, to discuss:what it will take to move beyond the polarizing debate over whether regen ag is good or bad;how agtech can unlock cost effective ways to measure, monitor, and verify what’s actually working;impacts of consumer’s push for carbon neutral produce and redu...
2020-09-2343 min
Agtech - So What?Ep 66: Jim Chambers (Trimble) and Derek Norman (Bayer) on agtech acquisitionsToday’s episode is all about corporate investments and acquisitions in agtech. Two guests, Derek Norman (VP at Leaps by Bayer) and Jim Chambers (President and General Manager of the Worldwide Agriculture Business at Trimble) cover different ways startups can engage with corporates, from early stage direct strategic investments, to channel partnerships, to acquisitions.We also discuss:what Bayer and Trimble are looking for and tips for startup to get investment- and acquisition-readyhow the M&A environment is changing with consolidation and coronaviruswhy we haven’t we seen more successful agtech exitswhat spaces are hot (and not), including how...
2020-05-061h 10
evokeᴬᴳ⋅E04 - Investment, the hype and the realityInvestment Hype vs RealityThere's a lot of buzz around food and farming tech in Australia right now. In this episode we are talking about investment in the sector. How do investors separate the hype and buzz from the genuine solutions. We also explore how the ecosystem in Australia stacks up and what are the lessons we need to learn to develop the Australian AgTech scene into the maturity required to lead the world. Featured in this episode:Arama Kukutai – Finistere VenturesGerard Chia - VVNPTopaz Conway – Cicada Innovations and SBE AustraliaIan Proudfoot - KPMGMatthew Pryor – Tenacious Ventures and AgThenticSarah Nolet - AgThen...
2019-04-1639 min