SVG Ventures

SVG Ventures is an investment and advisory firm based in Silicon Valley, established in 2010. The firm focuses on early-stage technology companies and engages closely with its portfolio to foster their growth and success. In addition, SVG Ventures manages the Thrive Fund, a venture capital fund located in Los Gatos, California, which targets sectors such as software, agriculture, ag tech, and food tech. Founded in 2013, Thrive operates a series of accelerators aimed at supporting sustainable agri-food companies. The firm offers a range of services, including acceleration, mentorship, validation, and venture-building, leveraging its extensive network of technology leaders to drive innovation and global expansion for its partners and portfolio companies.

John Hartnett

CEO and Founder

Past deals in Agriculture

Space AG

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Space AG creates innovative solutions for the agricultural sector. It offers an integrated platform for management of specialty crops that combines data captured from drones - equipped with infrared and thermal cameras - and from mobile sensors attached to tractors. It has generated artificial intelligence models that help farmers make better decisions, maximizing their yields and optimizing the use of critical resources such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Verdi

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Verdi is focused on creating a data science platform that enhances precision agriculture, starting with irrigation management. The company develops scalable control systems that provide automation and plant-level healthcare, specifically designed to function effectively in challenging agricultural environments. By utilizing a network of irrigation valves powered by geospatial analytics, Verdi enables farmers to make informed decisions regarding irrigation. This technology allows for the customization of water and fertilizer application at the plant level, facilitating better management of cultivation practices. Through external integrations, Verdi aims to support farmers and growers in building, managing, and scaling their precision agriculture systems effectively.

Instacrops

Series A in 2021
Instacrops develops a management and forecasting platform that transforms the collected data into valuable information customized for each farmer. It creates a monitoring network of agro-climatic parameters to alert frost events, manage irrigation, and applications on their farm. Its system generates preventive alerts and online information according to each crop in graphics format, reports, forecasts, email, and SMS. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Santiago, Chile.

Instacrops

Seed Round in 2021
Instacrops develops a management and forecasting platform that transforms the collected data into valuable information customized for each farmer. It creates a monitoring network of agro-climatic parameters to alert frost events, manage irrigation, and applications on their farm. Its system generates preventive alerts and online information according to each crop in graphics format, reports, forecasts, email, and SMS. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Santiago, Chile.

Instacrops

Seed Round in 2020
Instacrops develops a management and forecasting platform that transforms the collected data into valuable information customized for each farmer. It creates a monitoring network of agro-climatic parameters to alert frost events, manage irrigation, and applications on their farm. Its system generates preventive alerts and online information according to each crop in graphics format, reports, forecasts, email, and SMS. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Santiago, Chile.

Agri Marketplace

Venture Round in 2020
Agri Marketplace is a B2B cloud based platform for real transactions of agricultural products. We have built a complete digital solution with different added value services: marketplace to buy & sell, logistics services, quality inspections, secure payments and legal support. We believe our project is grounded on values of transparency and fair trade, and our business model aims to redistribute the value in whole food supply chain, in order to increase returns to those who assume more risks (e.g. farmers) and reduce the amount paid by the agro-industry buyers. We believe the platform’s model we envision is innovative and disruptive.

Olombria

Seed Round in 2019
We are an agricultural tech company that has developed an integrated pollination system that uses flies and a chemical signaling device to increase crop yield, and supplement existing bee pollination services.

Tensorfield Agriculture

Venture Round in 2019
Tensorfield Agriculture develops and manufactures agricultural machines for specialty row crops. It offers robots that perform non-invasive, no-herbicide weeding with thermal micro-dosing. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in San Jose, California.

Agronow Tecnologia

Venture Round in 2018
Agronow offers robust farm analysis with high quality and reliable statistical results through proprietary crop data. So you can track and monitor your crops every three days, receiving harvest alerts, production breaks, harvest quality, and other variables of interest.

Agrosmart

Seed Round in 2018
Agrosmart S.A., founded in 2014 and based in Campinas, Brazil, specializes in developing a digital platform for the agriculture industry that monitors environmental variations such as rainfall and soil moisture. The company offers several solutions, including the Advanced Smart plan for real-time irrigation and soil monitoring, the Soil Smart plan focused on soil moisture tracking, and the Climate Smart solution for weather forecasting. Agrosmart also provides insights into the likelihood of pests and diseases in specific areas. As a leader in agricultural digital platforms in Latin America, Agrosmart aims to enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience in farming practices, utilizing data science to address challenges in food production and improve the entire agricultural value chain.

UAV-IQ Precision Agriculture

Funding Round in 2017
UAV-IQ, which stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Intelligence, helps growers easily and profitably adopt some of the most advanced agricultural technology. We are an AgriTech company that leverages deep experience in large-scale drone operations and precision agriculture to develop and scale solutions for growers. The company now offers drone-based biological control (or “biocontrol”) service, a revolutionary integrated pest management (IPM) service that uses drones to efficiently release beneficial insects to control pest populations as an effective alternative to pesticides. We currently provide this service in California, and are underway in our plans to make it available in new markets in the near future. We started off as one of the first companies authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct commercial drone operations to provide crop scouting services for California vineyards, and have since grown to the point where the platform and software we built to serve our own customers has been used by drone operators on five continents to serve local growers. UAV-IQ now stands poised to scale a groundbreaking new service after a successful first year of commercial service in California. This initiative is drone-based biological control (“biocontrol”) service, a revolutionary integrated pest management (“IPM”) service that uses drones to efficiently release beneficial insects to control pest populations as an effective alternative to pesticides. Partnered with the world’s largest multinational company in the $3.8B agricultural biocontrol industry, we are underway in our plans to make this service available in new markets throughout the U.S. and beyond. We have a well-balanced team with strength in critical areas. Andreas Neuman, the CEO, was Assistant Director of Operations for the US Air Force’s first squadron operating the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which carries the most sophisticated remote sensing equipment in operation. He has successfully led multidisciplinary teams in both his civilian and military careers and has routinely been entrusted with assets valued at over $200 million and the completion of multi-million-dollar projects. He has identified and solved complex and evolving regulatory and technical issues that led to a six-fold increase in mission capability by defining and implementing new programs and policies. After separating from the military, he gained experience in the startup world as an analyst for Tech Coast Angels and earned his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, building on credentials that include a BA in economics from Columbia University and an MA in International Relations from American Military University. Vice President of Agriculture, Robert “Bob” Starnes, joins the company with a renowned record of developing and applying innovative agriculture technology in world-class academic institutions as well as successful commercial ventures. Before joining the company, Bob was the Senior Superintendent of Agriculture at UC Davis in the Entomology Department for 15 years. While there, he managed a research lab that studied integrated pest management and remote sensing in agriculture and also founded Shale Peak Horticulture, a company offering customized biological pest management solutions to growers as an alternative to using pesticides. Thomas Grandperrin is our Director of Business Development. He has Masters Degrees in management from ESEC Barcelona and Toulouse Business School and is an alum of Start-Up Chile, where he met the UAV-IQ team. Originally from France and fluent in three languages, he has spent the last 10 years working in agriculture focusing on developing new technologies in India, Argentina, California, and Chile. He is now based out of Barcelona, Spain where he is focused on building awareness for UAV-IQ’s services and preparing for expansion into the EU. Michael Clark is an accomplished database engineer and strategist who brings expertise to the backbone of the product—its enterprise architecture. He also provides programming and developing skills which have already borne results for UAV-IQ as it builds its platforms. UAV-IQ has graduated from prominent business accelerator programs and has been advised by key faculty members and researchers at UC Davis to gain unique access to their industry-leading expertise. It has gained several prestigious awards including the Food + City Challenge at South by Southwest (SXSW), and media attention from major outlets such as CNN and AgFunder. As a result, UAV-IQ has solidified itself as a leader in an emerging industry, specializing in bridging the gap between drone flight service providers and the agriculture industry. Our goal is to continue growing UAV-IQ into an agriculture technology company that provides the infrastructure, platform, analytics and tools necessary to tackle complex agronomic, farm management and pest control challenges. Using a globally accessible cloud-based infrastructure, UAV-IQ will form the central hub for decision-makers and service providers responsible for profitably producing high-value agriculture.

3Bar Biologics

Series A in 2017
3Bar Biologics Inc. is a bioscience company located in Columbus, Ohio, focused on enhancing agricultural productivity through innovative solutions. Established in 2013, the company specializes in the development of Bio-YIELD, a microbe inoculant system that utilizes naturally occurring microbes tailored to specific crops and soil conditions. This all-natural product aims to increase crop yields and produce healthier plants by employing beneficial microorganisms. Bio-YIELD was first introduced to farmers in the eastern Corn Belt in 2014 and is supported by over 15 years of research conducted by scientists at The Ohio State University. The firm is committed to expanding its reach to global markets as it gathers further data to support its products, promoting sustainable farming practices that protect farmers' investments in their land and seeds.

UAV-IQ Precision Agriculture

Venture Round in 2017
UAV-IQ, which stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Intelligence, helps growers easily and profitably adopt some of the most advanced agricultural technology. We are an AgriTech company that leverages deep experience in large-scale drone operations and precision agriculture to develop and scale solutions for growers. The company now offers drone-based biological control (or “biocontrol”) service, a revolutionary integrated pest management (IPM) service that uses drones to efficiently release beneficial insects to control pest populations as an effective alternative to pesticides. We currently provide this service in California, and are underway in our plans to make it available in new markets in the near future. We started off as one of the first companies authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct commercial drone operations to provide crop scouting services for California vineyards, and have since grown to the point where the platform and software we built to serve our own customers has been used by drone operators on five continents to serve local growers. UAV-IQ now stands poised to scale a groundbreaking new service after a successful first year of commercial service in California. This initiative is drone-based biological control (“biocontrol”) service, a revolutionary integrated pest management (“IPM”) service that uses drones to efficiently release beneficial insects to control pest populations as an effective alternative to pesticides. Partnered with the world’s largest multinational company in the $3.8B agricultural biocontrol industry, we are underway in our plans to make this service available in new markets throughout the U.S. and beyond. We have a well-balanced team with strength in critical areas. Andreas Neuman, the CEO, was Assistant Director of Operations for the US Air Force’s first squadron operating the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which carries the most sophisticated remote sensing equipment in operation. He has successfully led multidisciplinary teams in both his civilian and military careers and has routinely been entrusted with assets valued at over $200 million and the completion of multi-million-dollar projects. He has identified and solved complex and evolving regulatory and technical issues that led to a six-fold increase in mission capability by defining and implementing new programs and policies. After separating from the military, he gained experience in the startup world as an analyst for Tech Coast Angels and earned his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, building on credentials that include a BA in economics from Columbia University and an MA in International Relations from American Military University. Vice President of Agriculture, Robert “Bob” Starnes, joins the company with a renowned record of developing and applying innovative agriculture technology in world-class academic institutions as well as successful commercial ventures. Before joining the company, Bob was the Senior Superintendent of Agriculture at UC Davis in the Entomology Department for 15 years. While there, he managed a research lab that studied integrated pest management and remote sensing in agriculture and also founded Shale Peak Horticulture, a company offering customized biological pest management solutions to growers as an alternative to using pesticides. Thomas Grandperrin is our Director of Business Development. He has Masters Degrees in management from ESEC Barcelona and Toulouse Business School and is an alum of Start-Up Chile, where he met the UAV-IQ team. Originally from France and fluent in three languages, he has spent the last 10 years working in agriculture focusing on developing new technologies in India, Argentina, California, and Chile. He is now based out of Barcelona, Spain where he is focused on building awareness for UAV-IQ’s services and preparing for expansion into the EU. Michael Clark is an accomplished database engineer and strategist who brings expertise to the backbone of the product—its enterprise architecture. He also provides programming and developing skills which have already borne results for UAV-IQ as it builds its platforms. UAV-IQ has graduated from prominent business accelerator programs and has been advised by key faculty members and researchers at UC Davis to gain unique access to their industry-leading expertise. It has gained several prestigious awards including the Food + City Challenge at South by Southwest (SXSW), and media attention from major outlets such as CNN and AgFunder. As a result, UAV-IQ has solidified itself as a leader in an emerging industry, specializing in bridging the gap between drone flight service providers and the agriculture industry. Our goal is to continue growing UAV-IQ into an agriculture technology company that provides the infrastructure, platform, analytics and tools necessary to tackle complex agronomic, farm management and pest control challenges. Using a globally accessible cloud-based infrastructure, UAV-IQ will form the central hub for decision-makers and service providers responsible for profitably producing high-value agriculture.

Arable

Series A in 2017
Arable Labs, Inc. specializes in developing a solar-powered Internet of Things (IoT) device equipped with advanced sensors for in-field crop monitoring. This technology allows farmers to digitize and optimize their agricultural decisions by providing critical data about the impact of weather and other factors on crop yield, quality, and harvest timing. Arable's integrated system combines unique spectral and thermal sensors with agronomic modeling and software tools, enabling users to monitor crop development and identify stressors such as water or nutrient deficiencies. The platform serves a diverse clientele, including farmers, agronomists, researchers, food processors, and agricultural enterprises, facilitating real-time insights and predictive analytics that enhance productivity and sustainability. Established in 2014, Arable is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an additional office in Princeton, New Jersey. The company has received various accolades, highlighting its innovation in agricultural technology.

Dexer

Venture Round in 2016
AgVoice is a hands-free enabled, voice-interactive mobile technology for food and agriculture professionals to capture insights on the go. Users can improve productivity and workflow management, increase documentation accuracy, and gain valuable insights to optimize the use of resources in crop and animal production for a sustainability and environmental impact, by using proprietary analytics and processing of raw voice files including captured time stamps and location data. AgVoice is designed for use across the food and agriculture ecosystem, including livestock and crop production, agronomy, animal health and wellness, and machinery repair.