Investor directory

Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Focus

Pre Seed RoundSeed RoundArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSeries AShow more
http://techstars.com/ventures
https://crunchbase.com/organization/techstars
https://facebook.com/techstars
https://linkedin.com/company/techstars
https://twitter.com/techstars
https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=431767203
https://www.privateequityinternational.com/database/#/profile?id=14977

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Agriculture

Ganaz

Series A in 2021
Ganaz Inc. is a workforce management platform specifically designed for the agriculture and food manufacturing sectors. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company provides tools that facilitate recruitment, retention, communication, onboarding, training, and payment for workers. Its application connects employers with deskless workers, allowing for the management of multiple conversations, automatic translation between languages, and the organization of workers into groups. Ganaz aims to enhance the well-being and prosperity of both workers and industries by addressing common challenges faced by employers and employees.

Ganaz

Series A in 2021
Ganaz Inc. is a workforce management platform specifically designed for the agriculture and food manufacturing sectors. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company provides tools that facilitate recruitment, retention, communication, onboarding, training, and payment for workers. Its application connects employers with deskless workers, allowing for the management of multiple conversations, automatic translation between languages, and the organization of workers into groups. Ganaz aims to enhance the well-being and prosperity of both workers and industries by addressing common challenges faced by employers and employees.

Avenews

Seed Round in 2021
Avenews-GT empowers farmers and industrial buyers of agricultural produce to participate in the global market and deliver unique and high-quality products to the world. The company has developed a web platform, powered by blockchain technology, that integrates services for the commercial trade of agricultural produce. The platform enables farmers and industrial buyers to transact directly with each other locally and worldwide, simplify transaction processes, create financial security, and increase supply chain transparency. The platform also enables financial institutions to reduce financing risks with a transparent view, in real time, into the digital identities of their agri-clients, where all the business data is stored, analyzed and visualized - transactions history, production volumes, and other trade-related data. Step into the future of agricultural trade. www.Avenews-GT.com

Traive

Venture Round in 2020
Traive Inc. operates an online lending platform that connects farmers with lenders, facilitating access to credit in the agricultural sector. Established in 2018 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with additional offices in São Paulo, Minneapolis, and Boston, Traive employs machine learning and big data to assess credit risk. The platform evaluates farmers' credit profiles using a comprehensive approach that goes beyond traditional credit scores, incorporating factors such as agronomic performance and market risks. This innovative analysis provides lenders with a diversified portfolio of borrowers while offering farmers more affordable funding options and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. By leveraging advanced technology, Traive aims to enhance financial accessibility within the agricultural industry.

AGTools

Pre Seed Round in 2020
AgTools provides game-changing intelligence to the agriculture market through up-to-the-moment statistics that affect time, cost, supply, demand, alternatives and more throughout the produce chain of food from farm to table on all levels. With data structured, unstructured and word mining data from government agencies, universities, industry associations, research institutes, weather APIs, AGTools has over 71 million records of market data plus 25 years on a national and global scale.

Grubbly Farms

Seed Round in 2020
Grubbly Farms Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in producing and selling sustainable feed and snacks for chickens using black soldier fly larvae. The company's flagship product, Grubblies, is made from dried larvae that are cultivated on pre-consumer food waste, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional poultry feed. This approach not only addresses the rising costs associated with livestock feed—one of the largest expenses for farmers—but also provides a high-protein, calcium-rich diet that supports egg and feather production. By offering an innovative and sustainable source of protein, Grubbly Farms aims to alleviate financial pressures on farms while promoting environmentally responsible farming practices. The company's products are available for purchase online, catering to poultry owners seeking healthier feeding options for their livestock.

Propagate

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Propagate Group provides analytics and project development services aimed at enhancing profitability through agroforestry. The company collaborates with farmers and landowners to identify and implement agroforestry systems tailored to specific climate and soil conditions, as well as existing agricultural operations. Founded in 2017 and based in Hudson, New York, Propagate also focuses on designing and installing tree-crop systems that align with current farming practices, thereby helping farmers to integrate fruit, nut, and timber trees into their operations. In addition to consulting, Propagate works to establish financing mechanisms and partnerships that support the short- and long-term goals of farmers. By streamlining the deployment process and offering a suite of operational tools, Propagate aims to enhance resilience for farmers while providing low-risk investment opportunities for investors in regenerative agriculture.

ImagoAI

Pre Seed Round in 2019
ImagoAI provides agri-food quality decision system using Artificial Intelligence. The AI powered system helps in delivering consistent food quality, generate premium products, and prevent supply chain waste. Companies use our technology to increase revenues, reduce food loss, and prevent product recalls.

AgHelp

Pre Seed Round in 2019
AgHelp, Inc. operates an online platform that provides job listing services for workers and employers. Its platform enables employers to employ workers for permanent, seasonal, trade, skilled, or other agricultural related jobs. The company also provides support services, such as migrant education programs, migrant head start programs, immigration services, legal services, and job training programs. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Belding, Michigan.

Farmcrowdy

Seed Round in 2019
Farmcrowdy is an agric-tech platform that gives Nigerians the opportunity to participate in Agriculture by selecting the kind of farms they want to sponsor. They use the sponsor’s funds to secure the land, engage the farmer, plant the seeds, insure the farmers and farm produce, complete the full farming cycle, sell the harvest and then pay the farm sponsor a return on their sponsorship. While this farm process is ongoing, the farm sponsors are able to keep track of the full-cycle by getting updates in text, pictures and videos.

Nestrom

Seed Round in 2019
Nestrom Inc. is an agricultural technology company based in Amman, Jordan, founded in 2016. The company specializes in developing farm management systems that utilize advanced technologies to enhance agricultural operations. Nestrom offers a range of software solutions, including Farm Management Software, which enables farm managers to track and optimize efficiency and costs at the field level. Additionally, their Workforce Management System allows for the monitoring of field workers’ activities and movements using affordable Android devices. The company's Precision & Automation Systems facilitate environmental monitoring, further streamlining agricultural processes. Nestrom aims to transform traditional farms into smart farms, empowering farm owners to manage operations effectively and trace costs against outputs at both macro and granular levels.

Ganaz

Seed Round in 2018
Ganaz Inc. is a workforce management platform specifically designed for the agriculture and food manufacturing sectors. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company provides tools that facilitate recruitment, retention, communication, onboarding, training, and payment for workers. Its application connects employers with deskless workers, allowing for the management of multiple conversations, automatic translation between languages, and the organization of workers into groups. Ganaz aims to enhance the well-being and prosperity of both workers and industries by addressing common challenges faced by employers and employees.

Ganaz

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Ganaz Inc. is a workforce management platform specifically designed for the agriculture and food manufacturing sectors. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company provides tools that facilitate recruitment, retention, communication, onboarding, training, and payment for workers. Its application connects employers with deskless workers, allowing for the management of multiple conversations, automatic translation between languages, and the organization of workers into groups. Ganaz aims to enhance the well-being and prosperity of both workers and industries by addressing common challenges faced by employers and employees.

Farmcrowdy

Seed Round in 2017
Farmcrowdy is an agric-tech platform that gives Nigerians the opportunity to participate in Agriculture by selecting the kind of farms they want to sponsor. They use the sponsor’s funds to secure the land, engage the farmer, plant the seeds, insure the farmers and farm produce, complete the full farming cycle, sell the harvest and then pay the farm sponsor a return on their sponsorship. While this farm process is ongoing, the farm sponsors are able to keep track of the full-cycle by getting updates in text, pictures and videos.

Farmcrowdy

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Farmcrowdy is an agric-tech platform that gives Nigerians the opportunity to participate in Agriculture by selecting the kind of farms they want to sponsor. They use the sponsor’s funds to secure the land, engage the farmer, plant the seeds, insure the farmers and farm produce, complete the full farming cycle, sell the harvest and then pay the farm sponsor a return on their sponsorship. While this farm process is ongoing, the farm sponsors are able to keep track of the full-cycle by getting updates in text, pictures and videos.

Smallhold

Seed Round in 2017
Smallhold, Inc. is a farming technology company based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in the cultivation of mushrooms through innovative, climate-controlled mini farms. Established in 2017, Smallhold utilizes automated and modular growing systems that are remotely managed and subscription-based, allowing food industry professionals to produce consistent and reliable local mushrooms tailored to their specific needs. The company's produce is distributed to partner restaurants, grocery stores, and markets, ensuring a steady supply of fresh mushrooms. By leveraging technology, Smallhold aims to provide a sustainable solution for mushroom farming that is resilient to climatic changes and market fluctuations.

Grubbly Farms

Seed Round in 2016
Grubbly Farms Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in producing and selling sustainable feed and snacks for chickens using black soldier fly larvae. The company's flagship product, Grubblies, is made from dried larvae that are cultivated on pre-consumer food waste, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional poultry feed. This approach not only addresses the rising costs associated with livestock feed—one of the largest expenses for farmers—but also provides a high-protein, calcium-rich diet that supports egg and feather production. By offering an innovative and sustainable source of protein, Grubbly Farms aims to alleviate financial pressures on farms while promoting environmentally responsible farming practices. The company's products are available for purchase online, catering to poultry owners seeking healthier feeding options for their livestock.

Freight Farms

Pre Seed Round in 2013
Freight Farms, Inc. specializes in manufacturing hydroponic crop production units constructed from up-cycled shipping containers. Their flagship product, the Leafy Green Machine, is a pre-assembled system that enables commercial-scale production of various crops, including herbs like mint and basil, as well as lettuces and brassicas such as kale and cabbage, regardless of climate or season. Founded in 2010 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, the company aims to enhance food accessibility in regions where traditional farming is challenging. By facilitating high-yield crop production, Freight Farms supports the development of local food economies and sustainable food systems for a diverse clientele, including business owners, farmers, educational institutions, municipalities, and non-profits across the United States, Canada, and Europe.