Agri Investment Fund

What they fund

• Sector Focus — AIF invests exclusively in Ag-Tech and Agro-Food companies that contribute to a stronger and more sustainable agriculture and horticulture, with a specific emphasis on reducing environmental impact while maintaining necessary production levels [1].
• Stage & Geography — The fund targets early-phase investments starting from the startup stage, primarily focusing on companies operating in Flanders and German-speaking Belgium, though it supports innovations with broader European relevance [2].
• Thematic Areas — Investments span crop protection (biopesticides, biologicals), plant breeding, AI-driven agronomy, sustainable protein production, and digital plant diagnostics, aiming to solve the tension between global food demand and environmental sustainability [4].
• Investment Horizon — AIF acts as a long-term investor, prepared to support portfolio companies through successive capital rounds until innovations reach the market, rather than seeking short-term exits [2].

Investment thesis

• Mission-Driven Impact — The core thesis is to contribute directly or indirectly to a stronger, more sustainable agriculture where farmers have a sustainable income, products are anchored in regional chains, and society positively recognizes the output [2].
• Innovation as Solution — AIF invests to provide necessary solutions to the agricultural sector, which is under pressure from the need for increased global food production versus the need to reduce environmental impact and improve profitability [2].
• Cooperative Spirit — The fund continues the tradition of the Boerenbond (Farmer’s Union), focusing on strong partnerships where benefits are distributed fairly and competences are brought together to build bridges within the sector [2].
• Economic, Ecological, Social Triad — The goal is to develop the sector into a strong and sustainable one across three dimensions: economically viable for farmers, ecologically responsible, and socially accepted by society [2].

Value add

• Active Partnership & Board Seats — AIF mainly looks at active investments that include a director’s mandate to achieve a maximum transfer of knowledge, vision, and experience, acting as a committed partner rather than a passive capital provider [2].
• Network Access — Being anchored within the Boerenbond group allows AIF to address a large network of farmers and horticulturalists, providing professional advice and market access across various agricultural sectors [2].
• Successive Capital Support — The fund is prepared to support participations through successive capital rounds, providing patient capital that aligns with the long development cycles typical of Ag-Tech and Agro-Food innovations [2].
• Strategic Alignment — AIF’s assignment is complementary to the activities of Boerenbond and other strategic companies within the holding M.R.B.B., offering synergies in services, HR (via partner Acerta), and market intelligence [2].

Notable investments & exits

• Animab — A current portfolio company using a unique patented technology platform to produce a new class of edible antibodies for plant protection [1].
• Aphea.Bio — A leading company in the portfolio developing next-generation biological products based on naturally occurring microorganisms for crop protection [1].
• Better3Fruit — Holds one of the most innovative and largest apple and pear breeding programs in the world, focusing on sustainable fruit production [1].
• B-COS — Develops biological active substances for crop protection and resilience via an innovative precision fermentation platform [4].
• BiocSol — Develops next-generation biopesticides using microbial metabolites to provide sustainable and effective crop protection solutions [4].
• Biotalys — A fast-growing company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrol solutions for sustainable and safe food supply [4].
• Biotope — An incubator program hosted by VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) for startups with innovative and impactful ideas in agro- and food biotechnology, supported by AIF [4].
• Iscal — A major player in the sugar sector in Western Europe and a supplier of essential products for the Belgian and European food market [4].
• Optiflux — Develops AI-driven technology for objective and efficient quality management, storage optimization, and shelf-life prediction for fresh vegetables and fruit [4].
• Protealis — Develops superior seeds and seed technologies for the sustainable cultivation of protein crops in Europe [4].
• Rainbow Crops — Develops an AI-driven platform for multi-gene editing and phenotyping to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops [4].
• RootWave — Develops electric weed control technology using high-frequency alternating current to destroy weeds down to the roots, serving as an alternative to chemical herbicides [4].
• Vivent Biosignals — Offers digital crop diagnostics with "wearables for plants" that interpret plant signals to detect stress days earlier and optimize input usage [4].
• Greenyard (Exit) — A former portfolio company and global market leader in fresh, frozen, and processed vegetables and fruit, representing a significant past investment [4].
• ViroVet (Exit) — A former portfolio company focused on developing innovative vaccines and antiviral agents for controlling viral diseases in livestock [4].
• VOCSens (Exit) — A former portfolio company developing multi-gas sensors for monitoring nitrogen emissions in agriculture accurately and affordably [4].