Gullspång Re:food

Astanor brings together capital, deep sector knowledge and a strong network of entrepreneurs, impact investors, technologists, scientists, farmers, chefs, policy makers and food lovers to give rise to a future of food that is nourishing, regenerative, scalable, trusted and delicious. Mission-driven investors, from soil to gut Astanor is an impact investor, delivering financial, social and environmental returns in equal measure. We believe in the future of an agrifood system that provides affordable nutrients for 10 billion people, preserves and regenerates natural resources, actively contributes to decarbonization and protects land and ocean biodiversity. At Astanor, we are driven by a pressing urgency to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and improve the health of humanity and the planet. Sustainability and impact were part of the firm’s founding principles and remain an area we are committed to excel in. Our mission as impact investors is to find, support and scale the most disruptive, impactful solutions to accelerate progress towards global sustainability targets. Our priorities Only highly disruptive, scalable new technology guided by a deep understanding of, and respect for, nature will revolutionize the agrifood sector. Astanor is founded on the thesis that a healthy food system starts from the soil, is connected, transparent and local, nurtures diversity and grows food that is our and the environment’s best medicine. Accelerating regenerative agri/aquaculture finding innovative solutions that enable the global regenerative use of resources, soil & ocean stewardship and scalable agroecology. Connecting the value chain implementing sustainable supply chains, fair remuneration, traceability & transparency, circularity and eliminating waste. Innovating agrifood transformation processes facilitating the sustainable production of food, textiles & agriculture- based materials and restore human and planet health. Astanor’s investment process is guided by 6 principlesRegeneration: Soil is the new black. Health starts, and is sustained for the long-term for people and the planet, from fertile soil and healthy oceans. Food integrity: Insight breeds intelligence. Traceability, transparency, fair labor and supply chain practices will restore trust, decrease risk and strengthen communities. Sustainable diet: Resilience rooted in diversity. New sources of food are required to end overreliance on a few species, monoculture systems and climate-destructive diets. Fresh & delicious: Quality led innovation. New approaches are needed in distribution, packaging that preserves without polluting and urban agriculture to put great tasting food on the table. Nourishment: Food as medicine. Sustainably grown and minimally processed foods protect and promote health. Protection: Waste not, want not. Greater care and efficient use of natural capital, alongside new methods to repurpose waste, are needed to repair the planet.

Sucden Ventures is a venture capital specialist formed by Sucden in 2020 to invest in innovative early-stage growth companies in the food and agricultural sector. Sucden Ventures aims to support disruptive and impactful technologies that can transform the food supply chain in the fields of sustainability, efficiency but also health and nutrition. Sucden Ventures will take advantage of the competitive benefits offered by the Sucden network of companies and partners, built over decades across many regions, and from Sucden’s industrial and agricultural assets. SPECIALIST AREAS We're looking to support innovation and development in three specialist and growing areas of the food tech and agri tech ecosystem. They are: alternative proteins, both cell-based and plant-based alternative or new ingredients plant and crop sciences. PORTFOLIO COMPANIES Sucden Ventures has already made, and currently maintains, several direct investments in new companies innovating in the field of new ingredients. Alongside its historical partner, Continental Grain, Sucden Ventures has also made co-investments in a dozen of companies. One of which uses natural fermentation of mushrooms to create novel plant-based ingredients and transformative technology, offering solutions for sugar reduction, food insecurity, sustainable protein, natural immune support and much more. Another company looks at leveraging plant and crop sciences to offer a clean alternative to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. INVESTMENT APPROACH We make investments in relatively early-stage growth companies in the specialist sectors mentioned above, potentially anywhere in the world. We aim to be an active minority investor, looking to support our portfolio companies in: business development testing new solutions through our commercial, industrial and agricultural network growing internationally.

RPV is the $100 million corporate venture fund for Rich Products, a $4.5B family-owned food company that operates in 100+ countries and sells across a range of channels from food service to retail. Our fund invests in companies across the value chain that will shape the future of food through technology and innovation. We have investments across three core areas (1) Nutrition and Sustainability (2) Next Generation of Retail and Food Service and (3) Digitization of the supply chain. Our portfolio includes market leading companies like Future Meat (cell-based meat), The Every Company (animal-free egg proteins), Strella (food-waste reduction) and Kitchen United (ghost kitchens). We measure success on financial returns while we also seek to bring strategic insights to the broader organization. RPV is in its 5th year and we continue to be very active targeting 4-5 investment per year.

Nourish Ventures is on a mission to partner with and scale the industry trailblazers leading the food system of the future. Nourish Ventures is the corporate venture capital fund of Griffith Foods. Griffith Foods is an innovative, global, product-development company that has been solving problems in the food industry for more than 100 years. At Nourish we invest in, and partner with, innovative start-up companies that are shaping a healthy and sustainable food system. We are committed to forming partnerships with entrepreneurs who share our aspiration to blend care and creativity while nourishing the world. From smarter alternative proteins to safer ecologically-sound farming methods, it’s our mission to actualize and scale the development of tomorrow’s food system.

We believe inclusive systems innovation, which enables all people and places to participate and benefit, is essential to a strong food system that is better for everyone. With teams on the ground across Europe, we bridge the gap between countries and regions with low innovation capacity and those leading the way. And we put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food, directly involving them in the innovation process, and working with the food sector to increase transparency. Collaboration is central to all our work, which spans the whole food value chain, and is vital to meet the big challenges we face. Together with our community, we will build an innovative and resilient food system that in turn creates a healthier society and planet.

We are the corporate venture capital arm of Paulig, investing in startups that contribute to a tastier, healthier and more sustainable planet. We seek financial and societal impact in our investments, as well as a strategic link between Paulig and the startups we back. As an evergreen fund connected to a 150-year-old family-owned business, we don’t have a determined time for exit and always act in the best joint interest of the startup and investors. Our investment focus PINC was launched as Paulig Incubator in 2018 to help Paulig stay in the forefront of relevant innovations, as well as to contribute to a tastier, healthier and more sustainable planet. Today, our ambition is the same, but we have developed into a corporate venture arm. We aim for strategic, financial, and societal impact in our investments, fostering a sustainable food system for tomorrow. We are investing across the agrifood value chain in three primary impact themes: Improve planetary health and diet within the current food system: This includes innovations in agriculture and food security, such as advanced crop breeding or green fertilizers, innovative ingredients and next generation healthy foods, as well as solutions for tracking and improving climate and nature. Novel technologies to feed 10 BN people by 2050: Technologies needed to sustainably produce enough food for our growing population. This includes food production without land use change, such as precision fermentation and cell-cultivation. A circular system for food & materials: Regardless of whether we grow our food in soil or in bioreactors, the system needs to be circular. Some examples are upcycled ingredients, food from unused sources, new coating and packaging solutions, as well as technologies to prevent or make better use of side streams. We are looking for entrepreneurs in an attractive market space with an intrinsic drive to find a solution to the problem they are addressing, a clear and scalable plan for success, a complimentary team and partners whom we can trust and work closely with. We value collaboration and are proactively working with building strong investment syndicates, in which we’re flexible in our role as co-investor, co-lead, or lead investor, if there is a strong strategic link. As a corporate venture capital and evergreen fund, we always act in the best joint interest of the startup and investors. Investment criteriaPre-seed & seed Entry ticket €200k-€1M Focus on the Nordics & Europe Strategic link to Paulig preferred Flexible in the role as co-investor, co-lead, or lead investor Our offer We’re a value driven team with financial, operational, and strategic experience and capabilities. We have a hands-on approach and support founders when needed or actively through board roles. Our extensive Nordic and European network of investors and innovation-enablers can help to accelerate development and scale-up efforts. Moreover, PINC serves as an entryway to Paulig for collaborations, consumer insights, expert guidance in brand and product development, and access to a vast European sales and distribution network.