Investment in agriculture has been increasing in recent years, a 41% increase from 2019 to 2020, according to the 2021 Farm Tech Investment Report by AgFunder. With more interest in agricultural technologies comes more competition for investment funding. For companies looking for funding, the pitch preparation is imperative. For funders with expectations for return on their investments, the passionate pitch should only begin the process of a deeper technical review and comparison.
How thorough are your technical evaluations and the potential competition? How can an investment firm identify the best opportunities, define potential of an innovation, and have confidence the innovators have mapped an expeditious pathway to development and successful commercial launch?
“There are so many new technologies out there in the market today with so much promise,” says Jim Schultz, Managing Partner, Open Prairie and AgriThority Board of Advisors Member. “Relying on an independent, professional organization like AgriThority to manage the development process to commercialization can help investors and startups think through all the aspects of building a profitable business.”
AgriThority® works with researchers and investors to optimize their development process to successfully commercialize emerging agricultural technologies around the world. Through our technical due diligence services, we deliver an independent assessment of technology, products or companies and influencing factors. Our detailed analysis can help validate assumptions about risks and opportunities as well as adoption rates for innovation in potential markets. Also, as a confidential third-party, we can help quantify competition, compare or verify opportunities, and ensure anonymity in the early stages of investigation.
The AgriThority refined technical due diligence process executed by seasoned professionals can be simple and quick or deep and detailed as required by your team. Independent technical analysis by AgriThority may enhance the understanding of risks, opportunities and timelines for a potential investment.
“Investing in new technologies is risky,” says Gloverson Moro, Ph.D., AgriThority Chief Technology Officer. “Our team’s expertise makes AgriThority an ideal trusted advisor for the development process. We can help make sure a company’s steps are the best ones and increase the chances of success. And sometimes, those can be relatively simple choices. For instance, once a client wanted to do POC field trials as quickly as possible. Because of the type of crop and time of year, we advised the client to delay the start of that critical trial to reduce the risk of crop failure that would waste time and money. Had the trial gone ahead, it would have been a lost investment, and the trial would have been repeated later as recommended. Executed later, the study was a success, with very impressive results. But more than just generating data, we seek insights that will help build the product story in the market.”
Augment your risk assessment of technology or innovations in three ways:
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- Define technical development plan, with costs and timelines through the development stage management.
- Project realistic growth potential to full commercialization.
- Determine strengths and weaknesses of the company or technology from product and pricing to potential markets, people and perceptions; leadership and vision are paramount for success.
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Seek and Find Technology
As an agricultural resource with deep scientific expertise, AgriThority works with your team to define needs and objectives. Our international network of product development and market access specialists draw from a wealth of experience. Internally, our in-depth evaluations of more than 539 products or technologies have created an intellectual knowledge base ranging from synthetic chemistries and plant nutrition to biological controls, biostimulants and biofertilizers, as well as precision ag equipment and software. Call on us to augment your technical due diligence projects.
Technical Due Diligence services include:
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- De-risking new technologies through scientific evaluations
- Evaluation, testing, analysis and confirmation of technical positioning
- Confidential investigation in support of phased M&A initiatives
- Competitive product analysis
- Global regulatory consulting and submission strategy
- Intellectual property research
- Customer, channel and market research
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When evaluating risks and opportunities, reach out to AgriThority.
Forward-thinking agriculture experts with deep scientific experience are the core of AgriThority®. As an independent global science consultancy, we focus on exploring potential, expanding market access and evolving production for greater food security and sustainability. When your Research is ready for Development, turn to AgriThority for scientific business, market and product expertise.