AgFunder Provides Renowned Meals and Ag Banker and Innovation Head Manuel Gonzalez as Partner

SAN FRANCISCO–(Enterprise WIRE)–Feb 2, 2021–

AgFunder, the leading foodtech and agtech venture capital company, is fired up to announce that previous Rabobank innovation head Manuel Gonzalez has joined as Husband or wife.

Gonzalez joins founding companions Michael Dean and Rob Leclerc in taking care of AgFunder’s increasing quantity of foodtech and agtech funds, and will just take the lead on fundraising for the firm’s Fund IV afterwards this calendar year.

Most not too long ago, Gonzalez served as Worldwide Head of Food & Ag Startup Innovation for Rabobank, a single of the world’s foremost agrifood-targeted money companies providers. Throughout that time, he introduced the bank’s startup innovation platforms FoodBytes! and TERRA. Gonzalez also served as Controlling Director and Normal Supervisor of Rabobank West Coastline in the US, in cost of operating with corporate clientele, and Basic Supervisor of Rabobank Mexico.

In advance of joining Rabobank, Gonzalez was the founder and CEO of González Guzmán Alimentos, a yogurt and sour cream creation and distribution corporation in his property town of Guadalajara, Mexico. He has an MBA from Georgetown College, Washington DC.

“I could not be extra excited about joining AgFunder. I met Rob and Michael in 2015 and I was promptly drawn to what they were being setting up and the substantial influence they’d already experienced on constructing the agrifoodtech ecosystem globally,” claims Gonzalez. “They’ve crafted a wonderful group that’s talent-deep, not approach-deep it’s a team built to do extraordinary matters, like the founders we again. They had been also ahead of the curve in knowing the energy of media and engineering to develop the enterprise capital organization of the upcoming together with just a handful of other visionary VCs these types of as a16z.”

“Bringing Manuel into the AgFunder loved ones was actually just a issue of time,” states Dean. “And whilst we are fortunate to acquire a companion with Manuel’s skill established and track record in meals and agriculture, it is the person we are gaining that is most exciting.”

“Bringing a husband or wife on to your crew is like a marriage, and Michael and I are lucky that we got to know Manuel as each a close friend and advisor around the earlier 6 years,” states Leclerc. “Where Michael has a law and environmental qualifications and myself science and engineering, Manuel brings a rare foodstuff and ag finance history overseeing billions in AUM that actually can help finish the partnership.”

Foodtech and agtech enterprise cash has been a resilient asset class in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic and financial investment in the place grew all over again in 2020 to history-breaking levels, according to AgFunder details. Having said that, the world wide pandemic did emphasize several weaknesses in the global foods source chain, underlining the relevance of new systems and innovation to construct a sector healthy for the foreseeable future.

“Foodtech and agtech have become component of the zeitgeist. Whether or not it is substitute protein, food as medicine, supply and logistics, or carbon reduction, foodtech and agtech is going to be a important financial investment concept around the upcoming pair of decades,” provides Leclerc.

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About AgFunder

AgFunder is one of the world’s most lively foodtech and agtech VCs. Master extra: agfunder.com

View supply variation on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/residence/20210202005935/en/

Get hold of: Media speak to:

Louisa Burwood-Taylor

Head of Media & Research, AgFunder

[email protected]

+44 7940 501310

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PUB: 02/02/2021 12:12 PM/DISC: 02/02/2021 12:12 PM

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