News

Consortium to invest $100m in Israeli startups

30 May 2019

Finistere Ventures, a global agrifood investment company, OurCrowd, an Israeli venture investor, Tnuva, an Israeli food manufacturer, and Tempo Beverages, an Israeli beverage company, have announced the creation of what the companies claim is the largest consortium focused on championing FoodTech and AgTech innovation in Israel.

Centred on Israeli technologies throughout the food and beverage value chain – from alternative proteins and nutritional value improvements, to functional ingredients and supply chain efficiency – the consortium will invest up to $100m in local best-in-class agrifood startups.

The partnership was created following the Israeli government’s establishment of an innovation incubator in Northern Israel focused on FoodTech. Finistere Ventures, OurCrowd, Tnuva and Tempo Beverages will be bidding to operate the incubator being built as part of Kiryat Shemona’s planned innovation centre, to intensify their investment in the Israeli FoodTech community.

Together Finistere, OurCrowd, Tnuva, and Tempo, say they will actively encourage, support and invest in Israeli entrepreneurs building new companies to meet evolving consumer demands and transform the current ag and food chain. Thanks to the partners’ industry network, entrepreneurs will also be able to gain direct access to global food and beverage giants such as PepsiCo, Bright Food, Heineken and Nutrien.

Co-Founder and Partner at Finistere Ventures Arama Kukutai said, “Israel has become a top innovation hub in the FoodTech and AgTech arena. We are committed to expanding our local partner network and, most importantly, increasing our investment in, and support of, Israeli disruptors across the entire food and ag value chains as they look to penetrate the global market.

OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved said, “FoodTech is now one of the hottest dishes on the Israeli innovation menu. When four innovation master chefs Finistere, OurCrowd, Tnuva, and Tempo get together to cook and create the newest companies the results are going to be scrumptious.”

The consortium brings together two leading venture investors: Finistere and OurCrowd. OurCrowd, Israel’s most active venture investor, has $1B in commitments and has made investments in 170 companies and funds, including foodtech portfolio company Beyond Meat, which recently completed 2019’s most successful IPO and is currently trading at a value of over $4 billion). Finistere Ventures is a global $150 million fund dedicated to investments in agrifood technologies and supported by investors such as AVAC, Bayer, Ireland’s Strategic Investment Fund, Nutrien, PepsiCo, and Unigrains. Entrepreneurs will gain access to OurCrowd’s extensive Israeli startup power including a community of 30,000 registered investors from over 180 countries and Finistere’s global network of the leading agrifood investors, accelerators/incubators, and public research institutions. In fact, the two firms already work together in partnership with U.S.-based Radicle Growth Fund, which recently announced its intention to make seed investments in Israeli FoodTech and AgTech companies as well.