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Dutch investment firm Rockstart has launched its second agriculture and food-focused fund, EU-Startups reported last week.
AgriFood Fund II will finance early-stage startups focused on the food supply system. It will seek investments in technologies that improve soils and consumer access to nutritious foods.
Selected startups will gain access to Rockstart’s AgriFood accelerator programme, which runs in spring and autumn. The programme is designed to prepare startups for future growth stages while providing scaling, fundraising and ESG data sessions.
The fund is targeting a final close of $53.9m and will seek to invest in 50 startups in the next five years. AgriFood Fund II is backed by corporations such as Danish Agro, a supplier to farms, and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark.
Rockstart’s other LPs include corporates such Arla Foods, the Denmark-based dairy company, and natural gas supplier Eneco.
Rockstart AgriFood Fund II is the fourth fund created by Rockstart. Previous funds include Rockstart AgriFood Fund I, Rockstart Energy Fund and Rockstart Emerging Tech Fund. Rockstart AgriFood Fund I was founded in 2019 and invested in 50 startups including Beyond Leather Materials, Cordulus and Orderlion.