Ryan Rakestraw has moved from Monsanto Growth Ventures, US-based agricultural product supplier Monsanto’s corporate venturing unit, to take an associate director position at Singapore state-backed investment firm Temsasek.
Rakestraw said Temasek has had an existing agriculture business area for some time but the venture capital investment aspect was new.
Given the importance of agricultural and food related innovation needed to feed a growing global population, support better nutrition and increase the sustainability of global agricultural production, the sector has become an increasing priority for Temasek.
Rakestraw’s departure from Monsanto came ahead of an expected acquisition by Germany-based chemicals group Bayer.
Prior to joining Monsanto Growth Ventures at the start of 2015, Rakestraw had briefly been an operating partner at Yield Lab, an accelerator for early-stage agriculture technology companies, and before that associate then principal at venture capital firm Cultivation Capital.