Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, a Canada-based fertilizer provider named after the pagan goddess for Spring, has raised $13m from a consortium led by Wheatsheaf Investments, set up last year to invest in food water and energy technologies by UK property manager Grosvenor Estate.
This round of funding also included Fredric “Fritz” Corrigan, Ostara chairman since November, and existing investors, venture capital firms VantagePoint Capital Partners and Frog Capital.
In May last year, Ostara, which has been part of waste water manager Veolia’s innovation accelerator, raised $14.5m from VantagePoint, Frog and a group including Waste Resources Fund, a fund managed by FourWinds Capital Management. Its first public round came in September 2008 at $10.5m.
Phillip Abrary, executive president of Ostara, said: “[Wheatsheaf’s] focus on agriculture and resource efficiency, coupled with the international contacts derived from the Grosvenor group, aligns well with Ostara’s plans for future growth and success.”
Graham Ramsbottom, Wheatsheaf’s chief executive, added: “[Ostara’s] leadership in nutrient recovery, and its work in forging a new slow-release phosphorus fertilizer technology hold the promise of a truly global impact that is both environmentally responsible and economically sound.”