Tenacious Ventures portfolio

Welcoming Adam Taylor to Tenacious: Q&A

Q&A introducing Adam Taylor, Tenacious Ventures' new insights lead, covering his engineering and consulting background, his interest in agrifood, and plans to expand the advisory offering.

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Tenacious Ventures explains why it led Agovor's $3 million pre-seed round alongside Hort Innovation, profiling the startup's compact autonomous farm tractors, founders, new chief executive, and grower savings.

Also AgFunderNews

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Tenacious Ventures' 2025 impact report notes Fund II's first close is complete, describes environmental outcomes delivered by portfolio companies, and outlines its ecosystem, education and advisory activity.

Making underwater forestry scalable and sustainable, with Andrew Morgan

Podcast chat in which Hydrowood cofounder Andrew Morgan recounts salvaging timber from a flooded Tasmanian lake and the search for backers, alongside his job leading SFM's plantation estate work.

The realities of winding up an agtech app, with Nikki Davey

Podcast episode in which Grown Not Flown founder Nikki Davey reflects on shutting down her flower-marketplace app, covering scaling struggles, investor challenges and the personal toll of a startup's end.

Also Startup Daily

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Tenacious Ventures interviews Bilberry founder Guillaume Jourdain on building the spot-spraying business for sale: its 2021 bridge round, disciplined valuation, and 2022 acquisition by Trimble.

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Tenacious Ventures introduces Dr. Madeline Mitchell, an agricultural scientist previously at Breakthrough Victoria and Food Agility, as its new investment principal, discussing deep tech, agrifood innovation and climate science.

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Show notes for a Tenacious Ventures podcast episode in which Farmhand Ventures founder Connie Bowen discusses alternative agtech funding models such as redeemable equity; the firm also advertises open staff roles.

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Podcast episode in which Farm Health Guardian's chief executive recounts combining his livestock biosecurity business with a complementary rival, covering the decision process and the opportunities the combination created.

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Tenacious Ventures' podcast episode interviews Azaneo founder and CEO Liam Hescock about the startup's electrical weed-killing technology for farms.

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Tenacious Ventures' 2024 impact report celebrates portfolio progress in agri-food, notes a first close of Fund II and over $50M under management, and recaps its ecosystem and thought-leadership work.

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Podcast episode introduction from Tenacious Ventures featuring Nbryo CEO Gerard Davis on his path to the startup and livestock genetics as climate work.

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Tenacious unpacks its podcast conversation with Kilimo founder Jairo Trad on how the irrigation startup found a workable model by paying growers for saved water, with large corporates as customers.

The Many Faces of Farm Security with John Hill

Tenacious Ventures interviews Land Watch Australia co-founder John Hill about the farm security space in Australia, covering remote monitoring for theft, bushfire detection and property marketing.

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Tenacious Ventures reflects on attending the evokeAG conference in Perth, discussing climate adaptation in farming, weed resistance to AI detection, women in agtech, and its own plans for a second fund.

Getting into the Weeds: AI, Computer Vision, and the Future of Non-Chemical Weeding

Tenacious Ventures podcast discussion in which Matthew Pryor, Azaneo's chief executive and a weed scientist weigh herbicide-free weed control, from resistance and regulatory pressure to electric and robotic tools.

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Tenacious Ventures' investment note explains its backing of Nbryo, an Australian startup speeding genetic improvement in beef and dairy via embryo technologies, and notes research funding from MLA and the Gates Foundation.

Reflecting as Nowadays, a Tenacious Portfolio Company, Winds Up Operations

Tenacious Ventures discusses the shutdown of its portfolio company Nowadays, a plant-based whole-cut meat manufacturer, in a podcast conversation with founder Max Elder and general partners Matthew Pryor and Sarah Nolet.

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Tenacious Ventures' analysis says farm autonomy is entering a more practical second phase, citing Guardian Ag's drone deployment for Wilbur-Ellis and its portfolio company SwarmFarm's self-refilling sprayer feature.

Investment Notes: Azaneo

Tenacious Ventures explains why it led a pre-seed round for weed-control startup Azaneo, with Agfunder and IP Group investing, and describes the company's chemical-free pulsed electric field technology.

Also AgFunderNews

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Tenacious Ventures' analysis of vertical farming's boom and collapses, announcing its backing of Phyllome, founded by Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin, as its eleventh investment.

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Is vertical farming dead? With Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin from Phyllome

Podcast episode from Tenacious Ventures interviewing Phyllome's founder about whether vertical farming still holds value after heavy funding and prominent collapses.

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Tenacious Ventures invites readers to follow its series sharing fundraising experiences while its second fund is being raised, and welcomes enquiries from those interested in investing in Fund II.

Electrifying the Farm with David Meyers of GridTractor

Tenacious Ventures podcast episode interviewing GridTractor founder and CEO David Meyers on whether farm-level electrification is approaching a turning point as electric machinery improves and farming operations change.

Investment Notes: Phyllome

An investor note explaining Tenacious Ventures' decision to back Phyllome, whose capital-efficient modular indoor farms grow leafy greens at lower cost than vertical-farming rivals.

Also Tenacious Ventures portfolio

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Tenacious Ventures writes that it has co-led a pre-seed investment in Queensland coatings startup Earthodic, joined by Investible, Twynam Group and Closed Loop Partners, profiling its recyclable paper coating Paperbarc.

Also Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany

On-Farm Food Loss and Beyond with Sarah Hulick and Olympia Yarger

Tenacious Ventures wraps up its food waste podcast series with an episode on losses at the farm, featuring academic Sarah Hulick and Goterra chief executive Olympia Yarger.

Impact is in our DNA: Our Theory of Change

The impact investor explains the framework it uses to keep its food, agriculture and climate investments aligned with its goals, and credits team members as it works toward a second fund.

Don't Go Chasing (only) Unicorns

An agtech venture firm argues deeptech startups can deliver venture-grade returns: technical breakthroughs unlock industrial demand, while debt and project finance limit dilution, so outsized unicorns need not be the only target.

Can Molecular Farming Replace Cows with Crops? with Amos Palfreyman of Miruku

Tenacious Ventures' podcast talks with Miruku chief executive Amos Palfreyman about growing milk proteins inside modified crops, weighing what the technique could offer agriculture against the hurdles it faces.

Fundraising Out Loud #9: Type 2 Fun...draising

Tenacious Ventures reflects on the emotional grind of raising its second fund, noting progress ahead of the previous raise, and invites prospective investors and agrifood founders to make contact.

Fundraising Out Loud #8: frontiers beyond food, fiber, and fuel

Tenacious Ventures outlines the opportunity areas it is exploring in agriculture, such as novel plant uses, on-farm energy and plastic alternatives, and invites enquiries about backing its second fund.

Fundraising Out Loud #7: ESG vs Impact Investing

Tenacious Ventures reflects on contrasting investor views of ESG versus impact investing, argues agriculture holds commercial impact opportunities, and invites LPs and agri-food founders to connect while its second fund raise continues.

Fundraising Out Loud #3: Robots, reconnecting with my “why”, and tips for keeping confidence high

A Tenacious Ventures blog post reflects on staying confident while raising Fund II after visiting portfolio company SwarmFarm Robotics, and shares tactics for maintaining morale during fundraising.

Fundraising Out Loud #2: It’s not you, it’s me - getting clear on fundraising personas

Tenacious Ventures reflects on a pitch that went badly while raising its first fund and lays out three investor types it tailors its story to as it raises its second.

Fundraising Out Loud #1: We’re fundraising for Tenacious Ventures Fund II, out loud

Tenacious Ventures opens its raise for a second agri-food tech fund targeting $70 million, and looks back at the hard, oversubscribed close of its first fund.

The Three Categories of Autonomy in Agriculture, with Andrew Bate, SwarmFarm Robotics

Podcast episode where SwarmFarm Robotics co-founder and CEO Andrew Bate outlines three emerging categories of agricultural autonomy; the publisher discloses it is an investor in the company.

Investment Notes: Jupiter Ionics

Tenacious Ventures' investment note on its participation in Jupiter Ionics' AUD 2.5 million seed round; the startup develops carbon-neutral ammonia production using technology invented at Monash University.

Investment Notes: Geora

Tenacious Ventures' investment note explains why it led agrifood blockchain platform Geora's AUD 1.5 million seed round alongside NAB Ventures and Flying Fox Ventures, its ninth investment.

Also AgFunderNews·Startup Daily

We Built an AgTech VC — what did we learn?

Tenacious Ventures' co-founders reflect on three years running Australia's first agrifood tech VC, describing their oversubscribed $35 million first fund, sector-focused thesis, and lessons about backing founders.

Investment Notes: Regrow

Tenacious Ventures' investment note explains its backing of Regrow's US$17 million Series A alongside Cargill, covering Regrow's agricultural MRV technology, its FluroSense platform, and its formation from the FluroSat-Dagan merger.

Also AgFunderNews·Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews·Forbes Australia

Biologicals and chemistry: finding ways to commercialize the science

Tenacious Ventures podcast episode in which the chief executives of Enko Chem and RapidAIM discuss turning published scientific research into commercially viable agricultural technology companies.

We’re hiring a Flywheel Operator…is it you?

Agthentic Group is seeking a 'Flywheel Operator' to run and grow the media platform backing its agtech advisory and investing activities.

Investment Notes: RapidAIM

Tenacious Ventures announces its fifth investment, backing RapidAIM, a Brisbane pest-analytics company spun out of CSIRO, alongside prior backer Main Sequence Ventures. The post profiles the startup's sensor platform, market, and founding team.

Also AgFunderNews·Cut Through Venture

Investment Notes: VOW

Tenacious Ventures' investment note explains why it joined a US$6 million round in Vow, a Sydney cellular agriculture startup creating new meat categories, alongside Square Peg Capital, Blackbird Ventures and Grok Ventures.

Investment Notes: Swarm Farm Robotics

Tenacious Ventures' investment memo on SwarmFarm Robotics, the agricultural robotics startup it co-backed with a A$4.5 million round, covering the SwarmBot platform, founders Andrew and Jocie Bate, and traction on Australian farms.

Also AgFunderNews·Cut Through Venture

Investment Notes: Goterra

Tenacious Ventures' first investment note describes co-leading insect-farming waste startup Goterra's $8 million Series A with Grok Ventures, profiling founder Olympia Yarger and the company's modular food-waste technology.

Also AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Women's Agenda·globalaginvesting.com·Forbes Australia

Ep 57 Fee Turner and Lee Coleman on being farmers and agtech founders

Podcast episode with farmers Fee Turner and Lee Coleman on juggling farming and their agtech ventures; both were selected for the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp accelerator.

Meet two of the farmer-led startups in the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp

Podcast episode with two Australian farmer founders whose agtech ventures joined the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp accelerator, discussing their businesses and how farming compares with building a startup.

Australia’s place at the Global Table

Tenacious Ventures' blog post reflects on Australia's agrifood tech strengths after Melbourne's Global Table event, citing FluroSat's fundraise, AgDNA's sale to CNH, Data Farming's accelerator placement, and local capital opportunities.

Also AgFunderNews

Episode 38: Angus Street, AuctionsPlus

Podcast episode featuring AuctionsPlus CEO Angus Street in conversation with Sarah Nolet at the Sydney AgTech Meetup, covering the livestock platform's growth, culture and his path to the chief executive role.

Australia Needs an AgTech VC — So We’re Building One

A founder announces joining AgThentic as a partner and co-founding Tenacious Ventures, a new agri-food venture firm, while recalling an earlier agtech company, Observant, and its acquisition by Jain.

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2017: the year agtech hit the mainstream

A year-end reflection on Australian agtech's 2017 rise, covering FluroSat's investment round, several startups' funding totals, SproutX's first accelerator cohort, Observant's acquisition, and the author's hopes for 2018.

Also Tenacious Ventures portfolio·Cotton Research and Development Corporation·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews

Global AgTech and Opportunities for Australia

A review of global agtech investment trends and Australia's growing ecosystem, recalling 2016 sector figures plus recent local milestones: an accelerator and venture fund launch, an acquisition, and a large raise.

Also Virescent Ventures·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews·evokeag.com·AgFunderNews

The Most Successful Agtech Startup You’ve Never Heard Of

Profile of Agworld, a farm management platform founded in 2009, covering its agronomist-focused go-to-market, data rules of engagement, investor relationships, and its recalled $1.5 million Series A led by Yuuwa Capital.