Amsterdam-based Rockstart, the global early-stage accelerator-VC, announced on Thursday that it has launched its second AgriFood fund.
The fund targets a final close at €50M and plans to invest in up to 50 startups within the coming five years.
The fund is backed by The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), De Hoge Dennen, and Danish Agro, amongst other new and existing backers.
Rockstart AgriFood Fund II marks the fourth fund from the VC, following launches in AgriFood (2019), Energy (2020), and Emerging Tech (2022).
The fund aims to continue supporting early-stage, purpose-driven founders scaling impactful solutions by leveraging emerging technologies and innovative business models that enhance the food supply system from soil and ocean to the gut.
This fund is currently looking for investment opportunities in regenerative solutions that can help restore soils and oceans, making them capable of capturing CO2.
It is also interested in responsible and circular innovations that can create value from wasted food while reducing food loss.
Additionally, the fund is seeking quantifiable solutions and tools that can provide consumers with better access to nutritious food that tastes good and is good for them.
Selected startups receive an initial investment and gain access to Rockstart’s tailor-made
AgriFood accelerator program, running biannually throughout spring and autumn.
The customised programme prepares startups for their next growth stages and helps them make a positive impact in the long term.
The programme includes custom early-stage sessions on fundraising, scaling, and ESG data collection and reporting, among other valuable resources preparing the founders to maximize their impact.
Rockstart AgriFood Fund II will follow-on invest into its portfolio companies, aligning with the market up to series B.
Rockstart: Empowering purpose-driven founders
Rockstart is an early-stage investor that empowers purpose-driven founders across three domains: Energy, AgriFood, and Emerging Technologies.
The company invests in early-stage startups from each of the three funds and provides access to capital, market, and expertise by connecting founders with co-investors, mentors, partners, corporates, and the wider Rockstart network.
It has invested in more than 320 startups and its alumni value to date is more than €1.3B.
Rockstart has notable exits such as Wercker, Dan.com, Hubs.Com, Bouw7, iClinic, and Brincr.
The company has offices in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Bogota.
The VC has LPs in its funds, including EIFO, family offices like De Hoge Dennen, large pension funds like APG, and corporates like Arla Foods and Eneco.
Over the years, Rockstart has co-invested alongside Balderton, EQT, Endit, Astanor, Accel, SET Ventures, AgFunder, and ForwardOne, in addition to many other VCs, informal investors, and CVCs.
“We are on a mission to empower purpose-driven founders on a global scale. Guiding startups through scaling and offering access to capital, especially in challenging markets, remains fundamental to our founder-focused ethos. We’re excited about our ongoing collaborations with partners, mentors, and stakeholders, forging impactful alliances that drive positive change across diverse domains.” states Rune Theill, CEO and Co-Founder, Rockstart.
