NEW CANADIAN VENTURE FUND TAKES AIM AT FOOD INSECURITY

Founding investments from Farm Credit Canada and Natural Products Canada to drive pursuit of sustainable biotech

HALIFAX, NS, Sept. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - As the impacts of food insecurity and climate change persist, a sustainable, homegrown biotechnology sector will be key to a sustainable and resilient economy in the coming years. It's with these challenges in mind that Nàdarra Ventures, a new Canadian venture capital fund at the forefront of investing in sustainable biotechnology for food, agriculture, and materials, today announced its launch with founding investments of $20 million from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Natural Products Canada (NPC), and family offices across the country.

"Food insecurity and challenges related to sustainability are hitting consumers hard, both in Canada and around the world. There's an urgent need to scale sustainable biotechnologies that take aim at environmentally friendly agricultural practices, including the carbon footprint of food, water, and packaging supply chains," said Malcolm Fraser, managing partner, Nàdarra Ventures. "The global demand for these solutions has created a USD$1 trillion market opportunity ? one that we believe Canadian entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to capture."

"Our vision is a future where biotechnology plays a pivotal role in advancing human health and nutrition, sustainable bioproducts, animal health, plant science, waste and water treatment," adds Mary Dimou, general partner, Nàdarra Ventures. "We believe in the immense potential of biotechnology to tackle the most pressing challenges facing our world today through meticulously validated scientific innovation."

Nàdarra is the result of years of work by NPC, a national innovation cluster for biotech companies, to support the growth and scale of Canada's bio and agricultural technology sectors. The relationship with NPC provides Nàdarra access to a pre-vetted pipeline of companies through their national team of regional directors.

"NPC is fortunate to work with some of the world's leading companies tackling the world's biggest challenges," says Shelley King, CEO, NPC. "These companies were the inspiration for our initial investments, and ultimately led to the foundation of Nàdarra. We are proud of our role in this important new Canadian investment fund, and look forward to seeing the results of its tremendous investment opportunities."

A $50M seed/series A fund investing solely in Canadian companies, Nàdarra will leverage its founders' direct experience in the agriculture technology ecosystem to support its portfolio's long-term sustainable growth within the Canadian biotechnology and agricultural sectors.

"FCC is pleased to be a founding investor in Nàdarra Ventures' pursuit of sustainable biotechnology that will drive solutions to help solve some of the food security and environmental challenges the world faces," said Rebbecca Clarke, vice president of FCC's venture capital program. "We see this as an investment in the long-term health and vitality of the Canadian agriculture and food industry and look forward to seeing what bright, innovative Canadian entrepreneurs develop, grow and scale because of the investment and support they receive from this fund."

Nàdarra Ventures is a privately managed venture capital fund positioned at the forefront of investing in sustainable biotechnology for agriculture, food, and materials with a mission to improve the health of both people and planet. Its investment team brings award-winning entrepreneurial, venture investment and scientific innovation expertise to identify, invest in and support the leading agricultural biotechnology companies in Canada. Its founder-friendly team holds deep sector expertise and a broad network of value-added resources to help companies achieve the global impact they aim to deliver.

SOURCE Nadarra Ventures