O'Leary Ventures’ Post

My heart was pounding all morning knowing this news would go live. But I was struggling to figure out why. Was I nervous that the angle would be somehow negative?  Was I afraid that our transparency in sharing our fundraising "out loud" would be twisted against us?  Was I just excited? I tried to meditate. To journal. But I couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me. I didn't want to celebrate. Sure, hitting first close, especially in current conditions, is huge.  I'm proud of this milestone.  I'm thrilled to be welcoming so many new and returning investors to Fund II.  And I'm super excited about what it means for our mission at Tenacious. My hands were shaking because celebrating feels inauthentic when we have so much more work to do. Not just more money to raise ("always be raising!" is just a fact) or more to prove. More IMPACT to be had. More companies solving climate challenges in agri-food to fund and support. With this framing clear in my head, and the mission front and center, I could ask myself: well, what would feel authentic? That's easy! It feels good, fantastic even, to celebrate the impact we've already helped to catalyze. RapidAIM Pty Ltd launching game-changing products to optimize pesticide use, and deploying on farms in several countries with some of the biggest players in their space. GOTERRA proving out their first-in-the-world model and vision - again and again - with new partners like the City of Sydney and Skretting. SwarmFarm Robotics bots farming over 4 million acres fully autonomously and sending their first robot to the US. Cutting input costs and improving farmer's lives. Jupiter Ionics announcing world-leading scientific breakthroughs in green ammonia, championing a new future for green fertilizer. We don't just back software companies. We don't just back men. We never compromise on impact or commercial ambition. The sacrifices these teams have made to bring their visions to life - not just on paper where valuations are calculated but in the lab, on the field, in the shed... in the real world! - is what I want to celebrate. Systems-change is never linear, never easy, never without cost. But it's what we urgently need to combat the multi-billion dollar realities facing our agri-food system. And more challenges are coming. It's going to get harder, more complex. We couldn't back these companies without the support of our investors. So, here's to first close. Here's to being Tenacious and backing Tenacious founders. And let's keep building. https://lnkd.in/gmWsJR_H Tenacious Ventures J. Matthew Pryor Vela Georgiev Simon Uzcilas

We are delighted to announce the successful close of Sandwater's first early-stage venture fund at 1.4bn NOK (€125m)!   In starting Sandwater, we recognized that while there is good access to capital early on, a gap remains when technologies are to be scaled from pilot to commercial scale. This gap is especially prevalent for climate and health innovations, which often require more capital-intensive developments.   To help tackle this challenge, we were pleased to bring on board multiple international institutional investors, including the European Investment Fund (EIF), First Swedish National Pension Fund Första AP-fonden (AP1), and LGT Private Banking, alongside the Norwegian climate fund Nysnø Climate Investments, Investinor, family offices of Canica and Lærdal, and many other experienced private equity investors in the Nordics.     ☑️ doubled the target ☑️ 60% from institutional investors ☑️ 50% from international investors   Having kicked off 2024 with a bang, we can’t wait to see what further exciting companies we can partner with from here! Link to our full announcement below.   Tom Even Mortensen Kristian Melhuus Morten E. Iversen Torkel Engeness Morten Korsveien Katherine Mellis Adele Unneberg

Venture Capital News - Venture Capital News Headlines

Hot off the press: Investment Insights for the Insect Industry This report is a tool for venture capital investors assessing which insect companies are most likely to become great businesses. Why? Following ClimateWeekNYC in September, I was discussing with a sector-specialist VC in New York, sharing insights I learned from building the company INSEACT. We noted that the insect industry discourse among venture capital investors, in social media, and at industry events has become an echo chamber leading most well-funded companies onto converging tracks toward similar (and risky!) strategies. He suggested I crack this wide open. I want to see the industry succeed, so I am making this available to download for free. #VC #investorinsights #insectindustry #bsf #sustainability #netzerogoals #alternativeprotein

➡️ Goodwater Capital successfully raises $1 billion across two new funds, as revealed in an exclusive report. ➡️ The achievement comes despite a broader decline in investor interest in consumer tech. ➡️ The venture capital firm's ability to secure substantial funding highlights its strong reputation and investor confidence. ➡️ The funds are expected to fuel Goodwater Capital's investments in promising startups and innovative technologies. ➡️ This impressive feat signifies the continued attractiveness of certain investment opportunities in the technology sector, even amidst a cooling interest in consumer-focused ventures. #news #technology #funding #goodwater

One of the things I'm most inspired by is the rise of new partnerships and new models of investing in social impact. The TS/28 x Una Terra Venture Capital Fund collab is one of them - check out my recent Forbes interview with Rupen Desai below. #conspiracyoflove #goodisthenewcool #thepowerofpurpose #makenosmallplans

What an exciting move by Pollination! Partnering with QIC and wealthy families to invest in climate ventures marks a significant step forward in sustainable finance. I can't wait to see the positive impacts and opportunities this will create for startups, scaleups and our planet! https://lnkd.in/gxJHtXCE

👩🌾 🐂 🌍 🍃 Venture capital is an important tool to scale regenerative farming - I ask Simon Evill from Pelican Ag what VC actually is and how he chooses what projects to invest in? #venturecapital #investment #regenerativefarming #regenag #scalingregen Christopher Ramsay, Richard Firth, Nofence, Miraterra Inc.

Venture capital might seem like a conversation reserved for swanky boardrooms, but the reality is, it holds immense potential for agriculture. Here are 6 ways to profit from Agri-Tech venture capital investment: READ MORE >> https://lnkd.in/d5wMt2NV.

Cultiv8 Funds Management Partners Malcolm Nutt and Jonathon Quigley took centre stage at the recent SparkLabs Cultiv8 2023 Showcase, to discuss the evolution of their venture capital fund, born out of an undeniable opportunity to offer additional capital to promising companies. They delved into the symbiotic relationship between the accelerator program and the venture fund, underscoring how this integrated strategy adds significant value to investors, entrepreneurs, and the agri-food tech ecosystem. By fostering collaborative partnerships with industry leaders and emerging start-ups, their approach offers a distinctive vantage point on the sector's challenges and opportunities, all while ensuring a robust pipeline of attractive investment prospects for the fund. In collaboration with Fidante, Cultiv8 Funds Management offer a pathway to invest in agriculture and food technology. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gHxgZ3yC