Natural Ventures, an impact-focused venture capital fund centred on global food and water security, has announced the close of its inaugural $100m fund.
It was shared that the fund selected Abu Dhabi and the ADGM as its headquarters due to the region’s “strategic importance” in food and water.
Indeed, the announcement comes against a backdrop of the recent launch of the AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) cluster, led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).
Expected to result in USD 34 billion of investment by 2045, the cluster is focused on global efforts to tackle food shortages and water scarcity, aiming to become a hub for novel food and ingredients.
Natural Ventures Fund I launches with an initial portfolio of four technology companies, including Active Membranes, Brevel, Constellr, and N-Drip.
Anchor investors include Helm AG of Germany, Chemovateq, a Swiss-based family office, and a strategic UAE investor, while the fund also has strategic partnerships with two global sector specialists, AgBioScout, and Isle Utilities.
Mark Jenkins, a Managing Partner of Natural Ventures, commented: “As an impact-driven team, Natural Ventures welcomes our exceptionally strong strategic investors and leading AgTech and water industry partners to our collaborative investment model.
“Our combined strengths and alignment of purpose are striking as we look to invest in exceptional management teams with innovative solutions to solve global issues of water and food security. We look forward to working together to support our portfolio companies.”