Rethinking Funding Models for AgTech Innovation

​SFTW and AgTech Alchemy is excited to bring you this interesting conversation with folks who have thought deeply about the traditional venture model for AgTech.

​The traditional venture capital model, built on 7-10 year cycles and unicorn-or-bust outcomes, has undeniably fueled innovation. But for AgTech, an industry rooted in human labor, biology/chemistry, mechanization, and lately software, is it the right tool for the job? How can we fund the technologies needed to solve a true labor crisis and build a more equitable food system?

​This mismatch demands a new conversation, moving beyond standard equity financing to explore more flexible, durable, and human-centric capital strategies.

Join us for an in-depth webinar featuring Steve Sprieser, a proponent of the "merchant banking" model for venture capital, and Connie Bowen, the founding General Partner at Farmhand Ventures. Steve is an investor in life sciences, agriculture, and health, and was the founder and CEO of Petrichor. Connie is a pioneering investor actively implementing a "people-first" thesis, focusing on startups that solve critical farm labor challenges, exploring alternative funding models like redeemable equity and promoting social equity alongside profitability.

​*By registering for the webinar you agree to be added as a free subscriber to the Software is Feeding the World newsletter and will receive an invite to join the AgTech Alchemy Slack Channel