The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, a growth-stage private equity fund dedicated to providing capital to agribusiness companies throughout rural America, is the lead investor in Agrivida’s current round of financing. The first $8 million close includes $3 million from Open Prairie and participation from existing investors ARCH Venture Partners, Batios Holdings Limited, Cultivian Sandbox, Syngenta Ventures, Maschhoff’s Agricultural Holdings, and Middleland Capital.
Headquartered in Village of Four Seasons, Missouri, Agrivida is an animal health and nutrition company developing feed additives for poultry, swine, dairy and beef cattle, and aquaculture. Agrivida’s GRAINZYME®Phytase is designed to express enzymes and proteins by utilizing plants as the core manufacturing and delivery system. This technology has a favorable sustainability profile while providing increased value and profitability to producers.
The company plans to use the new funding to expand its research and development platform and advance its commercialization strategy for its GRAINZYME® Phytase technology into the global poultry and swine markets.