Omnivore to look at different investment themes

Omnivore, an agritech venture capital firm, is eyeing investments in agri fintech, biotech, and logistics startups. The firm also intends to invest in startups in Indonesia and Vietnam, said Subhadeep Sanyal, Partner at Omnivore.

The firm sees the investment themes as untapped sectors that are not popularly explored by startups to provide solutions for. Sanyal told BusinessLine, “Agri-financing is an interesting area where startups can create products and value given that the lack of formal and adequate financing in Indian agrarian economy.” 

As not many companies have created bio-tech solutions for the Indian agriculture sector, the firm is looking at fundamental science-driven companies with strong research and development that could bring in non-chemical but effective inputs and vaccine solutions that mitigate risks. Similarly, agri-logistics too is a sector the firm is interested in as it is an untapped space where startups can offer solutions, he added. 

Additionally, the fund intends to invest in startups outside India. “We may selectively look at doing 5-10 per cent of our deals outside India but in similar geographies. We are exploring to invest in other economies with small holder farming structures, such as Vietnam and Indonesia,” Sanyal said. 

Omnivore’s current fund is of $97 million that was closed in 2019. The fund plans to invest in 30-35 startups over the next 3-4 years and to close its next fund of approximately $150-200 million by the end of the year, according to Sanyal. 

The sector specific fund is an early stage investor and has invested in over 35 startups so far. Omnivore’s current investment themes are farmer platforms and fintech, B2B agri marketplaces, farm-to-consumer brands, precision agriculture, post harvest technologies, and agrifood life sciences. 

Published on

September 25, 2022