The Nest News
In May, The Nest welcomed our newest colleague, Eva Somers. Eva brings our team tech-savvy experience working as a Senior Associate Consultant with Bain Capital in Brussels with previous experience at DEME.
Nutrient Density and Agriculture
In the third week of May, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on “Food is Medicine,” examining the potential for better nutrition to reduce healthcare costs. There is also growing traction for the idea of “Nutrition Smart Agriculture,” first promoted by the World Bank since 2018.
While this concept seems new compared to the now-mainstream phrase “Climate Smart Agriculture,” at The Nest, and within our portfolio, the idea that healthier soil grows healthier food is nothing new. We’ve long-recognized climate and nutrition are two positive outcomes of regenerative agriculture. But it is rewarding to see the awareness growing among policymakers.
Eric Smith of Edacious is one of the voices building the conversation on nutrient density and agriculture practices. Smith is featured in the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast series Nutrient Density in Food. The series includes episodes with thought leaders like Anne Biklé and David Montgomery, authors of What Your Food Ate, and Fred Provenza, and covers nutrition from seed to plate.
This month’s portfolio updates highlight how The Nest’s investments help build an agriculture system that supports nutrient density, builds soil health, and reduces reliance on chemical inputs.
Portfolio Updates
Agricarbon
Agricarbon is helping quantify UK research farm FAI’s transition to regenerative grazing practices. Agricarbon helped the farm establish a baseline for soil carbon, sampling to one meter depth. FAI began rotational grazing practices with their herd and plans to test the soils again in 2026. Their goal includes establishing standards for landholders in lease agreements that include soil quality management during the lease tenure.
Agricarbon is one of the 13 growth stage companies joining the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2024 programme. The partnership between Unreasonable Impact and Barclays aims to foster entrepreneurship and build a green economy.
Propagate
Location may be everything for real estate, but it is also valid for trees. This month, Propagate launched its Tree Suitability Tool to help farmers and landowners identify the “right trees in the right places for the right reason.” Simply type in a location and see the tree species best suited for the acreage, crop information, and the underlying methodology that informed tree selections. Try the tool for yourself.
Trace Genomics
Overuse of nitrogen fertilizer is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and water quality issues. This spring, Trace Genomics launched its new tool TraceN. The tool is a first-of-its kind management tool, connecting soil biology data to nitrogen fertility product placement. The data linkage will help farmers make smarter decisions on fertilizer application, reducing both the use of pesticides and inputs needed and the impact on the environment.
Omnivore
Omnivore investment Niqo Robotics closed a $13 million (Rs 109 crore) Series B funding round for Niqo Sense, its AI-powered spot-spraying technology. The technology integrates with existing agricultural equipment to enable precision use of agricultural chemicals, reducing risks to farm workers and the ecosystem.
Omnivore was also featured in a Financial Times article covering India’s impact investing ecosystem, where venture capital funds comprise 85 percent of private impact funding.
Media and Events
Astanor Ventures
Laure Peronnin, Impact Associate for Astanor Ventures, shared their innovative impact valuation model at the 2024 edition of Funds for Change during the ChangeNOW summit. In May, Astanor also welcomed Peter Eckes as Operational Partner.
Chemin 28 at Domaine de Graux
Domaine de Graux also announced that Farm Manager Marie Delvaulx will be speaking at the Chemin 28 event to be held at the farm September 5-7. This year’s theme is fittingly “Humus and Human: At the Roots of the Living Economy.” Learn more about this 48-hour immersive event designed to foster innovative leadership.
Opportunities
· Walden Mutual is hiring for Commercial Lender and Partner Experience Associate roles
· Edacious is hiring for Head of Food Science & Technology and Spectroscopy Lead (Principal Scientist, Applications Specialist) roles
· Monarch Tractor has 19 job openings including roles in Engineering, Director of Program Management, and Partnership Manager
· Omnivore’s portfolio has 195 job openings across 34 companies
· Trace Genomics has six roles open in Sales, Lab Operations, and Customer Success
From the Farm
In May, Le Courrier de l'Escaut highlighted Domaine de Graux and the farm’s focus on agroecology. You can view the article (in French) on the Domaine de Graux LinkedIn page. The farm will host a Family Day event on June 2, welcoming the community for a day of fun, food, and learning about sustainable agriculture.