Activant raises $129 million in its second agtech investment fund

Commerce infrastructure and IoT-focused venture capital firm Activant Capital Group has announced the final closing of its second fund, Activant Ventures II, with $129 million in committed capital, which represents a 70 percent increase over its first fund. Ventures II has already made four investments totaling $50 million to date. The fund has a 15-year lock-up, which the firm says will enable Activant to take a longer term view on its investments.

Sees Opportunity in Agtech

The firm has indicated that Ventures II will be seeking to make investments in "companies with data-heavy business models, marketplaces, and businesses with strong network effects that utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence," including potentially related sub-sectors such as warehouse management, logistics, digital marketplaces, and agriculture technology.

Activant was a participant in Indigo Ag's recent $156 million Series D round, announced in September of 2017. According to Indigo, those funds are being used to broaden the company's product portfolio to address a wide range of environmental stresses, pests, and disease. Indigo's technology harnesses natural microbes and leverages data-based agronomic practices to increase yields even while reducing nitrogen use in agriculture.