Regenerative Food Systems Investment and The First Thirty are excited to announce the opening of applications to the 2024 RFSI Forum Pitch Session: Solutions to Accelerate Regeneration. Early-stage companies working on solutions that support the adoption and scaling of regenerative food systems can apply for one of four finalist spots to take the stage at the October Forum to be held in Denver on Oct. 9-10.the
Regeneration and the Role of Technological Innovation
Regenerative agriculture practices and systems can lead to beneficial outcomes for farmers, the supply chain, consumers, and investors, while also addressing climate change, soil, water and environmental degradation, and the declining nutritional quality of food. While adoption of regenerative practices, such as cover cropping and no-till farming, has increased significantly in the past 5 years, the percentage of overall farmland in the US dedicated to regenerative practices remains low. The same can be said for the transition to regenerative post farmgate – there is not yet enough capacity in the form of dedicated supply chains.
While these numbers are expected to continue to grow, many argue it’s just not fast or urgent enough for the depth of crises facing global populations – to which our current systems for producing, processing, moving, selling and consuming food is a major contributor. Wholesale systems change is needed, and needed at an accelerated rate.
Innovative technology and solutions need to be part of this effort. Technological innovation can play a key role in enabling and accelerating the adoption of regenerative agriculture and food systems. These solutions can look very different – from managed grazing technologies to nature-based, biological products that can replace synthetic chemical inputs, to supply chain technology that opens markets for regenerative farmers, to tools that help measure and report outcomes like biodiversity on the farm, to many more – all of which help stakeholders adapt to new systems that are otherwise unfamiliar, risky, and even unadoptable.
UK-based venture capital investors, The First Thirty, whose goal is to regenerate 30 million hectares by 2030, supports early-stage tech companies regenerating the planet. Naeem Lakhani, founding partner at The First Thirty, explains that technological innovations can work to harmonize human activity with Earth’s natural processes to drive positive outcomes for all stakeholders. This, they believe, is the largest economic and ecological opportunity of our lifetimes.
“These innovations,” he explains, “will come from startups that are thought leaders who make us more efficient and less extractive. They use technology, data and intelligence to understand the value of nature and will drive the rewiring of our interactions with agrifood systems to be more productive, equitable and regenerative, ultimately unlocking the economic value of improving our interactions with nature.”
The Importance of Capital at the Early Stages
Despite the importance of viable new solutions and tools to accelerate transition, capital (or lack of it) can often serve as a barrier. Capital is an essential lever to both de-risk the innovation process and to facilitate and finance the development of new ideas and solutions. This is especially true early in the innovation process and in relatively new sectors.
“Innovating in a nascent space is hard and finding product market fit is even harder,” says Lakhani. “Access to innovation capital is critical for early-stage startups to weather uncertainty while building out their MVPs (minimum viable products). Attracting the right talent to give the appropriate speed to market is a huge advantage while experimenting to develop a sustainable business model.”
He adds, “Ultimately, early-stage capital enables startups to develop products, enter markets, cover operational costs, and build a foundation for future growth. Without sufficient funding, many startups would struggle to survive long enough to realize their potential.”
This essential need for capital, especially at the early stages of solution and company development, is why providing platforms for these companies to share their work with diverse types of investors and funders is so important.
RFSI Pitch Session Opens Opportunities
RFSI fosters a unique community of funders – from nature and regenerative-focused venture capital, to philanthropic grant makers, impact investors, debt providers, family offices, and increasingly, institutional capital.
Companies applying to pitch at the RFSI Forum will not only pitch on the main stage to the audience of nearly 500 but also have the opportunity to attend the event free of charge and engage with a robust community of potential funders and strategic partners.
Lakhani, whose company The First Thirty has partnered with RFSI to make this pitch session possible, emphasizes the importance of this community for start-ups, “RFSI is an incredible platform for any founder building solutions for regenerative change. It is rare to pitch to an audience who is already mission-aligned and wants to put capital to work to regenerate the food system. Outside of the capital, RFSI’s community and attendees are a passionate community of potential customers, influencers and stakeholders across the value chain that can be an invaluable network to your growth.”
Applications to pitch at the RFSI Forum in Denver, Colorado on October 9-10 are open now and must be submitted by September 3.
Early-stage (pre-seed to early growth) companies that should apply include those that:
- Have developed an innovative solution to support the adoption and scaling of regenerative food systems.
- Are currently or considering external funding within the next 12 months, and
- Are able to attend the conference in person on October 9-10 in Denver
If selected to be one of the four finalists that gets to pitch at RFSI, the finalist will get:
- The opportunity to pitch in front of nearly 500 attendees
- A complimentary registration to RFSI Forum, and
- The winner will get an award and recognition at and after the event
Words of Advice for Start-ups
Lakhani had some final wise words of advice for those start-ups seeking to pitch at the RFSI Forum, or anywhere:
- Focus on the Market Opportunity. Spend as much (or more) time on addressing the potential value and market as you do the impact.
- Be Clear on the Business Model. Be clear how you make money. Where possible, break down the unit economics that make it easy to understand how you scale.
- Demonstrate Traction. Highlight key metrics, customer testimonials, or early revenue to show demand. Share future milestones that build off your pipeline.
- Don’t over index on explaining the aspects of the problem the audience will already be familiar with. Optimize your time educating your audience about your solution.
- Showcase the team. Explain why you have an edge in delivering your solution over your competitors.
He adds, “As our space rapidly evolves in terms of the capacity of both talent and technology, we are super excited to see the diversity of solutions and entrepreneurs who are stepping up to address complex problems in innovative ways.”
Companies interested in applying to pitch at the RFSI Forum can learn more here.
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Sarah Day Levesque is Managing Director at RFSI & Editor of RFSI News. She can be reached here.