AgFunder is a global VC, with roots in agrifood, AI, biology and climate.

About us

AgFunder is a new kind of venture capital firm.

AgFunder isn’t just capital

We invest at the frontier of new technology to solve the world’s biggest problems, bringing first principles investing to food, agriculture and beyond.

AgFunder’s substantial media, research and engineering arms support the firm’s unique ability to source deals, expertise, networks, investors and intelligence for its portfolio and Limited Partners.

The firm has over $300 million in assets under management and has invested in over 100 portfolio companies across four continents.

Since our inception, we have historically outperformed top-quartile VC benchmarks, frequently co-investing with some of the biggest names in venture capital globally.

Capital, content, code and community

We’re rethinking venture capital for the 21st century, born online and fueled by community.

Michael Dean, LLM
Partner

Michael is the co-founder of AgFunder. He holds an LL.B and an LL.M degree in International Environmental Law from the University of Sydney and has over 25 years experience in food and agriculture, venture capital, environmental sustainability, carbon markets, social impact and law.

Manuel Gonzalez, MBA
Partner

Manuel is the former Global Head of F&A Startup Innovation at Rabobank and Founder of FoodBytes! and TERRA, which he created as a platform for startups at the bank. He was also General Manager of Rabobank West Coast in the United States and General Manager of Rabobank in Mexico.

Rob Leclerc, PhD
Partner

Rob is the co-founder of AgFunder with over 15 years of qualitative and quantitative experience as a scientist and engineer. He has five degrees, spanning Philosophy, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence & Virtual Robotics), and Computational Biology, including a PhD from Yale University.

Robin R Chauhan
Head of Engineering

Robin holds a BASc in Computer Engineering from University of Waterloo and brings over 20 years of experience in software engineering, AI, machine learning, and program management. He was previously at Microsoft.

Louisa Burwood-Taylor
Head of Media & Research

Louisa is a globally-recognized journalist and thought leader for the food & agriculture industry and employee #3 at AgFunder, joining Rob & Michael in 2015. Previously she ran the first-ever agrifood investment publication after launching an institutional investment intelligence service for the Financial Times in Asia.

Quinten Eggink
Principal

Quinten studied mathematics and economics at Colorado College before interning at SOSV’s biotech accelerator IndieBio. He is now a Principal at AgFunder, where he sources, evaluates, and leads investments in deeptech, agtech, foodtech, and climate tech startups

Andrew Finkelstein
Principal

Before joining AgFunder in 2020, Andrew led early-stage sales teams at Darktrace, Red Lambda, and CyberInt after a career in strategic communications consulting. He holds a degree in Politics and International Relations from Princeton (Magna Cum Laude) and an MBA from UVA Darden.

Sofia Ramirez
Principal

Sofía has built, scaled, and invested in B2B companies globally, spanning software, hardware-enabled services, logistics, and vertically integrated businesses. She led Liventus’ expansion into 14+ countries and has lived in multiple regions, bringing operational expertise and a global perspective to her investments.

John Friedman
Director (Singapore)

John leads our Singapore team and oversees the firm’s operations across Asia. Prior to joining AgFunder in 2020, John spent 12 years in investment banking across Southeast Asia and is an angel investor in multiple ventures. Originally from Hawaii, John studied in the UK, and is a graduate of Cornell University. 

Lara Erman
Associate (London)

Lara is an investment associate and leads AgFunder’s sustainability efforts, driving Impact and ESG integration. Lara holds an MSc in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (Distinction) from UCL.

Angela Tay
Senior Associate (Singapore)

Angela played a key role in establishing AgFunder’s Singapore office in 2019, driving its expansion in Asia. She specializes in deal sourcing, conducting due diligence, supporting portfolio companies to drive impact and returns, and investor relations.

Ryan Lee
Associate (Singapore)

Ryan graduated with a degree in environmental engineering and is an alumnus of the NUS Overseas College (NOC) program.

Elaine Watson
Global Food Tech Editor

Elaine is a journalist and editor with 20+ years’ experience covering the food industry in the UK and the US.

Jennifer Marston
Global Agtech Editor

Jennifer is a US-based writer, reporter and editor who has covered emerging technologies for more than 15 years, with nearly 10 of those focused on agrifoodtech and farming. She lives (and farms) in western Massachusetts.

Sam Clarke
Senior Engineer

Experienced full stack developer with background in Microbiology and Toxicology.

Dianne Omoso-Pribhdas
Executive Assitant

Dianne is a super skilled executive assistant with over the 10 years of experience in customer service, administrative support, and marketing.

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INVESTING AT THE FRONTIER
INVESTING AT THE FRONTIER