Propagate
Summary
Propagate is building an offering that includes agroforestry farm design, agroforestry implementation and management, and agroforestry financing, together with a pipeline of products that further establish and maintain the first fully integrated agroforestry platform.
Resistance to US agroforestry adoption is largely attributed to three main causes: challenges in accessing agroforestry farm design knowledge, lack of labor and resource access for appropriate implementation and management, and a market gap in financing products available for agroforestry projects. Propagate launched in 2017 with the intention of addressing each of these three hurdles with purpose-built and integrated solutions: farm planning and management software, an agroforestry labor and inputs marketplace, and an agroforestry finance arm.
Why we invested
- Propagate is uniquely positioned to build an integrated solution that addresses all major obstacles to agroforestry adoption. No other venture in the world has such a platform, and no other venture appears suited to build it.
- Large, untapped market.
- This business model is CAPEX light and the sales cycle is remarkably short: Propagate has historically converted 12% of leads for Overyield over the course of 48 days on average. Once onboarded, 58% of new Overyield customers convert to Propagate’s agroforestry implementation and management services within 40 days.
Investors
Team
Ethan Steinberg CEO/Cofounder
Ethan previously worked as a manager at Student CarShare, as a program manager at in/Pact, and is currently a member of Forbes Councils. He co-founded Propagate to grow the next generation of regenerative farms and to develop a business that will have a positive impact on climate. Ethan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice Studies/Sustainability from Miami University.
Jeremy Kaufman COO/Cofounder
Previously, Jeremy structured operations and designed products for a range of companies through his product design & product management consulting firm, Stewards. Prior to running his own firm, he designed products and experiences for Fortune 5000 companies while at innovation firms Mr. UX and FACT0RY. Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Business in Entrepreneurship from Miami University.
