Dan Broderick, President and Founder, announces the launch of the new Global Agtech Investors Network (GAIN) at the 2010 Ag Innovation Showcase at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
May 27, 2010, St. Louis, MO –
BioResearch & Development Growth (BRDG) Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center, announced the establishment of Global Agtech Investors Network (GAIN). Based at BRDG Park (pronounced “bridge”), GAIN is an innovative non-profit membership-supported resource that facilitates capital formation, fosters entrepreneurship innovation and relationships, collects and distributes key data, and exposes new technologies in the emerging agtech marketplace worldwide.
The new collaboration was announced In May at the second annual Ag Innovation Showcase in St. Louis, a leading global event for ag industry leaders, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, sponsored by BRDG Park and other partners. The website is
www.aginvestors.com.
According to Dan Broderick, President and Founder, GAIN fills a serious void. “Before GAIN, innovative agtech companies found it difficult to find sources of financing to support the growth of their company. In addition, venture capital firms found deal syndication difficult.
“GAIN hopes to create a more efficient capital formation market,” said Broderick. “GAIN is building on and expanding St. Louis’ leadership position in agriculture to become the ‘go to’ organization for resources and information on innovation in the plant science and agriculture industry.”
Founding sponsors included BRDG Park/Wexford Science+Technology and St. Louis County Economic Council. Broderick also announced initial Charter members, including Novus International, Monsanto, Divergence, Prolog Ventures, MidPoint Ventures, Finistere Ventures, Southwest Michigan First, and Nidus. Several other members will be announced shortly.
Modeled on the Mid America Healthcare Investors Network (www.mhinonline.com), also founded by Broderick, GAIN’s strategy includes tracking emerging trends in agtech innovation and creating multiple information access points and modes for members to efficiently access information.
GAIN also will expose early and mid-stage companies developing innovative technologies to well-established players in the industry. “In addition to benefiting the larger companies in the sector by providing introductions to potential strategic investments and opportunities to add to their existing product lines, emerging companies will gain visibility as they seek partnerships and additional financing,” said Broderick.
Membership is available internationally to agriculture-focused venture capital funds, corporations, institutions, government agencies and service providers. They will meet three times a year to network, review and discuss financing opportunities and track industry trends and regulations, and will receive regular information updates between meetings. Programs for VCs will focus on syndication of financing for startup companies and improving marketplace efficiencies. Initial charter members include Novus International, Prolog Ventures and Nidus.
“As an international membership organization, GAIN promotes an efficient marketplace for financing innovative startup companies in agtech and plant science worldwide,” said Broderick. “Members have opportunities to share their expertise and experience, innovative early and mid-stage companies are exposed to established players who can help them grow, and established players get access to opportunities for strategic investments and expanded product lines through early- and mid-stage companies.”
“GAIN is another demonstration of the role BRDG Park set out to play – as a global focal point bringing together people and organizations to connect scientific research with needed resources and relationships to breed successful next-generation scientific commercial success stories,” said Sam Fiorello, president of BRDG Park. “In the coming years, GAIN will play a key role in creating the synergies for ag science businesses to develop and grow.”
The two-day Ag Innovation Showcase, co-sponsored by BRDG Park, Nidus, Missouri Biotechnology Association (MOBIO), Missouri Technology Corporation and the Larta Institute, spotlights cutting-edge entrepreneurs from around the world who are driving innovation in agricultural technologies in ag-bio, food and nutrition, biofuels, sustainable materials, clean-tech, information technology and animal health. Several hundred ag business leaders from around the world have converged at the Donald Danforth Center for Plant Sciences to share insights and make connections.
About GAIN
Global Agtech Investors Network (GAIN) is a non-profit membership organization formed to strengthen and facilitate capital formation efforts of investors and agtech companies, expose industry to innovative technologies, and serve as a central repository for innovation information. International members include venture capital funds, corporations, institutions, associations, government agencies and service providers. More information is available at
www.aginvestors.com/ or by calling Dan Broderick at 314.615.6352 or
dan@aginvestors.com |
