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Summit Programme
INVESTMENT SUMMITLondon, September 24-25, 2014
worldagritechinvestment.com
Associate Sponsor: Organised by:
Welcome to the 2014 World Agri-Tech Investment Summit in London.
ONE TO ONE MEETINGS
NEW for 2014: Pre-arrange one-to-one meetings with your most important contacts via our online partnering software.
agritech.meeting-mojo.comFor help in managing your schedule, please contact the registration desk.
Partnerships and alliances are becoming increasingly important to the successful development and commercialisation of advanced
agricultural technologies.
With innovation emerging around the world, this summit provides a forum for international stakeholders to meet, network and forge
new business relationships, with the goal of accelerating market adoption of sustainable agricultural solutions.
We are delighted to welcome such an outstanding speaking faculty to the summit, and look forward to two days of thought-provoking
presentations and exciting debate. We would also like to thank Keygene for their support and sponsorship, and our exhibitors,
Catapult and Agrius, who you will find in the networking room during the breaks.
Roundtable discussion groups, the networking drinks reception, and the ability to arrange 1-1 meetings during the summit create
extensive opportunities to connect with new partners and we encourage everyone to participate. The Rethink team will also be
available throughout the summit to facilitate introductions.
We are also delighted to announce that in March 2015 we will launch a sister summit in San Francisco. Once again we will gather
an international group of agri-tech innovators and investors to exchange ideas and identify new opportunities in the rapidly growing
agri-tech space - we hope you will join us there.
Please help shape the agenda for this and future summits by sharing with us your thoughts, feedback and suggestions. Your input is
essential to ensure we continue to build exciting and informative events that are of real value to your business.
I wish you a fruitful and enjoyable summit.
Jennie Moss
Managing Director
3
Associate Sponsor
KeyGene
Exhibitors
Media Partners
CATAPULT
AGRIUS
worldagritechinvestment.com
KeyGene’s passion is a Green Gene Revolution approach to explore and exploit
natural genetic variation in vegetables and other 6F crops. KeyGene is keeping its
footprint as small as possible by contributing naturally to the improvement of crops.
KeyGene delivers sustainable molecular genetic responses to the world’s needs for
yield stability, quality & health of 6F crops. KeyGene helps its strategic partners with
cutting edge breeding technology and trait platforms to meet their needs in a game
changing way.
The Satellite Applications Catapult is an independent innovation and technology
company, created to foster growth across the economy through the exploitation of
space. It helps organisations make use of and benefit from satellite technologies, and
brings together multi-disciplinary teams to generate ideas and solutions in an open
innovation environment. A not for profit company, the Catapult provides facilities,
platforms and expert knowledge to enable the translation of ideas from concept to
market.
AGRIUS is an early status agri-tech innovator, with the central aim of building a
demonstration unit of its Agricultural Integrated Utility System or ‘IUS’. The first
target for application of the patented ‘IUS’ process is the dairy farm sector. AGRIUS
provides all utilities from one compact automated processing system, within a
transportable container sized module. AGRIUS gives farmers total flexibility in on-site
waste management, enabling full energy recovery or the re-use of waste materials
generated from their operations, with potentially significant operational and capital
savings in utility services and slurry management. The ‘IUS’ (Integrated Utility System)
concept has been developed over 7 years and has international patent applications
in 55 countries and has been granted in 12 countries to date.
NNFCCThe Bioeconomy Consultants
2
•Tremendousopportunitiesstillexistinthe
foundations of precision agriculture. Where are the
key areas of development?
•Howcantechnologiesbecombinedtooffer
complete solutions rather than addressing one
aspect of a complex problem?
•Emergingeconomiesarealreadystartingto
adoptelementsofprecisionagriculture.Howcan
technologies be adapted to suit the needs of these
small and medium sized farms?
•Casestudyofsuccess:Technologyadvancesand
the market potential of UAVs
The Transformation from Precision-Ag to Decision-Ag
12.00
Session Chair:
Professor Richard Godwin,VisitingProfessorofAgriculturalEngineering,HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY, UK
Speakers:
Jim Watt,RegionalDirectorEMEA&APAC,TRIMBLE,GERMANY
Dan Dougherty, Business Development Manager, JOHN DEERE & COMPANY, USA
Matt Waits, CEO, SST SOFTWARE, USA
Steve Keyworth, Co-Founder and Director, URSULA AGRICULTURE, UK
•Howcommerciallyviableareaquaponicsandverticalfarmingasfoodproductionsystemsandcanthey
compete with traditional farming?
•Wherearetheopportunitiesforusingwasteheat/renewableenergytodriveverticalfarmingsystems?
Aquaponics and Vertical Farming: Farming in Controlled Environments
14.00
Session Chair:
Michael Raymont, PresidentandCEO, AVAC, CANADA
Speakers:
Marc Beermann, Chief Financial Officer, URBAN FARMERS,SWITZERLAND
Dan Caiger-Smith, Business Development Manager, SKY GREENS,SINGAPORE
Networking Lunch Break 13.00
•Imageryandremotesensingtechnologies
•Real-timemonitoringofsoilquality,moisturelevels,waterquality,pestsandnutrients
•Precisionirrigation
•Precisionapplicationoffertilisersandpesticides
•Machinetomachinetechnology
•Nextgenerationanalytics
•Robotics:GPSguidedcrop-spraying,mechanicalpestremovalandharvesting
Technology Showcase: Early-Mid Stage Technology Entrepreneurs
Present 7 Minute Snapshots of their Solutions14.30
Session Chair:
Calum Murray, LeadTechnologist–SustainableAgriculture&Food,TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD, UK
Innovators:
Giulia Stellari, Co-Founder & President, AGSQUARED, USA
Jean-Luc Ayral, CEO,FORCE-A, FRANCE
Florent Mainfroy, Chairman, Commercial Director, AIRINOV, FRANCE
David Mills, CEO,WEATHERSAFE, UK
Steven Davis,ChairmanandCEO,INTELLIGENT WIRELESS NETWORKS, USA
Kent Cavender-Bares,CEO,ROWBOT SYSTEMS, USA
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Agenda
DAY ONE – WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Lord Rupert de Mauley, Parliamentary Undersecretary, DEFRA, UK
Professor Janet Bainbridge,HeadofAgriculturalTechnology,UKTI, UK
Belinda Clarke, Director, AGRITECH EAST, UK
Ministerial Welcome Address:
The UK Agri-Tech Strategy
Creating a Global Innovation Hub for Agri-Tech
9.00
9.10
9.20
Leadinginternationalorganisationssharetheirperspectivesontheroleoftechnologyinnovationinachieving
global food security.
Session Chair:
Tim Benton, UK Champion for Global Food Security, GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, UK
Speakers:
Chris Vein, Chief Innovation Officer, WORLD BANK, USA
Mark Rosegrant,DivisionalDirector,EnvironmentandProductionTechnology, IFPRI, USA
Philippe Herve,HeadofR&DAllianceManagement,BAYER CROPSCIENCE, BELGIUM
Steve Webb,ExternalTechnology&IntellectualPropertyPortfolioDevelopmentLeader,
DOW AGROSCIENCES, USA
Global Food Security and the Role of Innovation Systems
9.30
Networking Coffee Break10.30
Harnessing the Business Opportunity of Big Data in Agriculture
11.00
•Whatisbigdatainagricultureandhowcouldthe
future look?
•Whatservicesareavailableandwhatpricing
models exist? What is the value proposition and are
end-users willing to pay for these services?
•Whatarethechallengesincapturingdataand
harnessing trends to produce services for the end
user?
•Whataretheriskstofarmersofsharingdatamore
widely?Howcanindustryensurethatpracticesand
standards adopted in using farm data will protect
the end user?
•Candigitalagronomyandtheuseofbigdatain
agriculture challenge the current innovation model
in agribusiness? Will it lead to a commoditization
ofaginputsorhelpfarmerstodifferentiateeven
further between value-adding products?
Session Chair:
Adam Anders, Managing Partner, ANTERRA CAPITAL, NETHERLANDS
Speakers:
Teddy Bekele, Senior Director, Information Technology, LAND O’ LAKES, USA
Robin Lougee,BusinessSolutionsandMathematicalSciencesResearchIndustryLead–
ConsumerProducts/Agriculture,IBM, USA
Richard Stirling, International Director, OPEN DATA INSTITUTE, UK
Béla Jankovich de Jeszenice, Owner, AMBER INVESTMENT,HUNGARY
Alexander Tokarz, HeadofBusinessDevelopment, SYNGENTA,SWITZERLAND
worldagritechinvestment.com4
DAY TWO – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
Facilitating Innovation and Technology Adoption by Small Holder farms 9.45
•Whataretheinnovationneedsofsmallholder
farms and where are the opportunities to leapfrog
current technologies?
•Howcanweleveragetheuseofmobile
technologies to provide farmers with accessible
information they can use?
•HowisICTopeninguptheopportunityforprecision
agricultureinsmallholderfarmers?Howcanwe
measure the impact of this adoption and benefit to
the farmer?
•Whatmodelsexisttobringagriculturaltechnology
innovations to scale through PPPs?
•WhatarethelimitationstoPPPsandhowcanthese
be overcome?
9.00Speakers:
Vipula Shukla, Senior Program Officer, Discovery Research, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, USA
Denis Kyetere, ExecutiveDirector,AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION (AAFT),KENYA
Prem Bindraban, ExecutiveDirector,VIRTUAL FERTLIZER RESEARCH CENTRE, IFDC, USA
Session Chair:
Vipula Shukla, Senior Program Officer, Discovery Research, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, USA
Speakers:
Gagan Khurana, HeadofCountryOperationsandPartnerships, GROW AFRICA, SWITZERLAND
Marco Ferroni,ExecutiveDirector,SYNGENTA FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE,SWITZERLAND
Noor Ullah, GlobalHeadofAgriculture,ACUMEN FUND, PAKISTAN
Christopher Hirst, CEO, ABU DHABI FARMERS’ SERVICE CENTRE,UAE
Mark Holderness, ExecutiveSecretaryoftheGlobalForumonAgriculturalResearch,UNFAO, ITALY
Unlocking the Potential of African Agriculture
Networking Coffee Break10.45
Biosolutions: Advances in Microbial and Bio-based Seed Treatment,
Pesticides and Fertilisers 11.15
•What’sdrivingtherapidgrowthinbiologicalsand
which countries are showing the fastest adoption?
•Whatarethenewenvironmentalchallengesonthe
horizon? What are the new breakthroughs going to be?
•Howscalablearebiologicalsolutionsandwhat
evidence is needed to demonstrate their successful
potential for large scale application?
•HowcantheindustryaddressquestionsaroundIP
regulation and protection for biological solutions?
Session Chair:Sara Olson, Research Analyst, Agro Innovation, LUX RESEARCH, USA
Speakers:John Hamer, Investment Director, MONSANTO GROWTH VENTURES, USA Pam Marrone,Founder&CEO,MARRONE BIO INNOVATIONS, USA Dean Thome, Business Development Director, NOVOZYMES,CANADAJim Schultz, Founder and Managing Director, OPEN PRAIRIE, USAMartin Gruss,GlobalHeadofSeedgrowthProducts,BAYER CROPSCIENCE, USA
Speaker:
Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO,BIOCONSORTIA, USA
Biologicals: A Case Study of Success
12.15
7
•Whatwilltheprecisionagriculturelandscape
look like in the future and which platforms and
technologies will rise to the top?
•Howbigistheopportunityinthesensorbased
technology market going to be?
•Whatrolecaninvestorsplayinbringingcompanies
together to create more integrated solutions for
growers?
•Howdothesystemsavailabletranslateintosome
oftheprinciplegrowingregionsofUkraine,Eastern
EuropeandSouthAmerica?
Networkwithsummitspeakersanddelegateswhiledebatingkeyissuesfacingtheagri-techindustry.
Rotate between your choice of groups, each hosted by one of our experts. Bring plenty of business cards.
Chris Vein,
WORLD BANK
Big data and information:Howcanindustrytakeacoherentapproachto
delivering the relevant information to the right sectors?
Teddy Bekele,
LAND O’LAKES
Big data and information:Howcanweleveragedatatoproducevaluable
services to farmers?
Ignacio Martinez,
FLAGSHIP VENTURES
Precision Ag:Howcantechnologiesbecombinedtodeliverinnovative
solutions to larger problems?
Deborah Magid,
IBM
Precision Ag: Howarestart-upsinpredictiveanalyticsandtheinternetof
things contributing to the advancement of precision agriculture?
Denis Kyetere,
AATF
Africa: Where are the best opportunities for international partnerships and
collaboration within African agriculture?
Marcus Meadows-Smith,
BIOCONSORTIA
Biologicals: Winning strategies for biological companies and start-ups as
multinationals include biological products within integrated solutions.
Pam Marrone,
MARRONE BIO INNOVATIONS
Biologicals:Howcanstakeholderscollaboratetoacceleratetheadoption
of advanced bio-based technologies in agriculture?
Mark Rosegrant,
IFPRI
Food security and reducing post-harvest losses: Which technologies will
have the most impact and what is the role of the public and private sectors?
Steve Webb,
DOW AGROSCIENCES
Partnering and alliancing models:Howcanleadingagribusinesseswork
with technology developers to bring their solutions to market?
Investor Panel: Investment in Data and Data-Driven Technologies
15.30
Session Chair:
John Hamer, Investment Director, MONSANTO GROWTH VENTURES, USA
Speakers:
Deborah Magid, Director, Software Strategy, IBM VENTURE CAPITAL GROUP, USA
Ruzgar Barisik, Senior Investment Officer, Clean Technologies, IFC, USA
Dan Hodgson, Managing General Partner and Co-Founder, LINN GROVE VENTURES, USA
Miguel Granier, Founder and Managing Director, INVESTED DEVELOPMENT, USA
16.30 Networking Coffee Break
Roundtable Discussion Groups17.00
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Networking Drinks and Canapes 18.00
worldagritechinvestment.com6
Speaker Biographies
Adam AndersManaging Partner, ANTERRA CAPITAL, NETHERLANDS
Adam is the Managing Partner of Anterra Capital, an independent
growth capital fund that invests in fast growing companies that
transform the way we produce, move and consume food. Anterra was founded in 2013
from a spin-out of Rabo Ventures. The fund is backed by Rabobank, a global leader in food
& agriculture financing and Moonray Investors, the proprietary investment arm of Fidelity
International.
Jean-Luc AyralCEO & Co-Founder, FORCE-A, FRANCE
Jean-Luc is CEO and Co-Founder of FORCE-A. He aims to position
FORCE-A as a leading company on the market of real-time
crop sensing and diagnostics for precision agriculture. He has 20 years professional
experience of products and business development in laser instrumentation for industrial,
scientific and military markets.
Janet BainbridgeHead of Agricultural Technology, UK TRADE & INVESTMENT, UK
Janet has been Head of Agricultural Technology (Inward Investment)
for UK Trade & Investment since August 2013. She is a UK national
expert and advisor on the regulatory framework relating to genetic modification and on
the regulation of novel and functional foods and chemicals. She has also been the CEO of
a successful small company and was a founder member of the AHDB.
Ruzgar BarisikSenior Investment Officer, Clean Technologies, IFC, USA
Ruzgar joined the IFC in 2011. He is a Senior Investment Officer and
leads investments in Europe, Middle East & North Africa. He has
over ten years of private equity and venture investing experience covering industrial,
technology and media businesses. Prior to the IFC, Ruzgar was a Partner at GTI Group, a
New York based private equity investment firm.
Paul BarrettVice President of Business Development, STARPHARMA, AUSTRALIA
Paul has 25 years experience in diverse areas of science and
technology, gained in research, commercialisation and other roles.
At Starpharma he has been responsible for the commercialisation of the company’s
dendrimer technology into areas including crop protection, paints and coatings, drug
delivery, contraception, and animal health.
Marc BeermannChief Financial Officer, URBAN FARMERS, SWITZERLAND
Marc is CFO at UrbanFarmers and responsible for financing, investor
relations and administration. Prior to joining UrbanFarmers, Marc
spent 10 years in strategic management consulting with Bain & Company as well as in
investment management and portfolio operations as manager at VM Capital, a private
equity fund focusing on fast-growing high-technology and manufacturing companies in
Europe.
Teddy BekeleSenior Director, Information Technology,LAND O’LAKES, USA
Teddy is the Senior IT Director for the WinField division of Land
O’Lakes. Teddy serves as the Business CIO and provides full
IT management and leadership responsibilities including: Strategy development,
innovation, project execution, system support, and financial planning. Prior to joining
Land O’Lakes and WinField, Teddy spent 13 years at Ingersoll Rand.
Tim BentonUK Champion, GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, UK
Tim is the Champion for the UK’s Global Food Security (GFS)
programme, leading, facilitating and coordinating its activities. GFS
is a partnership of the UK’s main public funders of research in food security, including
the research councils and government departments as well as environment, farming and
rural affairs, international development, health and business, innovation and skills.
Prem BindrabanExecutive Director, VIRTUAL FERTILIZER RESEARCH CENTER, USA
Prem is Executive Director of the Virtual Fertilizer Research Center.
The VFRC fosters the creation of the next generation of fertilizers
and production technologies to help feed the world’s growing population and provide
sustainable food security. He worked at several international research institutions,
including IRRI (Philippines) and CIMMYT (Mexico).
Dan Caiger-SmithBusiness Development Manager, SKY GREENS, SINGAPORE
Dan is an international business development consultant with a
particular interest in innovative solutions for sustainable horticulture.
He has worked in more than 50 countries worldwide and for the past six years has
specialised in the in the vertical and urban farming sector. Dan now works with Sky
Greens, the Singapore-based pioneer in vertical farming systems, where his goal is
to establish new customers, distribution channels and strategic partnerships for the
company in European and American markets.
Kent Cavender-BaresCo-Founder & CEO, ROWBOT SYSTEMS, USA
Kent is Co-Founder and CEO of Rowbot Systems. His vision for
creating the future of robotic farming starts with the needs of both
the plant and the farmer and is motivated by more efficient use of costly inputs. As CEO,
he defines Rowbot solutions, works with investors, manages operations and plans IP
strategy. Prior to this, Kent covered leadership roles in environmental non-profits.
Peleg ChevionHead of Abiotic Stress Management, SYNGENTA, SWITZERLAND
Peleg is leading the global business of Syngenta in mitigating
environmental and water stresses and delivering Crop Enhancement
solutions to farmers worldwide. Prior to Syngenta, he led commercial transactions and
business development activities in pharma/biotech with Crucell Holland NV and as an
attorney with one of the leading Israeli high-tech/VC related legal firms.
Belinda Clarke Director, AGRI-TECH EAST, UK
Belinda is the Director of Agri-Tech East, the cluster organisation
to support the growth and productivity of the Agri-Tech sector
within the eastern region. Prior to her current role, Belinda was Lead Technologist for
Biosciences at the Technology Strategy Board, with particular responsibility for synthetic
biology. She has also been a member of the national Leadership Council.
Matthew CrispPresident & CEO, BENSON HILL BIOSYSTEMS,USA
Matthew is President & CEO of Benson Hill Biosystems and an
accomplished executive with a strong background in the rapid
growth and early commercialisation phases of technology companies. Prior to co-
founding Benson Hill, he was President of the AgBio Division at Intrexon Corporation
(NYSE:XON), a leading synthetic biology company.
9
Herco van Liere, Vice President of Business Development, KEYGENE,NETHERLANDS
Session Chair:
Philip Newton, Director of Science, THE FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, UK
Speakers:
Professor Achim Dobermann, Director, ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH, UK
Peleg Chevion,GlobalHeadofAbioticStressManagement,SYNGENTA,SWITZERLAND
Traits, Seeds and Business: A Case Study of Success
14.15
Networking Lunch 12.30
Genomics and Seed Breeding for Climate Resilience
13.30
•Whatarethenextinnovationfrontiersinaddressingclimateandenvironmental
challenges in agriculture to achieve sustainable food production?
•Whattoolsandtechnologiesareonthehorizontohelpwithpestresistance?
•Whereisthenextbigtraitopportunity?
•HowcanmajoragribusinessesworkwithR&Dinstitutionsandstart-upstobring
new products to market?
Technology Showcase Session: Early-Mid Stage Technology
Entrepreneurs Present 7 Minute Snapshots of their Solutions14.30
•Bioandmicrobe-basedpestcontrolandgrowthenhancers
•Cropprotectionandseedtreatment
•Genomics/seedbreeding
•Natural/low-carbonfertilisers
Session Chair:
Jim Godfrey, Chairman, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Innovation Platform,
TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD, UK
Innovators:
Luca Ruiu, CEO, BIOECOPEST,ITALY
Tom Laurita, CEO, NEW LEAF SYMBIOTICS, USA
Matt Crisp, CEO, BENSON HILL, USA
Apostolos Papadopoulos, Director, CROP INTELLECT, UK
Paul Barrett, Vice President of Business Development, STARPHARMA, AUSTRALIA
Eric Valette, CEO, PLANET HORIZONS, SWITZERLAND
Investor Panel: Biologicals and the Biotechnology Industry
15.30
•Hasthebiotechnologyindustrybeendevalued
amongst the investment community? Which areas
and innovations within ag-biotech have the biggest
growth potential?
•Whatisdrivingthegrowthofinvestmentsinbiological
technologies and is this trend set to continue?
•Asthebiopesticidemarketmatures,smallscale
developers will rapidly realise growth, increasing their
potentialpurchaseprice–howcaninvestorsidentify
which companies to invest in, in a market flooded by
small scale developers?
•Whichareasofbiologicalsolutionsinagriculture
present the most interesting opportunities for investors?
Session Chair:
Dan Hodgson, Managing General Partner and Co-Founder, LINN GROVE VENTURES, USA
Speakers:
Ignacio Martinez, Partner, FLAGSHIP VENTURES, USA
Andrew Ziolkowski, Partner, CULTIVIAN VENTURES, USA
Lila Preston, Partner, GENERATION INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, UK
Summit Concludes
Speaker Biographies
Mark Holderness Executive Secretary, GLOBAL FORUM ON AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, ITALY
Mark is Executive Secretary of the Global Forum on Agricultural
Research (GFAR), an inclusive, multi-stakeholder platform and collective
mechanism for change. GFAR works to strengthen the roles and value of agricultural
knowledge, research and innovation in meeting key food security and development needs.
Steve KeyworthDirector & Founder, URSULA AGRICULTURE, UK
Steve is Founder and Director of URSULA Agriculture, an agricultural
data company. He has over 20 years experience in applying remote
sensing technologies to agricultural and environmental application. Steve has worked on
projects across the UK and overseas and acquired a range of skills including mapping,
monitoring and modelling. He is a Chartered Geographer (GIS) and a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society.
Gagan Khurana Head of Value Chains and Partnerships, GROW AFRICA, SWITZERLAND
Gagan is the Head of Value Chains and Partnerships at Grow Africa.
He has been working with partner governments and companies to
facilitate the conversion of nearly $7.5 billion in committed investments to actual projects
on the ground. He has a deep understanding of supply chains and smallholder farmer
engagement models.
Denis Kyetere Executive Director, AFRICAN AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION, KENYA
Denis served as Director General of Uganda’s National Agricultural
Research Organisation (NARO) for five years. His leadership and
management experience spans many regional organisations, networks, projects and
committees including the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern
and Central Africa (ASARECA) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).
Tom LauritaCEO & Founder, NEW LEAF SYMBIOTICS, USA
Tom is Founder and the CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics, an agricultural
biologicals company that develops and commercialises beneficial
plant bacteria. He has co-founded companies in agricultural chemicals, technology,
consulting, finance, international trading and manufacturing. In 2011, together with his
brother, Tom founded a conservation and education non-profit called Hope Elephants,
where retired circus elephants are given special medical care.
Robin LougeeBusiness Solutions and Mathematical Sciences Research Industry Lead – Consumer Products/Agriculture, IBM, USA
Robin is the IBM Research Division’s focal point and innovation
strategist for the Consumer Products & Agriculture Industries. She is an industrial
research scientist with a strong track record of delivering innovation to IBM and its
customers. Robin led the first team of Research scientists in IBM’s On-Demand Innovation
Services organisation.
Deborah Magid Director, Software Strategy,IBM VENTURE CAPITAL GROUP, USA
Deborah represents IBM’s $25B software business in the company’s
14-year old Venture Capital Group. Deborah shares insights
about emerging markets, technologies, and business models with venture firms and
entrepreneurs around the world while scouting for emerging business opportunities. As
a director of strategy in IBM’s Software Group, she also brings insight from the venture
community to the development of IBM’s growth strategies.
Florent MainfroyCEO & Co-Founder
AIRINOV, FRANCE
Florent is the CEO and Co-Founder of AIRINOV, a start-up providing
products and services for intensive and sustainable agriculture
through an expertise in sensors and drones. Florent runs the company, which was
awarded a prize in 2010 by the French Ministry of Education and Research during the
French National Start-up Competition.
Pam Marrone Founder & CEO, MARRONE BIO INNOVATIONS, USA
Pamela is currently CEO and Founder of Marrone Bio Innovations
(MBI), a company with over 150 employees she started in 2006 to
discover and develop bio-based products for pest management and plant health. On
August 2, 2013, MBI listed its stock as MBII on NASDAQ, raising net proceeds of $56.4
million.
Ignacio Martinez Partner, FLAGSHIP VENTURES, USA
Ignacio joined Flagship Ventures in 2013 and focuses on
sustainability and life sciences investments with a special interest
in the agricultural sector. Prior to joining Flagship, Ignacio was the Managing Director of
Syngenta Ventures, where he was directly involved in investments in the agribusiness,
biotechnology and cleantech industries in Europe, North America and Latin America.
Marcus Meadows-Smith CEO, BIOCONSORTIA, USA
Marcus, CEO of BioConsortia, is a renowned senior executive in the
chemical, agricultural and biotechnology industries. BioConsortia,
headquartered in Davis, California, is an agricultural biotechnology company that uses a
proprietary and breakthrough technique for rapidly accelerating the selection of beneficial
microbes, forming microbial teams, or consortia, which substantially improve crop yields.
David Mills CEO, WEATHERSAFE, UK
David is the CEO of WeatherSafe, a company that helps coffee
stakeholders around the world protect and improve their farming
operations with a powerful software that combines hyper-local weather monitoring,
agronomic data modelling, and high-resolution Satellite Data. Prior to WeatherSafe, David
founded with his brother a business specialised in IT infrastructure planning and deployment.
Calum Murray Lead Technologist - Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform,
TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD, UK
Calum is a lead technologist with the Technology Strategy Board
with co-responsibility for the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform. He
represents the TSB on the Programme Coordination Group of the Global Food Security
initiative and is also a member of the international sub-group of the Food Research
Partnership
Philip Newton Director of Science, FERA, UK
Phil has 30 years of diverse experience in board level science
leadership and management. Over the course of his career Phil
has led a marine biogeochemistry research group for the French Atomic Energy Agency,
overseen the environmental-science content of the journal Nature, provided consulting
services to universities, and most recently directed research funding for The Natural
Environment Research Council.
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Speaker Biographies
Steven C. DavisChairman & CEO, INTELLIGENT WIRLESS NETWORKS, USA
As CEO of Intelligent Wireless Networks, Steven has developed a plan for
implementing strategic wireless networks as part of the agriculture and
festival industries. With over two decades of experience in wireless networks, implementation,
design, and operation, Steven has set his sights on connecting the regions of the world that
have not yet been connected fully or at all. Steven is a founding member of the California
Economic Summit, California Forward and the San Joaquin Valley Broadband Consortium.
Bela Jankovich de Jeszenice Owner & CEO, AMBER INVESTMENT, HUNGARY
Béla is the Owner & CEO of Amber Investments, a private holding
that invests in technology and agriculture companies. He is also
the Managing Director of the privately held ’Jankovich Birtok’, a state-of-the art farming
operation of over 7,000 acres in South West Hungary and is an advisor to Anterra
Capital, an independent growth capital fund that invests in fast growing companies that
transform the way food is produced and consumed.
Lord Rupert de MauleyParliamentary Under Secretary, DEFRA, UK
Lord Rupert de Mauley is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for
the Natural Environment and Science at DEFRA. He was appointed
in September 2012. Prior to that he had been a government whip in the House of Lords
from May 2010, and before that an opposition whip from 2005. While a whip he served
also as a parliamentary spokesman on treasury, business, welfare and other matters.
Achim DobermannDirector & Chief Executive,ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH, UK
Achim is the Director & Chief Executive of Rothamsted Research,
the world’s oldest agricultural research institution. In this role he
provides leadership for a wide range of research programmes that aim to develop new
solutions for sustainable management of agricultural systems. Achim has over 25 years
experience in science and technology for sustainable agricultural development globally.
Dan DoughertyBusiness Development Manager, JOHN DEERE & COMPANY, USA
Dan leads business development and solutions strategy for the John
Deere Intelligent Solutions Group. He has been in this position since
August 2013. In this role, Dan has responsibility for business development, strategy,
market analysis and partner alliances. In 2010, Dan joined the Ag & Turf division business
development team where he was responsible for identifying emerging opportunities and
managing collaborative industry relations.
Marco Ferroni Executive Director, SYNGENTA FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, SWITZERLAND
Marco is Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation for
Sustainable Agriculture. The Foundation’s mission is to modernize
agriculture and small-scale farming by the route of sustainable intensification,
diversification and links to markets. Scalable solutions for farmers is the motto in six work
thrusts: R&D, market-led extension, seed systems incubation, risk management, policy
development and outreach.
Jim Godfrey Chairman, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Innovation Platform, TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD, UK
Jim is a Council Member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council and Chairman of the Technology Strategy Board’s
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform. He is also a member of the UK
Government Agri-Tech Strategy Leadership Council, a Trustee of both the National Institute of
Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines,
as well as being a member of the Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship Selection Panel.
Richard GodwinVisiting Professor of Agricultural Engineering, HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY, UK
Richard is currently mentoring the work at Harper Adams
University on controlled traffic and low ground pressure farming.
He holds Emeritus, Honorary and Visiting Professorships from Cranfield University,
Czech University of Life Sciences and Harper Adams University College respectively
and Honorary Doctorates from the Slovak University of Agriculture and Harper Adams
University.
Miguel Granier Founder & Managing Director, INVESTED DEVELOPMENT, USA
Miguel Granier is the Founder & Managing Director of Invested
Development, a Boston-based impact investment management
firm. Before founding ID, Miguel was the founding Investment Manager for First Light
Ventures and founder of MCAP Consulting. He began his career in social enterprise as
a loan officer for ACCION New York and has also worked for the insurance giant Fidelity
National Financial in New York and Delter Business Institute in Beijing, China.
Martin Gruss Global Head of SeedGrowth Products, BAYER CROPSCIENCE, GERMANY
Martin has been responsible for the active seed applied products
within Bayer CropScience since 2009. Bayer SeedGrowth is among
the leading companies in this market offering a fully integrated system from all four areas
of competence: Products, Coatings, Equipment and Service, based on in-house R&D and
manufacturing in all four areas. With the introduction of Poncho VOTiVO, Bayer was the
first company to offer a ready to use combination of a chemical and a biological product.
John HamerInvestment Director, MONSANTO GROWTH VENTURES, USA
John is Investment Director for Monsanto Growth Ventures. Through
investment and partnership, he encourages entrepreneurs and
innovative start-up companies to take on the challenge of a more sustainable future for
world food production. John has more than three decades experience in research, senior
management and investment in the life sciences.
Philippe HerveHead of R&D Alliance Management, BAYER CROPSCIENCE, GERMANY
Philippe is Head of R&D Alliance Management at Bayer CropScience,
in charge of managing partnerships worldwide across the range of
expertise in agriculture. Prior to that role, he was in charge of Product Research for Rice
and Head of Emerging Research and Trait Research APAC region for Bayer CropScience
for the last three years.
Christopher HirstDirector – Strategic Growth,
GRM INTERNATIONAL, UAE
Chris is a seasoned management executive at GRM International,
with over 15 years of experience in numerous countries around
the world. Chris has recently completed a five year secondment as the CEO and Board
member of the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre, which was established to ensure the
agriculture sector remains sustainable.
Dan HodgsonManaging Director, LINN GROVE GROWTH FUNDS, USA
Dan founded Linn Grove Ventures in North Dakota with Thor Iverson,
bringing together a network of innovators, entrepreneurs and
investors in the Northern Midwest States and Prairie Provinces. Linn Grove has strong
relationships with innovative entrepreneurs, technology creators and ag operators with
global market access. Linn Grove Angel Fund 1 and its co-investment Linn Grove Dakota
Funds invested in medical and agriculture new technology opportunities.
worldagritechinvestment.com10
Herco Van LiereVice President of Business Development, KEYGENE, NETHERLANDS
Herco is Vice-President of Business Development of Keygene and
globally manages the Business Development Group. He has more than
15 years of experience in Business Development in various biotechnology companies. The
Business Development Group has a strategic and operational function within KeyGene and
is responsible for developing new business contracts through existing alliances and new
alliances.
Chris Allen Vein Chief Innovation Officer for Global ICT Development, WORLD BANK, USA
As the Chief Innovation Officer for Global Technology Development
at the World Bank, Chris leads the implementation of the
World Bank’s Information and Communications Technology Strategy, ICT policy and
engagement dialogue with internal and external clients, global ICT knowledge and
expertise with client countries.
Matt WaitsCEO, SST SOFTWARE, USA
Matt is CEO of SST Software, an industry leader in agricultural
information management. In the late 90s, Matt recognised that
the underlying infrastructure necessary to process vast amounts of spatial farming data
did not exist so he guided SST Software in the development of an enterprise level, data
management platform branded as agX.
Jim WattRegional Director EMEA & APAC, TRIMBLE, GERMANY
Jim is EMEA Regional Director for Trimble Navigation’s Agriculture
Division. Jim is responsible for the product direction, go-to-market
strategies, sales channel development, and OEM relationships in the region. With more
than 30 years of experience, Jim has been working with Trimble since 2002 focusing on
business development for agriculture solutions in EMEA, India, China, and APAC.
Steve Webb External Technology & Intellectual Property Portfolio Development Leader, DOW AGROSCIENCES, USA
Steve is External Technology and Intellectual Property Portfolio
Development Leader at Dow AgroSciences. He began his career
in 1996 with Crop Protection Research and Development and joined DAS in 2000.
Throughout his career Steve has been actively involved in identifying, establishing and
leading several external collaborations with universities, public research institutes and
commercial companies.
Andrew Ziolkowski Partner, CULTIVIAN VENTURES, USA
Andrew has devoted a 30 year career to venture capital investing
and merchant banking across a broad range of industries. Among his
successful investments, he includes DexCom, Biomimetic Pharmaceuticals, FutureHealth,
Tessera, i-STAT, and The Liposome Company. Prior to joining Cultivian, Andy was a
Managing Director of SAE Ventures and Forest Street Capital LLC, where he spent 14
years as an investor and advisor to early stage healthcare and technology companies.
13
Speaker Biographies
Sara Olson Research Analyst,LUX RRESEARCH, USA
As a Research Analyst at Lux Research, Sara currently leads the
Agro Innovation Intelligence practice, identifying and assessing key
opportunities for profit and technological advances within a broad range of agricultural topics
including, among others, genetically modified crops, fertilizer and pesticide optimization,
precision agriculture developments, and marker-assisted selection for key traits.
Apostolos PapadopoulosDirector, CROP INTELLECT, UK
Apostolos has a strong academic background in crop and soil
science; he is committed and passionate about R&D for the benefit
of agriculture and the environment. At previous R&D positions he managed research
projects and ran GEP efficacy trials. At Crop Intellect he has developed innovative
technologies for crop nutrition and protection and secured IP; developed innovations to
improve existing products by using additives; and developed several unique products in
crop nutrition.
Lila Preston Partner, GENERATION INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, UK
Since 2008 Lila has worked with Generation’s Climate Solutions
Fund which seeks to invest in businesses that create value by
enhancing resource productivity while reducing pollution, waste and emissions. She has
worked across sectors such as agriculture, water, forestry, waste, bio-conversion and
consumer behaviour change.
Michael Raymont President & CEO, AVAC, CANADA
Michael is the President, CEO and a director of AVAC Ltd., a Canada-
based investor emphasising all aspects of the Agriculture and
Food sectors with the exception of land. AVAC also manages a portfolio of fund-of-fund
investments and the Accelerate Angel Co-investment Fund. Michael is also Chairman
of Borderline Asia, and a Director of Arzaq Investments LLC, both of which provide
investment funding and financial advisory work in Asia.
Mark RosegrantDirector, Environment & Production Technology Division, IFPRI, USA
Mark is the Director of the Environment and Production Technology
Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
He oversees research on climate change, water resources, sustainable land
management, genetic resources and biotechnology and agriculture and energy.
Luca Ruiu CEO & Founder, BIOECOPEST, ITALY
Luca is a senior researcher at the University of Sassari and CEO/
Founder of Bioecopest, start up company based in the Technology
Park of Sardinia and committed to bio-based pest management R&D. He received
the National Award for Innovation in 2010 from the Italian Republic President, several
national and international rewards, and funds to start the company.
Jim SchultzFounder & Managing Director, OPEN PRAIRIE, USA
Jim is the Founder of Open Prairie and is responsible for the
management of two multi-million dollar private equity funds with
investments in agriculture companies with disruptive technologies. A fifth-generation
agriculture entrepreneur, Jim has both a passion and understanding for building companies
using experiences gained from operating his family’s various international agri-businesses.
Vipula ShuklaSenior Program Officer, Discovery Research, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, USA
Vipula joined the Research & Development team at The Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation in September 2012 as a Senior Program
Officer. She currently leads the Discovery Portfolio linking upstream, breakthrough
science to application in Agricultural Development, which aligns with her longstanding
interest in the convergence of basic science, technology and agricultural production.
Giulia Stellari Co-Founder & President, AGSQUARED, USA
Giulia is a plant breeder with more than six years of field and
greenhouse growing experience. Her research has been applied in
the development of products for a $1B a year industry. She leads AgSquared’s sales and
business development efforts identifying data-driven business opportunities and creating
partnerships with farm support and advocacy organisations to develop the ecosystem
needed for farm businesses to thrive.
Richard Stirling International Director, OPEN DATA INSTITUTE, UK
Since 2008 Richard has been at the heart of transparency and
open data initiatives in the UK. Within government Richard helped
shape the current transparency agenda, created data.gov.uk and the world’s first online
competition for government data www.showusabetterway.com. Richard is intrigued by
the ability that technology has to change society; he provided the first seed funding for
the Open Knowledge Foundation’s Where Does My Money Go?
Dean Thome Global Business Development Director,NOVOZYMES, CANADA
Dean is currently the Global Business Development Director for
Novozymes BioAg Limited and works with The BioAg Alliance – a
recently announced alliance with Monsanto. The Alliance is focused on microbial
solutions to provide more tools for farmers globally to drive yield and sustainability in
agriculture. The majority of his career has been spent building the global regulatory
affairs capabilities of the Novozymes BioAg business.
Alexander TokarzHead of Business Development, SYNGENTA, SWITZERLAND
Alexander is the Head of Business Development at Syngenta, a global
agribusiness company active in high value commercial seeds and crop
protection products. He joined Syngenta as the Head of Strategy and Planning for
the corporation. In 2007 he became Head of Corn and Oilseeds, and in 2011 Head of
Vegetables. He was appointed to his current position in April 2014.
Noor Ullah Global Head of Agriculture,
ACUMEN FUND, PAKISTAN
Noor is a senior impact investment professional and is the Global
Head for Agriculture at Acumen. He has been leading Acumen’s
efforts in the agriculture investing space for the last seven years. In addition, he also has
experience in investment management in alternative energy, water and health portfolios.
Before joining Acumen, Noor served as a consultant for the World Bank.
Eric Valette Chairman & CEO, PLANET HORIZONS, SWITZERLAND
Eric has been Chairman and CEO of PHT since 2013. He has always
been passionate about water treatment issues and after a short
period in Research and Teaching at the University of Chambéry in France, driven by an
entrepreneurial spirit, he decided to join a Swiss associate in Switzerland to create an
industrial company. With other qualified colleagues, he developed standardised solutions
in water treatment by electromagnetic technology, marketable on a worldwide level.
worldagritechinvestment.com12
March 3-4, 2015 will see the launch
of the acclaimed World Agri-Tech
Investment Summit in the US.
Achieving a “new normal” in sustainable agriculture
Accelerating innovation: The role of partnering and alliancing
Data integration: Creating high-value solutions for farmers
Synthetic biology and its application within the agri-tech space
Opportunities for horizontal collaboration between pharma-tech and agri-tech
Vertical and urban farming: Identifying the opportunities for scale
For more information on presenting or exhibiting at the summit, please contact:
Enrique Schindelheim, Commercial Director
T: +44 1273 669914 / E: [email protected]
Intelligent Wireless Networks
IntelligentWirelessNetworkshasbeenattheforefrontoftheruralbroadbandinitiativeinCaliforniaforthepastthreeyears.AsinitialparticipantsinthefirsteverCaliforniaEconomicSummitin2011andChampionsforSMARTInfrastructure,IntelligentWirelessNetworkshasledthewayinshowingthepossibilitiesofruralconnectivity.In2012IntelligentWirelessNetworkswaskeyinFresnoCitywinningtheIBMSmarterCitiesChallengewhichaffordedFresnoCitytheopportunitytohaveanIBM team assess how it can become a SMART city.
NewLeaf
NewLeafSymbioticsisafast-growingcompanybasedatBRDGPark(DanforthPlantScienceCenter)inStLouisthatisdoingbroadR&Dandcommercialisationofbeneficialplant-associatedbacteria.NewLeafisclosingitsseriesBfinanceroundinQ32014andhasfiledalargenumberofpatents on all aspects of the production and use of plant bacteria to increase yield and promote
plant health.
Planet Horizons Technologies
PlanetHorizonsTechnologiesisaSwiss-basedcompanythatisattheforefrontofwatertreatmenttechnologybyelectromagneticfields.TheAqua-4D®technologydevelopedbyPlanetHorizonsTechnologies from the 2000s improves agricultural production, water consumption, pest attacks,
and the need for phyto-sanitary products and fertilisers. Two strong USPs in irrigation are the
possibility of irrigating with brackish water allowing cultures of saline sensitive crops while having a
leachingeffectonthesoil,andtheinhibitionofnematodeattacks.
Planet Horizons
Aqua-4D Water Solutions
Rowbot
Rowbotisredefiningwhat’spossibleforfarmersbyusingrobotics.ItsfirstRowbot–asmall,self-driving,multi-useplatformforcorn–worksinteamstoapplynitrogenfertiliserinsyncwithcorn needs, inter-seeds cover-crops into tall corn, and collects data to inform both current and
future work. Rowbots allow work to happen when and how it makes the most sense, not when it’s
possible due to legacy equipment and operator constraints.
Starpharma
Starpharma develops and commercialises products based on highly-branched polymers known
as dendrimers. Starpharma’s Priostar® dendrimers have a cost and performance profile optimised
foragrochemicalapplications.Priostar®offersformulatorsthechancetocreateinnovative,differentiated,IP-protectedformulationswithbenefitsincluding:Improveduptakeandefficacy,higherloading and solubility, better dispersion, adhesion to leaves and stems and protection of actives.
WeatherSafe
AtWeatherSafe,theydevelopsolutionstooneofthegreatestchallengesfacinghumankind–leadership in data science, the next breakthrough area of agriculture. Together, they will provide
new time critical insights and help farmers and government with the decisions they make every
season, generating new growth opportunities. WeatherSafe has formed rewarding relationships
andreceivedinvestmentfromtheEuropeanSpaceAgency&theUKTechnologyStrategyBoard.These collaborations are aimed at supporting the delivery of their technology to help agriculture
decision-making, to optimise both quantity and quality of crops’ outputs, therefore increasing yield
and profits, throughout the entire value chain, from the farmer to the end-user.
15
Technology Innovation Session Company Profiles
Airinov
Airinov is a French company founded in 2010 by an electronic engineer, a computer science
engineer and a farmer’s son. Airinov’s aim is to provide new kinds of services for farmers regarding
precisionfarming.ThecompanydesignedthemultiSPEC4Csensortoregisterreflectanceofthevegetationin4bands.ThesensormeasurestheNDVI(NormalizedDifferenceVegetationIndex)inone shot with reflectance signal correction allowed by the included luxmeter.
Benson Hill Biosystems
BensonHillBiosystemsisanagriculturalbiotechnologycompanyfocusedonthedevelopmentof traits to increase intrinsic crop yield. The company employs an integrated, systems-based
approach to trait discovery and validation, and has developed a robust pipeline of next-generation
traitcandidates.BensonHillanditspartnersarededicatedtoaddressingtheforemostchallengeinsustainableproductionagriculture–boostingcropyieldsonexistingacreageandwithlimitedinputs.
AgSquared
AgSquared is the global data platform for small farms. 85% of the world’s farms, producing 70%
of the food we eat, are too small and too labour-intensive to benefit from existing precision
ag technologies. AgSquared’s cloud-based platform is designed to help farmers of all scales,
regardless of the crops that they grow, manage their farms more successfully. As farmers capture
data from the field AgSquared builds a complete picture of their farming operations to help them
make smarter decisions for increased productivity, profitability and sustainability.
Bioecopest
Bioecopest is an early stage biotech-based startup company located in the Technology Park of
Sardinia. Bioecopest is committed to discovering and developing new bio-based active ingredients
through isolation and screening of entomopathogenic microbials, biopesticide design, mode of
action studies, product candidate patenting and development. Among the latest innovations is
the implementation of an integrated platform focusing on the development of innovative pest
management solutions targeting the insect immune system.
Crop Intellect
Crop Intellect is a research and development company with a focus on agricultural innovations
that respond to current and future issues in agriculture. Their passion, expertise and experience
in agricultural research coupled with their strong links with academia and industry are the key
to their aim, making a positive impact on the world’s agriculture for a secure, sustainable future.
Thecompanyoffersstateoftheartagriculturalproductsbasedoninnovativetechnologiesandinhouse developed complex formulations.
Force- A
FORCE-AisaleadingcompanyinPrecisionAgricultureandViticultureprovidinginnovativecost-effectiveplantdiagnostictoolsandsolutionsforreal-timecropmonitoringandmanagement.Characterisation of spraying quality, pruning and fertilising management, selective harvesting
and quality optimisation, high-throughput phenotyping for breeders, are among the applications
answeredbyFORCE-A’ssolutions.
worldagritechinvestment.com14
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