Food Systems

Acumen is a venture philanthropy organization that invests in visionary entrepreneurs building transformational companies from seed to scale. They focus on funding bold entrepreneurs who are creating inclusive solutions across sectors like sustainable agriculture, quality education, renewable energy, healthy communities, dignified jobs, and gender equality. Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty through patient capital investments in high-innovation, high-impact enterprises. They operate by deploying philanthropic capital to shape markets and support entrepreneurs who are addressing the world's toughest poverty-related challenges, investing where traditional funders won't. Acumen Ventures has established itself as a significant force in the impact investing ecosystem since 2001, with an A to Z directory of portfolio companies spanning over two decades. They matter because they've reinvented the rules of return, prioritizing impact alongside financial sustainability and helping to demonstrate that venture philanthropy can drive meaningful systemic change in underserved communities globally.

The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) is a programme of the Adaptation Fund, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator in Munich. It identifies, supports and scales locally rooted climate-adaptation solutions that protect food systems and livelihoods in communities hit by droughts, floods, storms and rising temperatures. AFCIA runs four regional cohorts from 2024 to 2029. Each year focuses on a different region. The first cohort (2024) supported ventures implementing in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. The Asia-Pacific sprint (2026) includes ventures in Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines. The third cohort targets Latin America and the Caribbean, with a live call for solutions tailored to climate-adaptation challenges in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Peru. The programme contributes to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). It seeks both low- and high-tech innovations from established legal entities (for-profit, nonprofit, social business, NGO or INGO) that already have a presence in the country of implementation and are at least seed stage. Selected teams join a bootcamp, then can enter a nine-month Sprint with WFP support and equity-free funding. Applications for the LAC cohort close 13 September 2026, 23:59 UTC; only English submissions are accepted.

Adenia Partners is a private markets investment firm focused on growth opportunities across Africa. Founded in 2002, the firm invests in high-potential companies that drive economic development while delivering strong financial returns. With offices across key African markets, Adenia Partners works closely with management teams to scale businesses, improve operational performance, and expand regional footprint. The firm integrates ESG and impact considerations into its investment strategy, with a focus on building resilient businesses that contribute to long-term economic growth on the continent.

Alterfin is a Belgian social cooperative that finances social enterprises worldwide, focusing on microfinance institutions and sustainable smallholder agriculture organizations. With nearly 6,000 cooperative members, they invest in organizations that help the most disadvantaged people develop economic activities and generate sustainable incomes across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The organization operates as a cooperative financed by individuals and companies, offering everyone an investment opportunity to generate positive social, environmental, and economic impact. Their mission centers on what they call "Human Yield" - a return measured in improved lives, dignity, resilience, and humanity rather than just financial returns. Alterfin has established itself as a significant player in the impact investment ecosystem over 30 years of operation, with 70.8 million euros in capital and a diverse membership base of 5,711 individual cooperative members and 190 companies and organizations. Their approach enables people to invest in entrepreneurs and farmers they might never meet but whose lives change through access to opportunities in regions where traditional banking channels don't exist or don't meet micro-entrepreneurs' needs.

Aqua-Spark is a Netherlands-based global investment fund dedicated to building a sustainable aquaculture industry. The firm invests across the entire seafood value chain, backing companies that improve how fish and other aquatic species are farmed, fed, and distributed. With a long-term, systems-level approach, Aqua-Spark partners with entrepreneurs to address critical challenges in aquaculture, including environmental impact, animal health, and resource efficiency. Its mission is to make sustainable seafood accessible and scalable while supporting the transition to a more resilient global food system.

Astanor Ventures is an impact investor that transforms the agrifood system by fostering innovation from "soil and sea to gut." They operate two complementary investment strategies - Astanor Venture for early-stage companies and Astanor Growth for scaling businesses across the entire agrifood value chain. Their mission centers on building a more resilient planet by investing at the intersection of planetary and human health, using food and agricultural systems as primary levers for change. They support ambitious entrepreneurs developing globally scalable solutions capable of driving systemic change, reconnecting planetary and human health through better nutrition and sustainable farming practices. As a global leader in impact investing, Astanor plays a crucial role in financing and scaling systemic disruption needed to reach ambitious targets set by the Paris Agreement and UN SDGs. With offices across Europe and the US, they demonstrate that there is no trade-off between return and impact - the more successful their portfolio businesses become, the greater the positive impact on both people and the planet.

Beyond Impact is an impact investment firm focused on accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, animal-free economy. Founded in 2017, the firm backs companies developing alternatives to animal-based products across food, materials, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. The firm’s mission centers on building a “kinder, cleaner, healthier world” by investing in scalable businesses that reduce environmental damage, eliminate animal suffering, and improve human health. Its portfolio targets high-growth sectors such as plant-based foods, alternative proteins, and next-generation biomaterials.

Bezos Earth Fund is one of the world’s largest philanthropic initiatives focused on addressing climate change, protecting nature, and accelerating the transition to a sustainable global economy. Established by Jeff Bezos, the fund represents a $10 billion commitment to climate and environmental action through 2030. The organization supports scientists, nonprofits, policymakers, entrepreneurs, Indigenous communities, research institutions, and environmental leaders working to conserve ecosystems, decarbonize industries, transform food systems, advance climate technologies, and improve environmental accountability worldwide.

Builders Vision is an investment and philanthropy platform founded by Lukas Walton, focused on scaling solutions across food and agriculture, energy, and ocean systems. The platform combines venture capital, private equity, and philanthropic capital to drive large-scale environmental and social outcomes. Through its integrated model, Builders Vision supports entrepreneurs, funds, and initiatives working to transform global systems. Its approach is rooted in long-term partnerships, market transformation, and deploying flexible capital to accelerate sustainable innovation.

Circular Valley is a Germany-based innovation ecosystem and startup accelerator dedicated to accelerating the global transition to a circular economy. Often described as the "Silicon Valley of the Circular Economy," the organization brings together startups, corporations, research institutions, governments, and investors to commercialize circular innovations across manufacturing, materials, construction, energy, mobility, textiles, packaging, food systems, and industrial technologies. Through its Circular Economy Accelerator, Circular Valley provides mentorship, corporate partnerships, pilot opportunities, investor access, and a global network to help early-stage companies scale technologies that reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and enable circular value chains. Since launching its accelerator, the organization has supported 178 startups from 45 countries that have collectively raised more than €350 million in follow-on funding.

Coefficient Giving is a philanthropic funder and advisor that partners with leading donors to multiply their impact. Formerly Open Philanthropy, the organization has directed over $5 billion in grants since 2014, including more than $1 billion in 2025 alone, and works with donors such as Good Ventures and other major philanthropists to identify and fund high-impact giving opportunities. Coefficient operates dedicated funds spanning global health and wellbeing, biosecurity and pandemic preparedness, farm animal welfare, global growth, AI safety, science and global health R&D, air quality, and other strategic cause areas.

EIT Climate-KIC is Europe's leading, independent climate innovation agency and community, working to create climate-resilient societies and fight the climate breakdown. Initiated by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), Climate-KIC bridges the gap between climate commitments and current reality through innovation and systemic change. The organization works hand-in-hand with countries, regions, cities, and businesses across the globe to mobilize systems change and accelerate climate action. Climate-KIC orchestrates place-based transformations that ground climate action at the local level, prioritizing solutions developed and implemented in local contexts to build momentum and inspire action. Through partnerships, they generate, implement, and integrate climate solutions while facilitating learning to fuel faster and more ambitious climate action. Their work spans climate entrepreneurship, learning initiatives, and European missions including support for climate-neutral cities by 2030.

Farmland LP is the largest manager focused on organic and regenerative farming in the United States, specializing in transforming conventional farmland into sustainable, high-value agricultural assets. The company manages over 19,000 acres and focuses on converting farmland to USDA Organic certified farms while implementing regenerative farming practices that improve both financial returns and environmental outcomes. Their mission centers on delivering sustainable returns by capitalizing on the growing demand for organic food while addressing the supply shortage of organic farmland. They operate by acquiring conventional farmland and implementing value-add transformations including organic conversion, precision irrigation, multi-year crop rotations, and renewable energy installations. The company follows a comprehensive approach that reduces chemical inputs, improves soil health, and supports biodiversity across more than 40 high-value crops. Farmland LP has established itself as a world leader in natural capital and sustainable agriculture investment, earning recognition from HIP Investor with the highest impact rating among 10,000 companies evaluated. Their impact extends beyond financial returns to include significant environmental benefits such as CO2 sequestration, pesticide reduction, and biodiversity enhancement. As a Certified B Corporation and PRI signatory, they have set new industry standards for sustainable agriculture investment and demonstrated that regenerative farming practices can deliver both market-leading returns and meaningful environmental impact.

Ford Foundation is one of the world’s largest philanthropic foundations, focused on advancing social justice, reducing inequality, strengthening democratic values, and expanding human dignity globally. Founded in 1936, the foundation supports nonprofits, movements, institutions, artists, researchers, and community leaders working to address systemic social, political, and economic challenges. The Ford Foundation operates across multiple regions worldwide and funds initiatives spanning democracy, racial justice, economic inclusion, technology and society, gender equity, arts and culture, journalism, and human rights.

The Green Accelerator (GA) is a Hong Kong–hosted, philanthropy-funded nonprofit platform that prepares scalable, bankable green projects in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It launched in 2026 at the Hong Kong Green Finance Association Annual Forum, with backing referenced in the Hong Kong SAR Government’s 2026–27 Budget. GA is built around the climate-finance “bankability gap”: many technically viable green projects in the Global South never reach financial close because they lack project preparation, proven operating models, and documentation that meet the investment criteria of multilateral development banks, sovereign wealth funds, and international commercial banks. The platform uses philanthropic capital for design, preparation, technical assistance, and capacity building so proven technologies can be assembled into investable portfolios. Work is organized across energy transition, sustainable food systems, circular economy, and water and climate resilience. A Steering Committee of founding members sets strategy; a secretariat and regional teams run day-to-day operations. Founding members named at launch include the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, the HKSAR Environmental Protection Department, GenZero, the Institute of Finance and Sustainability, the Silk Road Fund, and HSBC. The initiative is hosted by Sprinkles (HK) Charity Foundation, a Section 88 tax-exempt charity registered in Hong Kong, with listed office locations in Hong Kong, London, and Singapore.

Just Climate is a mission-driven investment business established by Generation Investment Management that focuses on backing high-impact climate solutions capable of radically reducing or removing emissions. The firm targets attractive risk-adjusted financial returns while prioritizing transformational climate impact, operating through a 'climate-led' investing approach that starts with identifying solutions that can make the biggest difference to achieving net zero by 2050. The firm directs and scales institutional capital toward solutions for historically hard-to-abate industries, emphasizing low or no-carbon solutions that are transformational rather than incremental. Just Climate's mission is to make climate-led investing a capital allocation imperative, focusing on solutions that can benefit people everywhere while addressing the urgent need to radically reduce all emissions by 2030.

Katapult is a Norwegian impact investor that accelerates and invests in technology companies solving the world's greatest challenges. They focus on highly scalable impact tech startups, with specific investment programs including Katapult Ocean for startups with positive ocean impact and Katapult Africa for climate-tech startups addressing Africa's pressing challenges. The organization operates through a comprehensive platform approach, combining investment with accelerator programs to strengthen their support for promising impact tech startups. Since 2017, they have conducted 10 flagship accelerator programs and 3 corporate accelerators, while also establishing the Katapult Foundation in 2020 to focus on building the impact community and education around impact investment. Katapult has established significant influence in the global impact investment ecosystem, having invested in 169 companies across 47 different countries. Their platform approach enables domain experts to launch lean and efficient investment vehicles, while initiatives like Katapult Future Fest, Katapult X, and the Nordic Investment Network help build the broader impact investing community and demonstrate their commitment to scaling both profit and impact.

Lilly Capital is a privately owned early-stage impact investment firm headquartered in Feusisberg, Switzerland. It backs entrepreneurs at the very early stage and stays involved as an active shareholder and business mentor, helping companies with strategic and operational decisions. The firm says its mission is to make tomorrow’s world a better place by investing in innovative startups and building a bridge between profit and impact. Public materials point to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with particular attention to zero hunger, quality education, clean water and sanitation, and decent work and economic growth. Lilly Capital invests worldwide and describes a long-term horizon rather than a short holding period. Lilly Capital AG was founded in 2022. The team draws on investment professionals with experience across industries to mentor founders toward a stronger market position.

The Mars Impact Fund is Mars, Incorporated’s enterprise philanthropic vehicle, launched in February 2026 and based with the company in McLean, Virginia. It sits alongside brand foundations (PEDIGREE Foundation, Banfield Foundation, BluePearl Cares, VCA Charities, Royal Canin Foundation, Mars Snacking Foundation) rather than replacing them. The Fund’s job is long-term, invitation-only grants with NGOs, academic partners and development organizations in places Mars already sources, sells or employs people. Three pillars organize the portfolio: sourcing-community resilience (farm livelihoods, women’s economic power, child nutrition and WASH), scientist pipelines in food, agriculture, nutrition and pet care, and companion-animal wellbeing (preventive care, spay/neuter, last-mile veterinary access). A fourth operational role is disaster response when communities around Mars operations are hit—illustrated by a $1M World Central Kitchen grant after the 2026 Venezuela earthquakes. Capital is corporate philanthropy, not a return-seeking impact vehicle: $85 million allocated for 2025–2027, then at least $50 million a year from 2028. The Fund does not accept unsolicited applications; Michelle Grogg is executive director.

MassChallenge is a global accelerator network that backs entrepreneurs with the determination to solve the world's toughest challenges. Born in Massachusetts and built for the world, MassChallenge operates as a founder-focused organization that turns bold ideas into meaningful outcomes. The organization supports startups across multiple critical challenge areas without taking equity. MassChallenge focuses on accelerating solutions in five key challenge areas: Healthcare & Life Sciences, Security & Resiliency, Sustainable Food Systems, Climate, and Global Financial Systems. Through their accelerator programs, they connect founders with technical experts, industry leaders, and corporate partners who are committed to driving innovation and impact in these critical sectors.

One Acre Fund is a nonprofit agricultural service provider that supplies smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa with quality seed, fertilizer, financing, training, and last-mile delivery. Rather than one-time charity, the organization invests in farmers to help them grow more food and earn more income on the same plot of land — creating pathways out of hunger and poverty while strengthening rural economies.

Planetary Impact Ventures is a Danish investment manager providing patient capital to companies and land projects working to regenerate food systems, farmland, and biodiversity. Planetary operates two evergreen funds. Its Venture Fund invests in companies developing long term solutions for an organic and regenerative food system operating within planetary boundaries. Its Soil Fund acquires degraded farmland in Denmark and partners with farmers and entrepreneurs who want to restore the land through regenerative agriculture, rewilding, and nature restoration. The firm was founded in 2019 and made its first portfolio investment in 2020. Its portfolio includes businesses working across food production, agricultural technology, soil health, biological inputs, circular packaging, alternative ingredients, and ecosystem restoration. Planetary takes a long term approach designed around the time required to build resilient businesses and restore natural systems. Its evergreen funds do not follow the traditional venture capital cycle of raising a fund, pursuing rapid exits, and returning capital within a fixed period. Planetary also operates without carried interest, which it believes reduces pressure to prioritize short term financial gains over lasting environmental value. The firm is commercially oriented and expects its investments to be financially sound. However, it defines value more broadly than financial return alone, considering environmental health, human wellbeing, biodiversity, resilient communities, and the needs of future generations.

Prosper Global Ventures is the early-stage impact investing and venture-building platform of Prosper Global, the global development organization formerly known as Mercy Corps. The platform was founded in 2015 as Mercy Corps Ventures and now operates as a family of funds backing founders whose technologies help people and markets withstand climate and economic disruption. Its Resilient Future Thesis is organized around three connected areas: adaptive agriculture and food systems, inclusive climate fintech, and climate-smart technologies. The team invests primarily across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, prioritizing founders who understand the communities they serve and businesses that can scale across a region or globally. Earlier Fund I activity also included Southeast Asia. Prosper Global’s current Ventures page reports 61 early-stage companies supported, $753 million in follow-on capital catalyzed, and 46.3 million customers reached across 90 countries. Its 2025 impact report says 83% of portfolio companies had raised follow-on capital and 46% had at least one woman co-founder. These are Prosper Global Ventures’ reported portfolio figures, not independent impact measurements. The platform combines equity investment with pilots, technical assistance, impact measurement, partnerships, and post-investment support. Representative investments made under the Mercy Corps Ventures name include Pula, which provides agricultural insurance and advisory products for smallholder farmers; Floodbase, which develops flood-risk data and analysis; Wasoko, a last-mile commerce and financing platform for small retailers; AgriAku, an agricultural input marketplace; Ejara, an inclusive savings and investment platform; and Verqor, an agri-fintech platform serving farmers in Mexico. Prosper Global Ventures is embedded within Prosper Global’s humanitarian and development network, giving portfolio companies potential pathways to test products with communities affected by climate volatility, financial exclusion, fragile food systems, and infrastructure gaps. The venture platform is associated with Scott Onder, its co-founder and senior investment leader, while Tjada D’Oyen McKenna leads the parent organization as CEO.

Pulse Fund is a climate venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies across four interconnected sectors: food and agriculture, energy transition, infrastructure, and mobility. Founded in 2022 by Tenzin Seldon, the firm focuses on scalable solutions that address climate challenges across multiple industries. In September 2026, Pulse announced the $63 million close of its inaugural fund. Its portfolio includes Mast Reforestation, Twelve, Endera Motors, InventWood, BlocPower, Floodbase, Plantible Foods, and other climate technology companies. Beyond capital, Pulse provides strategic guidance, industry connections, operational support, governance expertise, and access to additional financing. Its investment approach emphasizes commercially viable solutions with long-term environmental impact, guided by a philosophy it calls Pulse Time: generating returns today while building for the next century.

ReGen Ventures is an impact-focused venture capital firm that invests in foundational regenerative technologies designed to power a future of abundance. They focus on four core investment areas: clean energy, planetary intelligence, programmable matter, and adaptive robotics, partnering with founders who are building transformative technologies from the atomic to planetary scale. The firm operates with a mission to reimagine the world by supporting technologies that make regeneration inevitable, enabling infinite growth and prosperity on a finite planet. They take a hands-on approach with founders, providing comprehensive support that ranges from business modeling to personal wellness, emphasizing long-term sustainable returns over short-term wins. ReGen Ventures positions itself as an innovator in the investment space, paving a new path for what investments should be by focusing on root causes rather than symptoms of environmental challenges. They are building what they call a "ReGenerative Future" where climate change is reframed as an opportunity for transformation, backing founders with unreasonable ambition who alter understanding of what's possible in addressing planetary challenges.

Root Capital is a nonprofit social investment fund that partners with small and growing agricultural businesses to increase farmer livelihoods, fight climate change, uplift women, employ youth, and build rural prosperity. They provide credit tailored to agricultural enterprises' needs, along with free capacity building training, farming resources, and other support services to help these businesses develop and scale. Their mission is to grow rural prosperity and build the resilience of farming families around the world, with a vision of thousands of rural businesses supporting a thriving agricultural sector. They operate through four key pathways: Access to Finance, Climate Action, Women's Empowerment, and Next Generation Jobs, supporting the early development of agricultural enterprises because they believe these businesses can raise up whole communities. Since 1999, Root Capital has been creating transformative impact in some of the world's most vulnerable rural areas across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. They have positively impacted the lives of over 10 million people in farming communities, demonstrating their significant role in fostering sustainable agricultural development and rural economic growth. Their 25-year track record positions them as a key player in the agricultural impact investing ecosystem.

S2G Ventures is a multi-stage investment firm focused on venture and growth-stage businesses across food & agriculture, oceans, and energy sectors. With over 11 years of track record and $2.8 billion in assets under management, S2G has built a portfolio of over 120 companies driving system-wide change. The firm operates at the seams of sector transition, recognizing that their focus areas, food & agriculture, oceans, and energy, are highly interconnected, commodity-driven, and policy-sensitive with commonly hard-to-abate emission challenges. S2G challenges the typical siloed approach to investing by tapping into similar market dynamics to identify scalable solutions that help change the system rather than just driving positive outcomes.

Sea Forward Ocean Health Fund is a collaborative, multi-donor impact fund dedicated to accelerating solutions that support a healthy and thriving ocean. Administered through ImpactAssets, the fund combines impact investing, grantmaking, education, and community building to support innovative approaches to ocean conservation and restoration. Sea Forward focuses on sustainable aquaculture, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, circular economy solutions, regenerative nature-based approaches, and science-based monitoring technologies. Through both investments and grants, the fund supports entrepreneurs, nonprofits, researchers, and ecosystem builders working to address some of the most pressing challenges facing marine environments and coastal communities. Beyond capital deployment, Sea Forward serves as an ocean impact learning community, bringing together philanthropists, impact investors, scientists, conservation leaders, and innovators to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and accelerate positive change for the ocean. The fund is led by marine biologist and ocean conservation advocate Laura Francis, whose decades of experience in marine education and conservation inform the fund’s strategic approach.

SOSV is a global venture capital firm and accelerator founded in 1995, operating one of the most active deep tech and life sciences investment programs in the world. The firm runs multiple accelerator programs, including HAX for hardware and robotics, IndieBio for life sciences and biotech, and Orbit for climate and sustainability — providing intensive company-building support alongside early-stage capital. With over $1.5 billion in AUM and a portfolio exceeding 1,000 companies across more than 70 countries, SOSV occupies a distinctive position in the venture landscape: a programmatic investor that takes companies from idea stage through to growth and beyond. The firm's accelerator model means it is often the first institutional check into a company, with follow-on capability through later rounds. SOSV has a strong impact orientation across its portfolio, with climate, food systems, health, and sustainability representing a significant share of its investments. Its programs in particular have become known as launchpads for companies working on hard scientific and engineering problems that require more than capital to succeed.

Steward is a mission-driven lending platform that provides flexible financing to regenerative farms and agriculture businesses focused on transforming local food systems. They partner with human-scale producers including farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers who are implementing sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. Their mission is to promote environmental and economic stewardship through regenerative agriculture by bridging the funding gap that many sustainable producers face when trying to access capital. Steward operates a community-lending platform that connects mission-driven lenders with agricultural projects, allowing individuals to participate in secured, interest-bearing loans that support regenerative businesses. Steward plays a crucial role in the regenerative agriculture ecosystem by championing the "unsung stewards" who are proving there's a more sustainable way to produce food while taking responsibility for soil health and local communities. They matter because they're addressing a critical need in the agricultural sector where human-scale producers struggle to access traditional financing, thus enabling the growth and scaling of regenerative practices that benefit both environmental and economic outcomes.

Stray Dog Capital is a venture capital fund investing in innovative, early-stage companies across the food, beverage, and biotechnology sectors that are driving a healthier, humane, and more sustainable future. The fund focuses on plant-based food and beverage products, cellular agriculture companies using tissue engineering and fermentation, food technology innovations, and other ventures aligned with their mission of creating healthier and more sustainable outcomes. The Stray Dog Capital team brings broad experience as entrepreneurs, operators, advisors, and investors, with a deep passion for partnering with game-changing companies to realize both significant social impact and commercial success.

Wavemaker Impact is Southeast Asia's climate-tech venture builder, co-founding startups with proven entrepreneurs to cut emissions at regional scale. Launched in 2021 as part of the Wavemaker Partners platform and led by founding partner Marie Cheong, the firm targets the region's largest emission sources in agriculture, energy, industry, built environment, and transport, with a long-term goal of helping reduce 10% of the global carbon budget by 2035.