Deep tech– or the world of technology companies beyond those that make software– is often seen as a bridge too far for the world of venture capital investing. A key challenge; the tried and true strategies around growing high-value companies quickly that were the hallmark of the 2000s and 2010s don’t often translate when a company is moving atoms and molecules instead of bits and bytes. 

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But from our perspective, deep tech is likely the most important component of our future food system. We have conviction that deep tech advances, from robotics to distributed input production, will actually be the most important advances driving the industry forward during the next 100 years.

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Today, Komal Patel and Matthew Pryor from our team here at Tenacious Ventures are digging more into why we have this conviction, and how we think about the hard questions around de-risking deep tech in ag. They’ll discuss: 

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• The importance of what can’t be digitized in agriculture
• Provoking and challenging the power law in venture capital 
• Relearning the value of customer acquisition while managing technical risk
• How we think about returns profiles for deep tech opportunities
• The value of blending venture funding with non-dilutive capital for deep tech companies

Useful Links:

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• A great primer for this conversation is our writing on How Silicon Valley Set AgTech Back a Decade
• Take a listen to the episode where we dug into one of our key deep tech investments with The Three Categories of Autonomy with SwarmFarm, and follow up with our investment notes on the company
• Don’t miss our discussions with another deep tech portfolio company around The Future of Nitrogen with Jupiter Ionics 
• Follow friend of the show Shane Thomas with his marvelous turn of phrase, “your margin is my opportunity”
• Learn more from Matthew on why the future is digitally native
• Brush up on power laws in venture investing with Clint Korver
• We’re fundraising for Tenacious Ventures Fund II, out loud To learn more about investing in Fund II, click here

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The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.