Investing in agriculture
FCC offers venture capital financing, either directly or in partnership with others, to help develop and grow agricultural and agribusiness operations.
Direct investment
Many profitable markets are emerging that hold great potential for Canadian agriculture. In order to build and grow their businesses, customers need access to large amounts of capital. Since its inception in 2002, FCC Ventures has provided over $60 million in venture capital financing to small and medium-sized businesses in these areas:
- value-added food manufacturing and processing
- development and manufacturing of agricultural equipment
- commercial processing
- commercial-scale farming
- businesses that support the agricultural sector
- ag biotech
In addition to our own investments, FCC has been successful in attracting other venture capital to agriculture from third party co-investors.
Fund investment
On November 1, 2006, FCC took a lead role in sponsoring Canada's first industrial life sciences fund — Avrio Ventures Limited Partnership. FCC was the lead limited partner responsible for creating this fund with a commitment of $50 million.
Avrio Ventures targets growth-to-commercialization-stage businesses in three emerging sectors: industrial bio-products, food technology and nutraceutical ingredients. This fund helps Canada reach its potential as a world leader in the production and processing of biomass for use in the creation of energy, functional foods and uses in human and animal health care.
Avrio Ventures manages this fund. Avrio is a separate entity from FCC, with offices in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
Find out more
Through venture capital funding, FCC is helping to finance strong, well-managed businesses related to agriculture, many of which are located in rural Canada, and that’s both exciting and rewarding.
FCC Ventures
Rick Hoffman, VP, Finance and Venture Capital
306-780-5708
Avrio Ventures Limited Partnership
Jim Taylor
403-215-5490
info@avrioventures.com
www.avrioventures.com
