Key Takeaways:
- Suzano Ventures has made a strategic investment in BemAgro, a Brazilian AgTech startup.
- The investment is part of a US$2.6 million funding round led by CNH, with participation from ATVOS.
- BemAgro’s AI-driven SaaS solutions optimize agricultural processes, now expanding into eucalyptus farming.
- Suzano Ventures will support BemAgro with capital, access to Suzano’s infrastructure, and expertise.
Suzano Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Suzano, the world’s largest market pulp producer, has announced a strategic investment in BemAgro, a leading Brazilian AgTech startup. BemAgro specializes in delivering Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that optimize the agricultural cycle from planting to harvesting.
Strategic Investment in AgTech Innovation
This investment is part of a US$2.6 million funding round led by CNH, a global leader in agricultural and construction equipment, technology, and services. Suzano Ventures joins as a strategic investor, alongside ATVOS, Brazil’s second-largest producer of market ethanol from sugarcane and its biomass. This funding marks the conclusion of BemAgro’s latest investment series, which began earlier this year with a US$1.8 million round.
Expanding Digital Agriculture Solutions
BemAgro’s digital agriculture solutions leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate accurate and automated data processing, enhancing crop planting, growth, and harvesting. These technologies have demonstrated strong results in Brazil’s sugarcane industry, with proven capabilities to increase productivity by 7.5% and reduce herbicide application by up to 70%.
With more than 5 million hectares processed across Brazil, Latin America, and Asia, BemAgro’s solutions are now being expanded to eucalyptus farming. Suzano Ventures will support this transition, providing not only capital but also access to Suzano’s farms, operations, and technical expertise. This collaboration aims to refine BemAgro’s technologies for precision silviculture, particularly in monitoring and enhancing the early stages of eucalyptus growth.
Industry Impact and Future Prospects
Suzano Ventures’ involvement is expected to accelerate the development and adoption of BemAgro’s technologies across the forestry sector. Álvaro Gómez Rodríguez, Senior Manager at Suzano Ventures, expressed confidence in the partnership, noting that integrating BemAgro’s technologies into Suzano’s operations could significantly improve efficiencies throughout the eucalyptus lifecycle.
BemAgro’s CEO, Johann Coelho, emphasized that the partnership with Suzano Ventures and ATVOS is a testament to the innovative potential of their technology. He highlighted the strategic alignment of this investment with BemAgro’s goals of expanding its market reach and managing up to 10 million hectares in the future.
Alexandre Maganhato, CTO of ATVOS, remarked that the partnership with BemAgro aligns with ATVOS’s strategic priorities, particularly in using data-driven technologies to enhance decision-making and optimize agro-industrial operations.
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