Brazil AgTech Report: Nvidia’s Farm Future, Super iFood, Google Goes Green, Poop to Power, Bosch’s Big Bet
#29 BAR Brief
Curated news from the frontline of Brazil’s Ag and Climate Tech ecosystem
Summary
Welcome to this week’s Brazil AgTech Report.
In AgFood Tech news, Nvidia spotlights AI’s role in agriculture, while Agrotools crossed $40M in revenue with its geospatial ag-data platform. Brazil’s leading food delivery platform, iFood, is expanded into a full-service digital ecosystem, opening new opportunities for farmer-consumer links.
In Climate Tech, São Paulo pledges to become Brazil’s first decarbonized agro state. JBS is scaling its biogas program, COP30 will launch a real-world climate solutions platform, Bio2me will open a regenerative farm, and Brazil’s national patent office, INPI, is fast-tracking green patents to boost bioinput innovation.
AgFintech continues to gain ground, with the sector growing 14% in 2024 as startups expand rural credit access, and agfintech startup, Traive, launched a new marketplace connecting farmers to capital markets.
On the Funding front, AgroAdvance raised $1.9M to scale its agricultural education platform with backing from SLC Ventures and Ânima.
In M&A news, global dairy giant Lactalis announced plans to double its size in Brazil, while GK Partners merged with Al Gore’s Just Climate to expand climate investments.
Across Macro & Markets, Bosch committed $40M to make Brazil its global AgTech hub. Storage infrastructure has fallen behind crop growth, while Brazil boosted trade with the U.S., China, Angola, and renewed EMBRAPA’s footprint in Africa.
📅 Table of Contents
🌾 AgFood Tech
Nvidia Outlines the Future of AgTech
Agrotools Hits $40M in Revenue with Brazilian Ag Data
iFood Expands Beyond Delivery to Become Brazil’s Super App
🌱 Climate Tech
Google Launches Climate AI Program with Four Brazilian Startups
São Paulo Aims to Become Brazil’s First Decarbonized Agro State
JBS Turns to Biogas for Clean Energy in Friboi Plants
COP30 to Launch Platform for Real-World Climate Solutions
Bio2me Invests in First Regenerative Farm in Sao Paulo
Green Patents Could Boost Brazil’s Bioinputs Market
💸 AgFintech
Startups Expand Rural Credit Access as AgFintech Grows 14% in 2024
Traive Launches Marketplace to Connect Capital Markets and Agribusiness
💰 Funding
AgroAdvance Raises $1.9M to Expand Agricultural Education
🔄 M&A
Lactalis Plans to Double in Size in Brazil Within 5 Years
GK Partners Merges with Al Gore’s Just Climate
🌐 Macro & Markets
Bosch Invests $40M to Make Brazil Global Agro Tech Hub
Storage Infrastructure Fails to Keep Up with Crop Growth
Brazil Beef & Soy Exports Surge Amid U.S.-China Tensions
Brazil Expands Agro Trade with China, Angola and Africa
🌾 AgFood Tech
🧠 Nvidia Outlines the Future of AgTech
Nvidia is betting big on agriculture as a frontier for artificial intelligence. The trillion-dollar chipmaker is pushing real-time field analytics, robotics, and deep learning tools that promise major gains in productivity and precision. With Brazil leading global production, Nvidia sees the region as a launchpad for AI-powered AgFood systems. read more
📊 Agrotools Hits $40M in Revenue with Brazilian Ag Data
Agrotools has surpassed US$40 million in revenue by offering data-driven risk intelligence to agribusinesses and banks. Its platform enables credit analysis, climate risk monitoring, brand protection and ESG compliance for clients like insurers, lenders, CPGs and trading companies. read more
🍽️ iFood Expands Beyond Delivery to Become Brazil’s Super App
iFood wants to transform from a food delivery leader into a full-service lifestyle app. In addition to groceries and restaurant meals, it now offers personal finance tools, logistics services, and even education, and hopes to expand these areas in coming years. For agriculture, this opens potential new channels for direct-to-consumer models and data-sharing with food origin platforms. read more
🌱 Climate Tech
🤖 Google Launches Climate AI Program with Four Brazilian Startups
Google has included four Brazilian startups, as part of a global cohort of 15, in its new “AI for Climate” program, supporting ventures that apply artificial intelligence to real-world climate challenges. Projects include emissions monitoring, precision agriculture, and regenerative land-use models. The accelerator offers technical mentoring, cloud credits, and global visibility, with a goal of speeding up climate resilience and sustainability through innovation. read more
🌎 São Paulo Aims to Become Brazil’s First Decarbonized Agro State
Governor Tarcísio de Freitas announced São Paulo’s goal to be the first fully decarbonized agricultural state in Brazil. The plan includes low-carbon technologies, bioinputs, renewable energy, and reforestation. With Brazil set to host COP30 in 2025, São Paulo wants to position itself as a climate leader, offering a replicable model for sustainable agribusiness. read more
♻️ JBS Turns to Biogas for Clean Energy in Friboi Plants
JBS is expanding its use of biogas generated from organic waste at Friboi meatpacking facilities. The company aims to reduce emissions and energy costs while transforming livestock byproducts into clean power. It’s part of a broader sustainability push that includes circular economy practices and renewable energy targets. read more
🧪 COP30 to Launch Platform for Real-World Climate Solutions
Organizers of COP30, set for Belém in 2025, will launch a new platform focused on real-world climate projects. Brazil wants to showcase tangible examples—especially from agriculture and land use—that go beyond pledges to proof-of-impact. read more
🌿 Bio2me Invests to Launch First Regenerative Farm in Sao Paulo
Bio2me has invested US$400k to open its first “mato” farm—a production model based on native vegetation and regenerative principles. Located in São Paulo state, the operation integrates biodiverse crop systems and natural forest regeneration while maintaining commercial viability. The farm will also serve as a learning hub to replicate this agroecological model across degraded landscapes. read more
💸 AgFintech
🚜 Startups Expand Rural Credit Access as AgFintech Grows 14% in 2024
AgriFintech startups are scaling fast in Brazil, with the sector growing 14% in 2024. These platforms are expanding access to rural credit by digitizing farmer onboarding, improving credit scoring, and embedding financial services into input, insurance, and grain transactions. From embedded lending to blockchain-enabled traceability, AgFintech is becoming the primary on-ramp for financial innovation in Brazilian agriculture—especially among small and mid-sized producers. read more, more
📈 Traive Launches Marketplace to Connect Capital Markets and Agribusiness
AgriFintech startup, Traive, has launched a new digital marketplace designed to connect the agricultural sector with capital market investors. The platform facilitates transactions between farmers, cooperatives, and financial institutions, offering more transparent risk assessment and streamlined financing. read more
💰 Funding
🎓 AgroAdvance Raises $1.9M to Expand Agricultural Education
AgroAdvance, a leading agribusiness education platform, has raised $1.9 million in a pre-Series A round led by SLC Ventures (the corporate VC arm of one of Brazil’s largest farming groups) and Ânima Ventures (an edtech-focused fund from one of Brazil’s top private university networks). The funding will support the launch of undergraduate programs in agronomy, business administration, and production engineering by 2026. read more
🔄 M&A
🥛 Lactalis Plans to Double in Size in Brazil Within 5 Years
French dairy giant Lactalis is targeting major expansion in Brazil, aiming to double its size through acquisitions, new product development, and regional market penetration. The company has already acquired Itambé and other local brands, and sees Brazil as a strategic growth hub. read more
🌍 GK Partners Merges with Al Gore’s Just Climate
São Paulo-based GK Partners has announced a merger with Just Climate, the climate-focused investment firm co-founded by Al Gore. The partnership aims to channel more capital into scalable climate solutions in emerging markets, especially Brazil. read more
🌐 Macro & Markets
🌿 Bosch Invests $40M to Make Brazil Global Agro Tech Hub
Bosch has designated Brazil as its global center for agricultural technology, committing $40 million to expand its research and production footprint. The company is focusing on connectivity, automation, and smart sprayer systems tailored for tropical agriculture. With the investment, Bosch aims to export Brazil-developed solutions to other emerging markets. read more
🏗️ Storage Infrastructure Fails to Keep Up with Crop Growth
Brazil’s agricultural output has surged, but grain storage infrastructure hasn’t kept pace and the country now faces a gap of over 100 million tons in storage capacity. This shortfall leads to higher logistics costs, post-harvest losses, and price pressure on farmers—especially during bumper harvests. read more
🚢 Brazil Beef & Soy Exports Surge Amid U.S.-China Tensions
Brazil is benefitting from trade realignments sparked by U.S.-China tariffs. In 2024, Brazilian beef exports to the U.S. jumped fivefold, while soybean shipments to China rose 10%. As global buyers seek stable suppliers, Brazil continues to gain share in major commodity markets. read more, more
🌍 Brazil Expands Agro Trade with China, Angola and Africa
Brazilian agribusiness leaders are strengthening trade ties beyond traditional partners. Recent missions to China and Angola focused on expanding export channels and signing cooperation deals. At the same time, EMBRAPA announced plans to resume operations in Africa, sharing tropical farming technologies and boosting South-South collaboration. read more, more, more
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading,
KFG 🚀
Kieran Finbar Gartlan is an Irish native with over 30 years of experience living and working in Brazil. He is Managing Partner at The Yield Lab Latam, a leading venture capital firm investing in Agrifood and Climate Tech startups across Latin America.
All views and opinions expressed are his own.