Brazil AgTech Report: Tilapia Tech, Malt Monitor, Genome Games, AI Gets a Gavel
#31 BAR Brief
Summary
Brazil AgTech is firing on all cylinders. Broto, Banco do Brasil’s rural platform, hit 1M visits as it expands into insurance, inputs, and machinery. Epagri’s tilapia tech project shows how livestock monitoring tools are now boosting aquaculture. A startup in Santa Catarina developed a real-time malt analyzer for the beer industry, while Embrapa unveiled Brazil’s first gene-edited calves and robot swarms impress on a major grain farm.
In Climate Tech, a new EY study pegs Brazil’s ESG risk exposure at US$17B, urging CFOs to act fast. Citrosuco raised nearly US$400M to decarbonize its operations—including biofuel ships—while Kepler Weber teamed up with XP to turn grain logistics data into a monetizable platform. Meanwhile satellite-powered irrigation is helping farms save water and money.
Funding activity remains robust. Agroforte raised US$6.8M in financing to expand livestock credit for smallholders. Calice secured US$2.5M in equity to scale its AI tools for precision farming. AgroSystem is investing US$12M in autonomous machinery after its Bolt acquisition, and Blooms raised US$2.8M to grow its hortifruti-focused fintech platform across Latin America.
In M&A, Bunge and CJ CheilJedang terminated a US$3.4B deal over CJ Selecta, reflecting volatility in soy processing and cross-border M&A. On the hardware front, TMA announced a new factory and JV with Volvo to build climate-smart ag machinery and tap into LatAm export markets.
Policy debates are heating up. Goiás passed Brazil’s first state AI law, combining open-source incentives with clean energy aims. In Washington, Marco Rubio stirred controversy by urging Paraguay to use the binational Itaipu Dam’s surplus energy for AI data centers. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Senate approved a sweeping environmental licensing bill, reigniting the regulatory vs. development debate.
🧭 Table of Contents
AgTech
📈 Broto Hits 1M Accesses
🐟 Tilapia Tech in SC
🍺 Beer Gets a Tech Upgrade
🧬 Gene-Edited Calves Born in Brazil
🤖 Robot Swarms on Farms
Climate Tech
🌱 CFOs Face $17B in ESG Risks
🛳️ Citrosuco’s Biofuel Bet
💾 Data is the New Gold
🛰️ Irrigation Goes Satellite
Funding
💵 Agroforte Raises $6.8M
🧠 Calice Raises $2.5M
⚡ AgroSystem’s $12M Push
🧃 Blooms Raises $2.8M
M&A
🤝 Bunge & CJ End $3.4B Deal
🚜 TMA Partners with Volvo
Policy Watch
🧠 Goiás Becomes First State to Regulate AI
⚡ Rubio: Use Itaipu for AI
🌳 Senate Approves Environmental Licensing Law
AgTech
📈 Broto Hits 1M Accesses – Banco do Brasil’s Broto platform has passed 1 million visits as it expands offerings to rural producers. The digital marketplace now includes input financing, rural insurance, machinery, and tech solutions, serving over 15,000 registered producers. The goal is to integrate more of the farming journey—from planning to post-harvest—into a single ecosystem. read more
🐟 Tilapia Tech in SC – Epagri is showcasing an innovation project in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, focused on tilapia aquaculture. The initiative leverages research and sensor technologies to optimize feed efficiency, oxygen levels, and water quality. Previously used mainly in cattle, these integrated monitoring techniques are now adapted for fish farming. The project is already producing promising results, with higher yields and reduced mortality rates. read more
🍺 Beer Gets a Tech Upgrade – Another startup from Santa Catarina has created a high-tech device to analyze malt used in brewing, targeting real-time quality control and fraud detection. The technology uses spectroscopy and machine learning to detect inconsistencies and contaminants. It’s a potential game-changer for Brazil’s craft beer industry, which suffers from fluctuating malt quality and lack of traceability. read more
🧬 Gene-Edited Calves Born in Brazil – In a scientific breakthrough, Brazil welcomed its first gene-edited calves thanks to collaboration between Embrapa and the University of São Paulo. The technique used, known as CRISPR-Cas9, enables precise genetic editing without the need for traditional crossbreeding. This paves the way for enhanced traits such as disease resistance and higher productivity in cattle. While still under tight regulation, the development marks a milestone for biotech in livestock and opens debate over the future of animal gene editing in Brazil. read more
🤖 Robot Swarms on Farms – Brazilian AgTech startup Solinftec has deployed its Solix AG Robotics platform on Fazendas Reunidas, a large grain operation in Rio Verde, Goiás. The solar-powered robots perform tasks like soil scanning, planting, and spraying, coordinating autonomously via AI and edge computing. With a US$600k investment in ten robots across 3,700 acres of soy and corn, the farm has reported a 30% increase in efficiency and significant cost savings. read more
Climate Tech
🌱 CFOs Face $17B in ESG Risks – A new Ernest & Young study has revealed that Brazil-based CFOs are facing up to US$17 billion in regulatory risk related to environmental transition. As international ESG standards tighten, companies face growing pressure to disclose environmental impacts, decarbonize supply chains, and meet reporting requirements. The report urges CFOs to adopt proactive ESG strategies or risk penalties, reputational damage, and investor flight. read more
🛳️ Citrosuco’s Biofuel Bet – Citrus export giant Citrosuco has raised nearly US$400 million in ESG financing to decarbonize its operations. Among the most ambitious goals: converting its transatlantic shipping fleet to biofuel-powered vessels. The company also aims to invest in regenerative farming and improved water use across its orange farms. read more
💾 Data is the New Gold – Kepler Weber, one of Brazil’s top ag logistics players, is betting on data as a revenue source. Through a new partnership with XP, the company plans to monetize insights generated from grain storage, handling, and transport. By analyzing usage patterns, temperature, and volume flows, they aim to help producers optimize operations. This signals a shift where logistics firms may evolve into data platforms, reinforcing the convergence of ag, tech, and finance. read more
🛰️ Irrigation Goes Satellite – Brazilian farms are adopting satellite-driven irrigation systems that use real-time climate and soil data to optimize water use. The new tech helps farmers reduce waste, cut energy costs, and boost yields by providing precision recommendations on when and where to irrigate. It’s gaining traction particularly in drought-prone regions, and some startups are already embedding the system into broader farm management platforms. read more
Funding
💵 Agroforte Raises $6.8M – Animal protein-focused fintech Agroforte has secured US$6.8 million in financing to accelerate its rural credit operations. The startup targets small and mid-sized livestock producers often left behind by traditional banks. Using fast credit scoring and digital onboarding, it reduces friction and time-to-disbursement for small and medium farmers. read more
🧠 Calice Raises $2.5M – AgTech AI firm Calice has raised US$2.5 million to scale its advanced analytics for precision agriculture. Calice’s platform synthesizes satellite, drone, and IoT data to recommend optimal planting, irrigation, and nutrient strategies. The company plans to use the funding to expand its client base among large farms and agribusinesses while enhancing its machine learning models for more localized insights. read more
⚡ AgroSystem’s $12M Push – After acquiring Bolt’s core IP, AgroSystem is scaling its autonomous ag machinery platform with a planned US$12 million investment through 2030. The startup is focused on developing self-driving tractors, automated harvesters, and swarm robotics tailored to Brazilian crops. The new capital will also fund rural pilot programs in Mato Grosso and Paraná. read more
M&A
🤝 Bunge & CJ End $3.4B Deal – The long-standing partnership between Bunge and Korean conglomerate CJ CheilJedang is over. CJ is pulling out of a US$3.4 billion acquisition involving Brazilian soy processor CJ Selecta, citing strategic misalignment. The breakup reflects broader challenges in cross-border agribusiness deals and regulatory uncertainty in Brazil’s soy value chain. read more
🚜 TMA Partners with Volvo – Brazilian machinery maker TMA has announced a new factory and joint venture with Volvo to scale up its equipment manufacturing. The partnership will focus on electric tractors and connected implements, aiming to serve Brazil’s growing demand for climate-smart machinery. With the new factory set to open in 2026, TMA expects to double production and begin exporting to other LatAm markets. read more
Policy Watch
🧠 Goiás Becomes First State to Regulate AI – Goiás has passed Brazil’s first state-level AI regulation, designed to foster open-source innovation and attract clean energy-powered data centers. Governor Ronaldo Caiado aims to position the state as a tech-forward hub ahead of national legislation. The law enables post-deployment regulation and creates incentives for startups and infrastructure developers. Goiás also links the AI agenda to its bioinputs strategy, blending digital and green innovation. read more
⚡ Rubio: Use Itaipu for AI – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio proposed that Paraguay could use excess energy from the Itaipu Dam to host AI data centers, sparking concern in Brazil. The remark was made during a U.S. Senate hearing and touches on complex energy diplomacy between Brazil and Paraguay. With Itaipu’s energy-sharing agreement under renegotiation, Paraguay’s strategic choices could shift AI and data infrastructure debates across the region. read more
🌳 Senate Approves Controversial Environmental Licensing Law – Brazil’s Senate has passed a bill that overhauls the environmental licensing process, allowing certain infrastructure and ag projects to bypass prior environmental studies. Critics call it the most sweeping deregulation effort since the Bolsonaro era, citing risks to forests and water sources. Supporters argue it will reduce bureaucracy and unlock investment. The law returns to the lower house for final approval. read 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.