Malaysian smallholder farmer tends to crops in her greenhouse. Monsoon Ventures has been founded to build the resilience of smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia by supporting local founders to commercialise agtech solutions that can improve smallholder farmer livelihoods, environmental outcomes and regional food security. Agri-technologies can include innovations for seeds, soil and fertilisers, as well as agrochemicals, robotics, sensors and digital farm software. Photo Credit Marcus Chung/ iStock.

Beanstalk Launches Monsoon Ventures To Support Southeast Asian Agtech 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- Beanstalk AgTech has launched Monsoon Ventures, a new venture studio in Singapore backed by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and Rabo Foundation, to support founders in Southeast Asia in commercialising agricultural technology (agtech) solutions.

The studio will initially focus on Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, with an initial investment of SG$1.2 million. It aims to support up to eight ventures in its first two years and build more than 30 scalable ventures within five years. (SG$1 = RM3.19)

Beanstalk said Monsoon Ventures will focus on agtech solutions that can improve smallholder farmer livelihoods, environmental outcomes and regional food security, addressing what it described as a commercialisation gap that often prevents technologies from moving from proof-of-concept to market.

The studio will provide capital, commercial expertise and support in developing value chain pathways, while helping ventures attract investors and strategic partnerships with regional players.

Beanstalk AgTech Director, Justin Ahmed said the company’s Australian venture studio had helped innovators raise more than AUD$22 million and launch 15 commercial products over the past two years.

“In Southeast Asia, the challenges facing science commercialisation are even more magnified, which is exactly why we are launching Monsoon Ventures here,” he said in a statement.

Supported by EnterpriseSG and Rabo Foundation, Monsoon Ventures will use a blended finance model combining philanthropic, public and private capital to support both impact and commercial outcomes. EnterpriseSG’s support is aligned with its goal of establishing Singapore as an agrifood solutions hub for the region, while Rabo Foundation is providing catalytic capital to support smallholder resilience.

Beanstalk has operated in Southeast Asia’s innovation ecosystem for eight years and previously ran the agtech-focused Drought Venture Studio in Australia. Monsoon Ventures is its first venture studio in Southeast Asia.

-- BERNAMA