Brussels-based agrifood tech impact investor Astanor Ventures has announced the successful closing of its second venture fund at €360 million.

Building upon the success of its first venture fund, Astanor is committed to its core investment strategy of supporting early-stage and mission-driven companies that have identified a social or environmental issue and have developed a nature positive solution to resolve it.

In a statement provided to The Cell Base, Astanor confirmed that the funding could be used to invest in cell-based food technologies, including cell-based meat and precision fermentation.

Eric Archambeau, co-founder and partner of Astanor, said: “When looking at new companies to invest in, our approach will continue to always look for highly disruptive and scalable business models, driven by ambitious entrepreneurs who also share our vision of sustainable and resilient agrifood and bioeconomy systems”.

Astanor says that the agrifood value chain requires investors to take a holistic view to achieve system change, and that over the years, it has developed an extensive network of entrepreneurs, experts, scientists, leaders and policy makers enabling it to identify the innovative technologies that will drive the bioeconomy, with a specific emphasis on solutions that foster regenerative agriculture.

Due to this ecosystem, to date, Astanor has invested in more than 45 companies and mission-driven founders globally. This focus aligns with the investor’s core values of climate transition, nature positivity, resource efficiency and to better social and health outcomes.

Hendrik Van Asbroeck, partner at Astanor Ventures, commented: "As we witness the ever-evolving landscape of the agrifood market, it becomes increasingly evident that innovation is not an option but a necessity. The challenges we face today, from climate change to resource scarcity, demand a transformation in how we produce, distribute, and consume food. Astanor Ventures is dedicated to playing a pivotal role in this transformation by supporting visionary entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of agrifood, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient global food system.”

This latest closing tops Astanor’s existing funds and special purpose vehicles, which altogether amount to around €800 million assets under management.

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