Paine Schwartz Partners

What Paine Schwartz Partners does

Paine Schwartz Partners is a private equity firm that invests exclusively across the global food and agribusiness value chain. Founded in 2006 by Kevin Schwartz and Dexter Paine as a successor to the 1997-vintage Fox Paine & Company, the firm operates from offices in New York and San Mateo and reports $6.5B in assets under management as of December 31, 2025, with a cumulative track record of 107 investments across 34 platforms and $6.1B deployed directly into food and agribusiness plus $2.7B raised in co-investment. Its investment thesis is two-pronged — Productivity & Sustainability and Health & Wellness — expressed through control buyouts of $100M-$300M equity ($10M-$100M+ EBITDA) and $50M-$100M growth equity checks, deployed primarily via the $1.7B Food Chain Fund VI and the BetterCo Holdings sub-platform focused on better-for-you consumer brands.

The portfolio spans seeds and crop genetics (Seminis, Advanta, Verisem), biological and post-harvest technologies (AgBiTech, AgroFresh, Elemental Enzymes, HGS BioScience), irrigation and inputs (Rivulis, Verdesian), food production and processing (Urban Farmer/Caulipower, Sunrise Growers, Lyons Magnus, Meadow Foods, Prima Wawona, Bloom Fresh, Icicle Seafoods, Spearhead International), ingredients and supplements (Promix, Scanbio), beverages (Suja Life), and enabling services (FoodChain ID/Registrar Corp, Kynetec, Advanced Agrilytics, Monterey Mushrooms). Operating support is delivered through a Portfolio Excellence Platform with sector operating directors and a Food Chain Advisory Board staffed by former executives of major food companies and the UN World Food Programme.

The firm earns revenue through conventional private equity economics: management fees on committed and invested capital across its Food Chain Funds, carried interest on realized gains, and co-investment fees — fees that are not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct to institutional limited partners (pension funds, endowments, family offices, sovereign wealth funds) supported by a dedicated investor relations function. The firm maintains a formal sustainability and responsible-investing posture (PRI signatory since 2019, TCFD- and TNFD-aligned reporting, SASB-aligned metrics, EDCI member) and publishes an annual sustainability report; it has been recognized with multiple Agri Investor Awards in 2023 and 2024 and named New Private Markets' Impact Firm of the Year (Food System). Strategic momentum has accelerated through 2024-2026 with senior hiring, the BetterCo platform launch, two high-profile realizations (AgBiTech to BASF, Suja Life Nasdaq IPO), and continued platform M&A across food and ag.

Name

Paine Schwartz Partners

Legal name

Paine Schwartz Partners, LLC

Website

https://paineschwartz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Paine Schwartz Partners is a private equity firm specializing in sustainable food chain investing, managing $6.5B in AUM through its Food Chain Funds and BetterCo platform. The firm invests across the global food and agribusiness value chain on behalf of institutional limited partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity - Food and Agribusiness

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Assets Fund of Funds (Real Estate / Infrastructure / Natural Resources FoF) (FSAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Private equity investing
• Food chain investments
• Agribusiness private equity
• Sustainable food investing
• Growth equity capital

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Management: The firm generates revenue through management fees on assets under management and performance fees (carried interest) from successful portfolio investments. As a private equity firm, revenue is derived from the lifecycle of investment returns across its portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Paine Schwartz Partners is a private equity firm that raises capital from institutional investors and deploys it through control buyouts and growth equity investments in food and agribusiness companies worldwide. The firm invests across the global food value chain through sequential Food Chain Funds (currently Food Chain Fund VI at $1.7 billion) and a dedicated BetterCo Holdings platform for better-for-you food and beverage brands. Revenue is generated through management fees on assets under management and carried interest from successful portfolio company exits.

Product overview

Paine Schwartz Partners is a private equity firm specializing in sustainable food chain investing with $6.5 billion in assets under management. The firm operates Food Chain Fund VI ($1.7 billion) as its primary investment vehicle, supplemented by BetterCo Holdings platform for better-for-you food and beverage investments. The investment strategy focuses on two core themes: Productivity and Sustainability (enhancing productivity across the food value chain while limiting resource consumption) and Health and Wellness (providing access to healthier, more nutritious food). The portfolio spans 30+ platform investments across the global food and agribusiness value chain, including agricultural inputs (seeds, crop protection, biologicals, irrigation), food production and processing (frozen foods, beverages, ingredients, seafood), and enabling services (food safety testing, regulatory compliance, market research, analytics). The firm utilizes Intapp DealCloud for deal sourcing and pipeline management with AI capabilities, and has invested in portfolio companies like Crisp Inc. that provide AI-powered retail and supply chain solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BetterCo Holdings: Investment platform under Paine Schwartz's Food Chain Fund VI focused on better-for-you food and beverage businesses
• BetterCo Holdings

Products and services

• Food Chain Fund VI Primary investment vehicle of Paine Schwartz Partners, a $1.7 billion fund focused on sustainable food chain investing across the global food and agribusiness value chain. Limited partners commit capital in exchange for fund interests and the firm invests via control buyouts ($100–$300M equity) and growth equity ($50–$100M).
• BetterCo Holdings New investment platform under Paine Schwartz's Food Chain Fund VI focused on aggregating investments in high-growth companies across the better-for-you food and beverage value chain. Initial portfolio includes Crisp Inc. (AI-driven commerce intelligence) and Lucky Energy (clean-energy beverage brand), with subsequent capital deployed into BERO nonalcoholic beer.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ million acres of sustainable agricultural land supported across portfolio
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major exit, core, minor and strategic acquisition.

• BASF Agricultural Solutionsmajor exitStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Paine Schwartz completed the sale of AgBiTech to BASF Agricultural Solutions. AgBiTech is a global leader in biological crop protection solutions using naturally occurring viruses to control caterpillar pests in major row crops, with manufacturing in the US, Australia, and Brazil.
• Intapp DealCloudcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 February 2026Paine Schwartz Partners selected Intapp DealCloud to modernize its business development and capital markets operations. The platform will centralize data, streamline pipeline and relationship management, and integrate AI capabilities including Intapp Assist to drive operational efficiency and smarter deal sourcing.
• LEDA GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 February 2026Implementation partner for the Intapp DealCloud deployment, supporting the firm's operational modernization initiative.
• CAULIPOWERstrategic acquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Acquired by Urban Farmer (Paine Schwartz portfolio company) to establish a leading vertically integrated better-for-you frozen foods platform leveraging Urban Farmer's manufacturing capabilities and CAULIPOWER's distribution and innovation pipeline.
• NutriAgstrategic acquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Acquired by HGS BioScience (Paine Schwartz portfolio company) to expand bionutritional product capabilities across North America.
• Promix LLCstrategic acquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2024Paine Schwartz Partners acquired Promix LLC, a provider of high-quality nutritional supplements and better-for-you snacks, expanding into the functional nutrition market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kainos Capital: Kainos Capital is a private equity firm focused exclusively on the food and consumer products sector, making control investments in food and agribusiness companies. It is the closest direct peer to Paine Schwartz Partners in mandate, sector focus, and deal size range.
• VMG Partners: VMG Partners is a consumer products-focused private equity firm investing in better-for-you food and beverage brands, comparable to Paine Schwartz's BetterCo Holdings platform and similar in target company stage and check size.
• L Catterton: L Catterton is the largest consumer-focused private equity firm globally, with significant investment activity in better-for-you food, beverage, and consumer brands. It competes with Paine Schwartz for growth-stage consumer brands and shares the same institutional LP base.
• TSG Consumer Partners: TSG Consumer Partners is a private equity firm focused on consumer products and brands, including food and beverage. The firm recently hired Alex DiFelice from TSG, indicating direct talent flow and competitive overlap on consumer brand deals.
• Trilantic North America: Trilantic North America is a mid-market private equity firm with strong consumer sector focus, including food and beverage. The firm recently hired Lee Nussbaum from Trilantic, signaling overlapping investment mandates and competitive talent dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• KKR: KKR is a global private equity firm with significant food, agribusiness, and sustainability investments through dedicated sector teams. While much larger and broader in mandate, KKR competes for institutional LP capital and large-cap food/ag assets alongside Paine Schwartz.
• Bain Capital: Bain Capital operates a global private equity platform with consumer, food, and natural resources sector exposure. As a much larger incumbent, Bain competes with Paine Schwartz for institutional LP allocations and for sponsor finance partnerships in food/ag.
• Carlyle Group: Carlyle Group is a global private equity firm with dedicated food, agribusiness, and consumer sector teams investing across the value chain. Its scale and LP relationships make it a competing capital source for both portfolio companies and limited partners considering Paine Schwartz funds.
• Onex Partners: Onex Partners is a mid-market private equity firm with consumer and food/ag investment activity. The firm recently hired Sofia Pirro from Onex, indicating competitive overlap and talent flow between the two firms.
• Blackstone: Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager with active sustainability, food, and agribusiness investments through dedicated sector teams. Paine Schwartz's Head of Sustainability Rachel Hurley came from Blackstone's ESG team, evidencing talent overlap and competition for sustainability-focused LP capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paine-schwartz-partners

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A17 records

Investments19 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paine Schwartz Partners