What NovoAgro Ventures does

NovoAgro Ventures is a Brazilian corporate venture builder dedicated exclusively to agribusiness, founded in 2020 as the agribusiness vertical of FCJ Group in partnership with Sistema FAEMG (Federação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Estado de Minas Gerais). Headquartered in Belo Horizonte with a lean 1-10 person team, the company identifies, selects, invests in, and provides ongoing support to early-stage agtech startups, maintaining a portfolio of 37 companies as of 2024 spanning precision agriculture (Agroger, Uptech), blockchain traceability (Btracer), drone-based biological pest control (Dronefy), rural fintech and accounting (FarmCont, Conta Café, Certificafé, Rural Deals), horticulture and dairy management (Arado, Ceasa Digital, Hortify, Seasontree, Aquabit, Evomilk), livestock (Pecuária Brasil), IoT water management (RUH), and environmental/risk consulting (Nexus Agroambiente, MitiTech Agro). The underlying technology base is a curated portfolio rather than a single platform, and no proprietary core technology or unified product architecture is disclosed.

The business model is that of a corporate venture builder: NovoAgro invests equity in selected startups, provides business consulting, management support, product-market fit validation, and preparation for investment, in exchange for equity appreciation and future exit proceeds. It also acts as a distribution layer by connecting portfolio startups to Sistema FAEMG's network of 400,000 rural producers and 380 rural unions across Minas Gerais, as well as to a network of 65 investors. Revenue is generated through professional services to portfolio companies, equity returns, and indirectly via portfolio startup monetization rather than direct product sales. The go-to-motion combines enterprise-style field sales into cooperatives and agroindustry with event-driven engagement (Agritech Talks at Minas Summit 2024, StartupDay events at Sistema Faemg Senar), supported by content marketing across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and a corporate blog.

Strategic positioning is anchored by two non-replicable institutional relationships: FCJ Group (the largest venture builder in Latin America) provides venture-building methodology and investor network access, while Sistema FAEMG (Brazil's largest agricultural federation) provides demand-side distribution at a scale no independent agtech investor can replicate. The company has signaled national expansion from its Minas Gerais base, and its portfolio has grown 6x from 6 startups at the 1-year milestone to 37 startups by 2024, with aggregate portfolio valuation rising from R$ 30 million to R$ 416 million over the same window.

Name

NovoAgro Ventures

Legal name

NovoAgro Ventures

Website

https://novoagro.ventures

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NovoAgro Ventures is Brazil's first exclusive corporate venture builder dedicated to agribusiness, operating a portfolio of 37 agtech startups across precision agriculture, traceability, rural fintech, and IoT. Founded in 2020 as an FCJ Group vertical in partnership with Sistema FAEMG, it connects portfolio startups to 400,000 rural producers and 65 investors across Minas Gerais.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Belo Horizonte

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venture Building and Investment Returns: NovoAgro Ventures operates as a corporate venture builder, investing in startups in exchange for equity. Returns are generated through appreciation of portfolio companies and exits. The company also provides consultancy, management, and market access services to portfolio startups.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NovoAgro Ventures is a corporate venture builder and the agribusiness vertical of FCJ Group, partnering with Sistema FAEMG. It selects, invests in, and supports agricultural technology startups, providing them with business consulting, management support, product-market fit validation, and direct access to a network of 400,000 rural producers, cooperatives, and agroindustries in Brazil. The company generates returns through equity appreciation and exits of its portfolio companies.

Product overview

NovoAgro Ventures is a corporate venture builder focused on agribusiness innovation, operating as a platform that connects producers, cooperatives, and agroindustries with validated startup solutions. The company does not offer a single unified product but rather a portfolio of 37 technology startups addressing specific agricultural challenges. The portfolio spans multiple segments including coffee production (Agroger, Certificafé, Conta Café, Agrorigem), animal production (Pecuária Brasil, Aquabit, Poupave), hortifruti (Arado, Ceasa Digital, Hortify, Seasontree), multi-crop solutions (Dronefy, Nexus Agroambiente), agroindustry (SisGrãos, Uptech, Evomilk), and producer services (FarmCont, Fuga pras Colinas, MitiTech Agro, RUH, Rural Deals). The startups offer solutions for precision agriculture, biotechnology, ESG, traceability, logistics, rural finance, and water management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agritech Venture Building Program End-to-end venture building service for agritech startups that includes equity investment, business consulting, management support, product-market fit validation, preparation for follow-on investment rounds, and direct market access through Sistema FAEMG's network of 400,000 producers. Targets startups with validated MVP, at least 3 team members including 1 full-time partner, and at least 5 customers.
• Producer Network Market Access Service Service that connects portfolio agritech startups with Sistema FAEMG's network of 400,000 rural producers, cooperatives, and agroindustries across Minas Gerais, enabling startups to validate solutions with real customers and scale distribution.
• Investor Network Connection Service Service that connects portfolio agritech startups with a network of 65 agricultural investors, supporting preparation for investment rounds, follow-on funding, and exit opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• R$ 416 million in total portfolio valuation with R$ 6.3 million in validated revenue and R$ 11.3 million in patrimonial assets across 37 startups

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FCJ Group / FCJ Venture BuildercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020FCJ Group is the parent company and creator of the largest venture building ecosystem in Latin America. NovoAgro Ventures is the vertical of FCJ Group dedicated to agribusiness innovation. FCJ provides the venture building methodology, investor network, and institutional support.
• Sistema FAEMG (Federação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Estado de Minas Gerais)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sistema FAEMG is the largest agricultural federation in Brazil, representing 400,000 rural producers and 380 rural unions in Minas Gerais. Provides the producer network and institutional backing for NovoAgro's operations. Through this partnership, startups gain direct access to real agricultural pain points and a massive customer base.
• Sistema Faemg SenarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenar (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Rural) provides technical assistance, training programs, and rural extension services. Works alongside FAEMG to support agricultural producers and integrates with NovoAgro's startup solutions.
• AValue VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner of NovoAgro Ventures, contributing to the ecosystem of innovation in agribusiness.
• Hub MG AgrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner contributing to agricultural innovation ecosystem in Minas Gerais.
• Agropolo ValeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner of NovoAgro Ventures in the agricultural innovation ecosystem.
• iFagminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner contributing to NovoAgro's innovation network.
• FAEB SENARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner in NovoAgro's ecosystem. FAEB SENAR provides rural learning and agricultural extension services.
• Campo LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner of NovoAgro Ventures, contributing to agricultural innovation initiatives.
• Órbi ConectaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of Agritech Talks event during Minas Summit 2024, contributing to event promotion and ecosystem reach.
• Federaminas VenturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of Agritech Talks event during Minas Summit 2024 alongside NovoAgro, FCJ Group, Órbi Conecta, and San Pedro Valley.
• San Pedro ValleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of Agritech Talks event during Minas Summit 2024, contributing to the innovation ecosystem in Minas Gerais.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NovoAgroVentures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novo-agro-ventures
• Instagraminstagram.com/novoagroventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments5 records

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

Frequently asked questions about NovoAgro Ventures