Paine Schwartz Partners Makes Strategic Investment in Sterilex

HGS BioScience Acquires Pharmgrade

January 13, 2026

Agriculture

Paine Schwartz Partners–backed HGS BioScience has acquired Pharmgrade, an Idaho-based developer of microbial consortium products, to strengthen its microbial capabilities and expand its integrated biologicals platform. The deal enhances HGS's R&D, formulation and manufacturing depth and helps scale Pharmgrade’s microbial technologies to retailers and growers across North America.

Paine Schwartz Invests in Chex Finer Foods

June 16, 2025

Food & Beverage

Paine Schwartz Partners has made a strategic growth investment from its Food Chain Fund VI into Chex Finer Foods, a third-generation, family-owned specialty and natural foods distributor headquartered in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The firm will partner with Chex’s management to accelerate organic growth, invest in technology and operations, and pursue M&A in the fragmented specialty food distribution market.

Paine Schwartz Makes Growth Investment in Elemental Enzymes

June 5, 2023

Biotechnology

Paine Schwartz Partners (via Paine Schwartz Food Chain Fund VI) completed a strategic growth investment in Elemental Enzymes, a St. Louis-based developer of naturally occurring enzymes and biochemicals for commercial agriculture. Financial terms were not disclosed; the Elemental Enzymes management team will remain in place and will work with Paine Schwartz to expand R&D, launch new products, and enter new markets.

Paine Schwartz Partners Makes Strategic Investment in HGS BioScience (Formerly Humic Growth Solutions)

September 20, 2022

Agriculture

Paine Schwartz Partners completed a strategic investment through its Food Chain Fund VI in HGS BioScience (formerly Humic Growth Solutions), a Jacksonville-based manufacturer of extracted humic and fulvic acid products. The investment (terms undisclosed) will support the company's growth, product innovation and operational scaling across its six North American manufacturing sites and global distribution footprint.

Paine Schwartz Partners Invests in Kynetec

March 19, 2021

Data & Analytics

Paine Schwartz Partners has made a growth investment in Kynetec through Paine Schwartz Food Chain Fund V; financial terms were not disclosed. Kynetec, a provider of agricultural and animal health market research, data and insights based in Newbury, England (with operations in St. Louis, Missouri), will use the capital to accelerate growth, expand capabilities and pursue complementary bolt-on acquisitions.

Paine Schwartz Partners Makes Growth Equity Investment in Advanced Agrilytics

September 17, 2019

Agriculture

Paine Schwartz Partners has made its first growth equity investment from Paine Schwartz Food Chain Fund V in Advanced Agrilytics, an agronomics services business that provides precision farming analytics and on‑the‑ground agronomic advice. Financial terms were not disclosed; the investment will support scaling the business, adding data scientists and agronomic professionals, and expanding customer and implementation teams.