Private Equity-Backed Agriculture Acquisitions

Seedbox Solution, a portfolio company of Granite Creek Capital Partners, has merged with Trace Engineering, a Colorado-based hardware and software engineering firm. The transaction brings Trace’s engineering capabilities in-house to accelerate development of Seedbox’s BOXIQ IoT monitoring platform and expand Seedbox’s technology-driven offerings for the seed industry and adjacent markets.

Sustainable Agro Solutions (SAS Group), a portfolio company of Stirling Square Capital Partners, has acquired Spain-based Ceres Biotics to expand its microbial biosolutions product portfolio and R&D capabilities. The deal strengthens SAS Group's presence in Europe and adds more than 550 proprietary microbial strains; financial terms were not disclosed.

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.

Weathermatic, a Garland, Texas-based provider of smart irrigation controllers, cloud software (SmartLink), and field services, received a minority growth investment led by Rock Hill Capital with co-investment from True West Capital Partners. The capital will be used to accelerate product innovation, expand software capabilities and customer success resources, and support the company’s growth in water-management and irrigation solutions for landscape professionals and property/asset managers.

Sustainable Agro Solutions (SAS Group), a Stirling Square Capital Partners-backed biosolutions platform, has acquired a majority stake in Agroquímica Codiagro. The deal expands SAS Group’s product portfolio and production capabilities in Spain—strengthening its biostimulants and specialty plant nutrition offering and supporting international growth.

HGS BioScience, a Paine Schwartz‑backed bionutritional platform, has acquired NutriAg Ltd., a Toronto‑based crop‑technology and bionutritionals company. The add‑on deal expands HGS’s North American footprint and R&D/capability set in biostimulants and crop nutrition; Cascadia advised on the transaction and financing.

Staple Street Capital has partnered with the Huntington and Smith families to combine Pleasant View Gardens (Loudon, NH) and Four Star Greenhouse (Carleton, MI) under one ownership as a unified Proven Winners company. The investment will provide resources and strategic support to drive scale, improve distribution and marketing, and expand Proven Winners' reach into underserved North American markets while the founding families remain active owners.

An affiliate of Balmoral Funds LLC has acquired Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition, LLC (now operating as Rangen) from Wilbur-Ellis Holdings II, LLC. The transaction is a carve-out of Wilbur-Ellis's full Nutrition business — including Rangen, Ametza, Emmert and Oxy product lines — positioning Rangen as an independent platform to accelerate innovation and growth across pet, aquaculture, and livestock markets.

Pike Street Capital has made a growth investment in Bennett West, LLC (operating as Bennett), a Selma, California-based provider of water infrastructure, plant health services, and energy solutions for growers, municipalities, and industrial customers. Founder/CEO Tyler Bennett retains a significant ownership stake and will continue to lead the company as Pike Street provides growth capital and operational support to expand geographically, broaden capabilities, and pursue a buy-and-build strategy.

Hartree Partners has closed the acquisition of four core business units from ED&F Man Commodities — Volcafe (coffee), ED&F Man Liquid Products (molasses & liquid feeds), ED&F Man Sugar, and ED&F Man Cotton — following regulatory approvals and the purchase of legacy debt. The deal expands Hartree’s soft-commodities platform and brings senior ED&F Man leaders onto Hartree’s management team to support integration and growth.

Atlas Vineyard Management, a portfolio company of Juggernaut Capital Partners, has acquired Results Partners, an outsourced vineyard management and development services provider previously owned by Clearview Capital (via Wilson OVS Holding Company). The transaction closed May 30, 2025 and creates a larger national vineyard-management platform with expanded coverage across the Pacific Northwest and other U.S. wine regions.

Confluence Genetics, a new agritech company backed by investors led by Expedition Ag Partners and S2G Investments, purchased the business assets of Benson Hill following Delaware bankruptcy court approval. The asset sale will relaunch Benson Hill’s soybean trait business under Confluence Genetics in Creve Coeur, Missouri, retaining an experienced team and focusing on high‑protein soybean genetics, its AI-driven CropOS breeding platform and a speed‑breeding facility.

CERTANIA Group, through its portfolio company Triskelion, has acquired Linge Agroconsultancy, a Dutch regulatory consulting firm specializing in registration of plant protection products, biocides, fertilizers and biostimulants. Linge will continue to operate under its own brand with Triskelion management (Steven Sleurink) assuming leadership and founder Dr. Tonnie Engels remaining as a consultant; the deal strengthens CERTANIA's regulatory and compliance capabilities across Europe.

Paine Schwartz Partners-backed HGS BioScience has acquired Menefee Mining Corporation and Earthgreen Products, Inc., adding the Menefee mine and Earthgreen's extraction/formulation technology to its operations. The transaction expands HGS's humate product portfolio, vertical integration and manufacturing footprint (including processing in Cuba, New Mexico), enhancing its ability to supply premium humic and fulvic acid products to agricultural customers.

Turf Care Supply, a portfolio company of Platte River Equity, has acquired Beaty Fertilizer, a family-owned manufacturer and blender of custom granular and liquid fertilizers for the turf & ornamental market. The add-on expands Turf Care's footprint in the Southeast United States, broadens its product portfolio and adds manufacturing capacity.

Commodity & Ingredient Hedging (CIH) has acquired Advance Trading, Inc. (ATI), a Bloomington, Illinois–based provider of risk management and brokerage services to the grain industry. The deal was facilitated with funding from Charlotte-based private equity firm Falfurrias Management Partners; both companies will continue to operate under their current brands and no significant employment changes are expected.

Riverbend Nursery Holdings, LLC (the Riverbend family of companies) acquired Colbert, Georgia–based James Greenhouses, LLC, a perennial liner producer, in a deal that closed March 3, 2025. The acquisition adds James’s production capacity and geographic reach to Riverbend’s platform while addressing succession planning and preserving James’s leadership and broker sales network.

Dutch horticultural automation specialists TTA and ISO Horti have merged to form TTA-ISO, combining their robotics, transplanting and sorting solutions to accelerate R&D and global expansion. The deal is backed by Rabobank and leaves Cibus Capital as the majority investor, positioning the combined company to scale into the Americas, Middle East and Oceania.

Granite Creek Capital Partners has acquired Ritchie Industries, a century-old manufacturer of automated livestock watering products headquartered in Conrad, Iowa. The transaction is supported by an investment from Rural American Fund and a rollover by Ritchie's management and employees to fund product innovation and expand Ritchie’s presence in existing and international livestock markets.

Baden Capital, a San Francisco-based private investment firm focused on food & agriculture and specialty manufacturing, has acquired ORCAL, Inc., a Junction City, Oregon-based provider of crop protection products and agricultural inputs. ORCAL will continue to operate from its Junction City headquarters; the deal expands Baden Capital's presence and capabilities in agricultural solutions and specialty manufacturing.

S&W Seed Company has transferred 100% of the shares of its Australian subsidiary, S&W Seed Company Australia Pty Ltd, to Avior Asset Management No. 3 Pty Ltd following a creditors-approved Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA). The transfer completes the voluntary administration process for the subsidiary; S&W entered settlement agreements, transferred certain IP and inventory, and was released from intercompany obligations and a AUD 15.0 million bank guarantee.

Chicago-based private equity firm Granite Creek Capital Partners has invested in Global Animal Products (GAP) to support a management buyout and recapitalize the Amarillo, Texas-based feed-additives manufacturer. Founder Ken Ridenour will step back and retain a minority stake, while CEO Ben Tarr and the management team will continue to run the business with strategic support from Granite Creek and Operating Partner Mike Ray to scale product development, expand facilities, and pursue international growth.

H.I.G. Capital, through an affiliate, acquired a majority stake in Life Agro, a Brazil-based producer of specialty agricultural inputs. Life Agro’s founder and CEO Matias Ezequiel Tiecher remains a significant shareholder and will continue as CEO; the company (~200 employees) operates two production facilities and eight distribution centers and has grown ~45% CAGR over the past five years.

Hendrix Genetics has signed an agreement to merge its swine division, Hypor, with Danish Genetics and partners to create a combined swine-genetics entity in which Hendrix will hold a majority stake. The strategic combination is intended to expand product portfolios, strengthen R&D capabilities and broaden global distribution in the swine genetics market; the transaction is expected to close in early 2025.

Novo Holdings has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Stingray Marine Solutions, an Oslo-based provider of intelligent aquaculture technology that removes sea lice using camera vision, software and laser technology. The investment, made by Novo Holdings’ Planetary Health Investments team, is intended to scale Stingray’s sustainable aquaculture solutions and expand opportunities in data & analytics and precision farming.

Platte River Equity portfolio company Turf Care Supply, LLC has acquired Agri-Nutrients, Inc., a manufacturer and blender of custom granular fertilizers serving the turf & ornamental market. The add-on expands Turf Care's product portfolio, adds manufacturing capacity and establishes an enhanced presence in the south-central United States.

Jackrabbit Equipment Inc., a portfolio company of Midwest Growth Partners, has merged with Exact Corporation to create an integrated solutions provider for the permanent crop (nut) harvesting industry. The combined business will market both Jackrabbit and Exact brands, with Exact CEO Doug Flora named CEO of the merged entity, and will focus on product innovation, expanded customer support and growth in domestic and international markets.

Seattle-based private equity firm Sound Growth Partners acquired Stueve Construction, a leading U.S. designer and builder of bulk fertilizer storage facilities, with capital provided by Brookside Capital Partners, Capitala Group and other investors. The transaction will support Stueve's next phase of growth and innovation as the company continues to serve major fertilizer manufacturers, distributors, retailers and cooperatives.

Viserion Grain, LLC — a Pinnacle-backed grain platform — acquired four grain elevator assets from Greenfield Grain, LLC located in Parkdale, Arkansas and Dunn, Crowville and Lake Providence, Louisiana. The transaction expands Viserion Grain's storage and river/terminal footprint in the U.S. deep south to enhance origination, transportation and commercial management capabilities; terms were not disclosed.

NativeSeed Group, the seed and erosion-control platform backed by Heartwood Partners, has acquired Arrow Seed, a fourth-generation family-owned seed conditioner and supplier based in Broken Bow, Nebraska. The add-on expands NativeSeed's Midwestern footprint and broadens its product portfolio with additional warm-season and conservation seed varieties.

Singapore-based shrimp genetics company SyAqua, which is majority-owned by Luxembourg-headquartered private equity firm Ocean 14 Capital, has acquired Mims, Florida–based Primo Broodstock. The acquisition expands SyAqua’s U.S. broodstock production capacity and genetic resources, enhancing strain security and enabling increased supply to major shrimp-producing markets.

Agro Care (an NPM Capital–backed grower) and fellow Dutch tomato grower CombiVliet have merged and will operate under the name Agro Care, combining nearly 500 hectares of greenhouse production with ambitions to reach 1,000 hectares in the Netherlands and internationally. The deal aims to drive efficiency and sustainability through shared staff services, joint purchasing and a common headquarters; Kees van Veen will be CEO of the combined business while Roy van Vliet and Philip van Antwerpen will lead Dutch and Tunisian operations respectively.

Novo Holdings has agreed to acquire a 25% minority stake in Sejet Plant Breeding from DLG Group. The partnership will provide growth capital to scale Sejet’s plant-breeding operations and invest in new genomic and breeding technologies to accelerate development of climate-resilient crop varieties.

Novo Holdings led a growth investment in AgNext Technologies Private Limited, an India-based agritech company that develops AI-driven food quality assessment solutions. The funding will support product development, international expansion and scaling of sales to new food segments.

CVC Capital Partners (Fund IX) will take a minority stake in URUS Group to support and accelerate the company’s strategic growth plan. The investment — made alongside existing shareholders Pon Holdings and Cooperative Resources International (CRI) — will help URUS expand its genetics, reproduction and farm management data platform; the deal is expected to close in Q3 2024 and terms were not disclosed.

Inverness Graham's Green Light Fund completed a majority recapitalization of My Yield, a seed treatment and agronomic solutions provider based in Oelwein, Iowa. The investment will support My Yield's expansion of product offerings and capabilities as part of Inverness Graham's AgTech Transition focus within its environmental sustainability strategy; terms were not disclosed.

Crescentia Capital’s portfolio company Synsus Private Label Partners has acquired AmegA Sciences, LLC and React Industries, LLC, combining the businesses into Synsus’s manufacturing platform. The acquisition expands Synsus’s specialty liquid fertilizer, adjuvant and private-label chemical manufacturing footprint and product offerings for agriculture, turf & ornamental, and direct-to-consumer markets.

Incline Equity Partners has partnered with W.S. Connelly, a Richmond-area value-added distributor of agronomic consumables serving lawn care, landscape and golf customers. Incline will support WSC in broadening product lines, accelerating proprietary brand development and pursuing strategic M&A and greenfield expansion to increase market density and geographic reach.

Valudor Products, a US-based distributor of chemical raw materials, has acquired the assets of LidoChem Inc., a Hazlet, New Jersey-based supplier of chemical raw materials and specialty fertilizers. The deal, supported by financing from Monroe Capital, is intended to expand Valudor’s product portfolio and accelerate growth into the specialty fertilizers market; terms were not disclosed.

Custom Agronomics, a portfolio company of Inverness Graham Green Light, has acquired BioTek Ag to expand its private-label portfolio of liquid plant nutrients, nitrogen stabilizers and specialty products. The deal broadens Custom Ag’s formulation capabilities and extends the combined business’s geographic reach into the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. Terms were not disclosed.

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. has acquired Pace International LLC from Valent BioSciences LLC, expanding AgroFresh’s post‑harvest solutions portfolio and strengthening its presence in key fruit‑growing regions in North and South America. The deal pairs Pace’s edible coatings, fungicides, storage treatments and application equipment with AgroFresh’s global scale and will be complemented by a strategic collaboration between AgroFresh and Valent BioSciences to accelerate innovation.

Pfingsten's portfolio company Fairbank Equipment, Inc. has acquired Big W Sales, Inc., a Stockton, California-based distributor and manufacturer of agricultural parts, trailers, tanks and equipment. The transaction, which closed on January 2, 2024, expands Fairbank's footprint into California and broadens the combined group's distribution and manufacturing capabilities across the western United States; Big W's leadership will remain as shareholders and continue operating the business.

Summa Equity (via Summa Equity Fund III) has made a majority investment in Norwegian fish-health products and services leader STIM AS, partnering with founder Jim‑Roger Nordly. The investment will support STIM’s product development, new growth verticals and international expansion of its advisory and service offerings in aquaculture.

A North American-led consortium made up of Paine Schwartz Partners, Driscoll's Inc. and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation has acquired Australia’s Costa Group after shareholders accepted a A$3.20-per-share offer and the company was delisted from the ASX. The consortium said it will work with Costa’s team to grow the global berry business and further develop Costa’s capabilities across its fresh-produce portfolio.

NativeSeed Group, a Heartwood Partners portfolio company, has acquired Star Seed, a producer and supplier of conservation and farm seeds based in Osborne, Kansas. The add-on expands NativeSeed's product offering (adding warm-season varieties and >300 seed varieties) and extends its geographic footprint into the U.S. Midwest to better serve conservation, farm, and restoration customers.

FirstFruits Farms, a portfolio company of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, has acquired Applewood Orchards, Inc. and Applewood Fresh Growers LLC. The deal expands FirstFruits' growing, packing and distribution footprint—adding apple acreage, controlled-atmosphere storage and new club apple varieties to better serve customers across the Midwest and East Coast.

10X Capital Venture Acquisition Corp. II completed its merger with African Agriculture, Inc., with the combined company changing its name to African Agriculture Holdings Inc. and beginning trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker AAGR. The transaction brings a commercial-scale alfalfa farming operation (currently ~750 acres in production out of ~62,000 acres secured in Senegal) to the U.S. public markets and is intended to fund scaling of agricultural production and geographic expansion across Africa.

Macquarie Asset Management, via its Macquarie GIG Energy Transition Solutions (MGETS) fund, has committed up to US$325 million to Atlas Agro Holding AG to support development and construction of industrial-scale green nitrogen fertilizer plants. The investment will help Atlas Agro scale its green-hydrogen-based fertilizer production and accelerate the company's expansion across the Americas and globally.

Brightstar Capital Partners has acquired Douglas Products and Packaging Company, LLC, a Liberty, Missouri-based specialty manufacturer and marketer of fumigants and pest-control products (brands include ProFume and Vikane). Terms were not disclosed; the seller was Altamont Capital Partners and Brightstar said it will partner with CEO Wes Long and management to pursue organic growth and acquisitions.

Blue Road Capital, an investment firm focused on vertically integrated food and agriculture businesses, has acquired NatureSweet (NS Brands, Ltd.), the largest vertically integrated greenhouse-grown produce company in North America, from Silver Ventures for an undisclosed sum. NatureSweet grows, harvests, and packages tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers across more than 1,400 acres and employs over 6,000 people, with products sold through major supermarkets across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.