CALGARY, Alberta, April 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Ltd. ("UFA") is pleased to announce they will be engaging with Silicon Valley based SVG Ventures | THRIVE, a leading global investment and innovation platform. This strategic collaboration will deliver numerous benefits and opportunities to the co-operative and UFA members alike, including access to key innovators in the agriculture industry and a pipeline to regional, national and global startups.
SVG Ventures | THRIVE has a private global network of over 5,000 startup founders across 100 countries. Recognized as the most active agtech investor in the world, they currently have a portfolio count of more than 50 investments in the agriculture sector, including seven Canadian investments. SVG Ventures | THRIVE works with many corporate, government and ecosystem partners that include Bayer, Forbes, Corteva, Farm Credit Canada, Kubota, Trimble, Land O’Lakes, Taylor Farms, Western Growers, Olds College and ATB Financial, along with numerous other North American and global companies.
“The THRIVE platform is going to be an exciting next step into the innovation space for UFA as we work with them on identifying the challenges of our members and where we might be able to facilitate that connection with some proven startups that offer a solution,” says Scott Bolton, President and CEO, UFA. “Technology changes rapidly, especially in the agricultural industry, and we recognize the need to start driving it for our members. SVG Venture’s vision to advance the future of food and agriculture through innovation is a great fit for us and will allow us to present those value-add propositions and solutions.”
“Our aim is to understand the pain points a farmer faces, help them be more productive and bring them solutions that add value to their businesses while also contributing to a more sustainable future for agriculture” said John Hartnett, Founder & CEO of SVG Ventures | THRIVE. “We look forward to collaborating with UFA to source and curate technology companies that address UFA’s and its customers’ innovation challenges.”
As part of the engagement agreement, SVG Ventures | THRIVE will be running an Annual Industry & Technology Trends workshop for UFA members which aims to share key innovation gaps, visualize solutions and opportunities from startups and promote cross-collaboration for innovation. It also allows for participation in cross-industry workshops, and events and connection with industry peers.
UFA is committed to the investment it has made to innovation over the last year, ultimately to bring new opportunities and add value for our members. “Our mandate has always been about staying the course and making smart decisions. It’s more important than ever that UFA makes the right business decisions—even in a challenging economic and political environment—and invests in diversified solutions for the future so that we remain financially healthy for many years to come,” adds Bolton.
About UFA Co-operative Ltd.:
Founded in 1909, UFA Co-operative Limited is an Alberta-based agricultural co-operative with more than 120,000 member-owners. UFA’s network comprises more than 111 bulk fuel and Cardlock Petroleum locations, 34 Farm & Ranch Supply stores, and a support office located in Calgary. Independent Petroleum Agents and more than 950 UFA employees provide products, services, and agricultural solutions to farmers, ranchers, members, and commercial customers in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. For more information, visit www.UFA.com.
About SVG Ventures | THRIVE
SVG Ventures | THRIVE is the leading global agrifood investment and innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, and comprised of top agriculture, food & technology corporations, universities, and investors. With a community of over 5,000 startups from 100 countries, the THRIVE platform invests, accelerates, and creates unparalleled access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. SVG’s existing global partners include Media Partner Forbes and leading government, agriculture, and technology corporations such as Corteva, Driscoll’s, FCC, Kubota, Land O’Lakes, Trimble, Taylor Farms, Valmont, Yamaha Motor Ventures and Wilbur-Ellis. Crunchbase recognizes SVG Ventures as the most active AgTech investor in the world with a portfolio count of 50 investments in the space. Learn more at www.thriveagrifood.com.