Radicle Builds Venture Partner Network

Adds Seasoned Agribusiness Experts to Help Mentor Seed-Stage AgTech Innovators


SAN DIEGO, June 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radicle, an acceleration fund dedicated to growing early stage agricultural and food technology startups into proven industry leaders, today announced the appointment of James Levine and Mary Shelman to its venture partner network.

Levine and Shelman join a growing team of Ag-industry powerhouses actively sharing their expertise with Radicle’s portfolio companies to help accelerate the speed of innovation. The elite group of corporate, academic and industry leaders around the globe are working with Radicle to drive a technology-powered Ag future.

“To help our Ag and food innovators reach their full potential, we are bringing together the best minds in the Ag industry to offer their guidance and support,” said Kirk Haney, CEO and managing partner, Radicle. “Our newest venture partners add complementary perspectives that will be invaluable for our startups – from entrepreneurial growth strategies and industrial biotech dos and don’ts to lessons learned from a career Agribusiness veteran and academic wisdom.”

James “Jamie” Levine offers unmatched biotech commercialization insight based on two decades of successful leadership in the industry. As CEO of Annai Systems, Levine leads a team focused on mobilizing genomic data to enable precision medicine. He has also served as CEO of two leading biotech companies that developed products for diverse end-user markets: Sapphire Energy and Verenium Corporation (now part of BASF). In addition, he supported clients in the healthcare industry as a managing director at Goldman Sachs & Co. Levine earned an MBA from the Wharton School and a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University.

Mary Shelman is an internationally recognized food and agribusiness thought leader with an extensive international network built over 30 years of business and academia experience. The former Director of Harvard Business School’s Agribusiness Program, today she helps organizations of all sizes successfully navigate complex industry issues by providing strategic and investment advice, leadership workshops, and CEO coaching. She has taught and presented in 18 countries. Shelman has served on many corporate and association boards and recently joined the advisory boards of Crop Enhancement Inc. and Village Capital, where she also facilitated the 2016 U.S. Agriculture Program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

“My passion is sharing the important lessons I’ve learned throughout my career to help others succeed. Joining the Radicle venture partner network allows me to continue inspiring the next generation of Ag leaders,” noted Shelman. “I look forward to working closely with the innovative entrepreneurs who will lead the future of Ag.”

Radicle aims to find, mentor and grow technology innovators solving global farming productivity, sustainability and quality challenges. It actively invests in technology innovators focused on genomics and plant sciences, seed tech, biologicals, digital Ag, and disruptive or novel farm systems.

About Radicle
Radicle is an acceleration fund backed by leading AgTech investors including Finistere Ventures, Bayer Crop Science, DuPont Pioneer and OurCrowd. Radicle carefully selects innovative Ag and food tech startups for investment, ensuring that powerful, disruptive technologies reach their full potential. We provide a fertile environment for visionaries in the Ag space, not just to grow but to flourish. Our proprietary platform is the only one of its kind in the agriculture industry, filling a huge void in the market by identifying the most innovative technologies and accelerating them with a range of value-creation initiatives. To learn more, visit radicle.vc.


            

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