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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe five companies in The Nature Conservancy’s 2021 agtech investment announcement were Growers Edge, Kula Bio, Pattern Ag, Stony Creek Colors, and SwarmFarm. They addressed different barriers to changing farm practices: financial risk, fertilizer use, soil diagnostics, crop-rotation economics, and precision field operations. The list describes the initiative’s initial investments—not TNC’s later portfolio.
Which five companies did The Nature Conservancy invest in?
A March 2021 report by Successful Farming identified five companies backed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Their approaches were varied; they were not five versions of the same farm product.
| Company | Agricultural need addressed | Approach described in 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Growers Edge | Financial risk in adopting farm technology or practices | Income assurance, warranty-backed crop plans, and agricultural financing |
| Kula Bio | Nitrogen fertilizer use and potential runoff | Developing a biological nitrogen fertilizer intended to minimize runoff and potentially replace some or all synthetic nitrogen fertilizer |
| Pattern Ag | Understanding soil conditions and crop threats | Soil microbiome analysis and input recommendations, with a focus on pest and disease pressures for corn and soybean farmers |
| Stony Creek Colors | Finding value in alternative crops and diversifying rotations | Plant-based dyes, including indigo, developed with growers |
| SwarmFarm | Applying farm inputs more precisely | Autonomous robotic technologies for nutrient and crop-protection applications |
What each investment was intended to do
Growers Edge: reduce the financial downside of change
When a grower considers a new technology or farming practice, uncertain returns can make the change difficult to finance. Growers Edge’s described offering combined data-driven farm products with income assurance, warranty-backed crop plans, and agricultural financing. The aim was to reduce financial exposure; the announcement does not establish a particular return or guarantee for farmers.
Kula Bio: develop a biological nitrogen fertilizer
Kula Bio was developing a biological fertilizer intended to address nitrogen needs while minimizing runoff. TNC’s description said it could potentially replace some or all synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. That is an intended possibility, not evidence in the announcement of measured reductions, field-trial results, or commercial performance.
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Pattern Ag: use soil microbiome analysis to inform decisions
Pattern Ag analyzed the soil microbiome and offered recommendations intended to help optimize farm inputs. Its stated focus included pest and disease pressures faced by corn and soybean growers. The source describes the service’s purpose, not comparative proof that its recommendations outperform other methods.
Stony Creek Colors: create value for a different crop
Stony Creek Colors developed plant-based dyes, including indigo, with growers. The model connected an alternative row crop to a potential market for plant-derived colorants, offering a way to diversify rotations while creating another source of crop value. The investment announcement does not quantify farm income or environmental results.
SwarmFarm: apply inputs with autonomous equipment
SwarmFarm’s autonomous robotic farm technologies were aimed at more precise application of nutrients and crop-protection products. The proposed conservation connection is that precision operations may help farms use inputs more deliberately; the announcement does not provide comparative efficacy or quantified input savings.
Why TNC paired investment with pilots
TNC describes investment as a way to signal where innovation is needed and support entrepreneurs developing solutions that could scale conservation practices. Its agriculture initiative also used pilot projects: small-scale opportunities to assess outcomes, learn, and refine strategies before wider implementation. TNC says the framework considers both business and environmental outcomes. Its account of the approach is available on its Agriculture Innovation and Cultivating Innovation pages.
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This agricultural effort sits within, but is distinct from, TNC’s broader investment work. TNC’s Office of Investments describes a co-investment program focused on mission-aligned companies that catalyze sustainability innovation and advance the organization’s 2030 climate and biodiversity goals.
How the original five differ from TNC’s later portfolio
The five-company headline refers to the initial group named in 2021. TNC’s later agriculture innovation overview gives a broader portfolio picture: it lists six current investments, including FarmRaise, and identifies Sentera and Vence as past investments. In that overview, TNC says Sentera was acquired by John Deere in 2025 and Vence by Merck Animal Health in 2022.
In a 2025 retrospective, TNC said it had invested in eight companies over the initiative and that five remained in the portfolio at that point. These counts refer to different snapshots and should not be substituted for the original five. TNC also reported that three pilot projects had been executed and that, as of May 2025, the investments had returned over 30% of the original recoverable grant. That grant funded both direct investments and pilot work; the figure is TNC’s dated report, not an independently verified current return rate. See TNC’s 2025 initiative retrospective.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcement does—and does not—show
The five investments covered distinct mechanisms: a financial product, a biological input under development, an analysis service, market development for an alternative crop, and robotic equipment. The 2021 announcement explains intended functions, but does not supply comparable trial results across the companies. It therefore supports describing what each approach was meant to address, not ranking which was most effective or claiming verified conservation outcomes.
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