The Inclusive Agritech Facility (IAF) aims to de-risk IFC’s early-stage equity investments in agriculture technology (agritech) companies in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and aims to develop solutions for smallholder farmers by investing in private sector-led agriculture technology and business models that have the potential to be deployed at scale.
The facility, which was launched in 2018 with support from the Gates Foundation, helps demonstrate investment models that successfully balance sector risks, commercial success and impact goals, with the potential to attract additional sources of investment capital. It also strengthens the partnership between the foundation and IFC, capitalizing on the shared vision of achieving inclusive agricultural transformation and the complementary strengths of agriculture teams in the two organizations.
IFC’s equity investment of up to US$12M in Omnivore Agritech & Climate Sustainability Fund 3 (“Omnivore III”) a closed-end venture capital (VC) fund domiciled in India was supported by $4.6m FLG from IAF. Omnivore is a leading global agritech fund manager, benefiting from a broad network which gives it insight into business models and technologies in other regions, especially ones where smallholder farming predominate. The fund focuses on agritech and foodtech sub-sectors: Farmer Platforms & Fintech; Precision Agriculture; B2B Agri Marketplaces; Farm to Consumer (F2C) Brands; Agrifood Life Sciences; and Post Harvest Technologies. As of 2024 end, the fund had reached roughly $200m in commitments, which speaks to IFC’s mobilizing power. Through this innovative BF facility, Gates Foundation has supported investments in companies in alternate biomaterials, molded fiber products to transition from single-use plastics, rural insurance distribution platform, full stack dairy platform, circular fodder ecosystem, AI powered spot spray technology, supply chain and agri processing platforms, among others.
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Last updated: November 2025