INSIGHT

AgTech’s Golden Hour

Why now is the moment for investment, growth, and bold new ideas to protect profits and crops.

AgTech’s Golden Hour

Cautious optimism, deeper investment—and why data is the real key to feeding the future

After a shaky 2024, AgTech is entering 2025 with renewed momentum. VC funding may have cooled, but the shift we’re seeing now isn’t retreat—it’s refocus. Investors are being more strategic, growers are demanding real-world solutions, and the smartest bets are on platforms that turn data into action.

Private Equity Is Planting Long-Term Roots

In 2024, Paine Schwartz Partners took Australia’s Costa Group private—a move signaling confidence in sustainable agriculture as a long-term play.

By March 2025, Costa announced its newest expansion in Laos, starting with 17 hectares of blueberries and aiming to reach 200 hectares by 2028.

This isn’t just a land play. It’s a signal that large-scale, data-informed agriculture has real ROI—and room to scale.

The VC Slowdown Might Be a Good Thing

After years of buzz, many VCs left AgTech too early—expecting quick returns in a space where nothing grows overnight.

But as the world faces climate disruption, water stress, and growing food insecurity, there’s a growing realization:

AgTech isn’t a hype cycle. It’s a necessity.

AI Is Not the Answer—Data Is

Let’s set the record straight: AI is exciting, but most growers aren’t looking for automation—they’re looking for clarity.

They want to know:

• When should I irrigate?
• Where is the pest pressure building?
• Is my soil still supporting this crop?

Digital agronomy isn’t a dashboard—it’s a decision partner.

Platforms like FarmRoad deliver that: clear, practical, field-level insights that make farming smarter—not harder.

Emerging Investment Trends for 2025

• Sustainable Agriculture: Tools that reduce environmental impact
• AI + Robotics: Precision tech for real problems
• Biosolutions: Biostimulants and natural alternatives to chemicals
• Regenerative Practices: Soil-first, climate-smart farming
• Data-Driven Platforms: Real-time insights, not guesswork
• Corporate + PE Interest: Strategic acquisitions and scaling

Why This Is AgTech’s Golden Hour

Because it’s not just about yield. It’s about building a resilient global food system—one that works for growers, the planet, and the next 10 billion people.

Feeding the future doesn’t start with more—it starts with smarter.

Ready to Go Deeper?

🔍 Explore FarmRoad

📩 Talk to us about investment opportunities

🌐 Learn more at waybeyond.io

INSIGHT

The Irrigation Equation

A closer look at the challenges growers face—and how WayBeyond is helping them solve it.

The World Is Running Out of Water to Grow Food.

By 2030—just five years from now—global demand for water is expected to outstrip supply by 40%. And since agriculture uses more water than any other sector, this imbalance puts global food production squarely in the danger zone.

Right now, nearly 60% of the world’s irrigated crops are grown in areas already facing severe water shortages. And with rising temperatures and more unpredictable weather driven by climate change, the pressure is only going to build.

So, how do we keep growing food in a water-scarce world?

Smarter irrigation.

That’s where WayBeyond comes in. We're helping protected cropping growers make better water decisions—powered by data, delivered through tech, and designed to reduce waste while boosting yields.

Our precision irrigation tools can help reduce water use by up to 17% without compromising crop performance. In fact, many growers actually improve their yields. Here's how we're making that happen:

Inside Climate Prediction

We combine AI, satellite data, and real-time climate sensors to deliver some of the most accurate climate forecasts available—tuned explicitly for protected cropping environments.

Outside Irrigation Forecasts

Unlike generic weather apps, our FarmRoad forecasts use advanced satellite modeling to give growers more actionable, hyper-local predictions.

Drip and Drain Monitoring

Track irrigation data directly for faster feedback. Growers get insights to adjust quickly and allocate water with precision.

GrowPilot (Free!)

We’re even making smart irrigation as easy as a WhatsApp message. Growers receive daily weather and irrigation insights right where they are—no logins, no guesswork. Sign up here.

💼 For Investors: Let's Talk Investment

🌿 For Growers: Try GrowPilot for free

ON THE FARMROAD

How FarmRoad Helped a Berry Giant Beat the Frost

When frost hits, it doesn’t knock—it strikes fast and without mercy. For growers, one cold snap can mean an entire season lost. But for African Blue, Morocco’s largest blueberry producer, that risk turned into a smart opportunity.

Using FarmRoad’s climate tools, African Blue monitored temperature and humidity in real time across nine separate farms. The system delivered early warnings and precise, field-level data—so when frost threatened their crops, they didn’t just react. They acted strategically.

🚨 Real-time alerts meant heaters and ventilators were deployed exactly when and where needed.

📉 The result? A dramatic reduction in crop loss and significant savings for the growers in terms of staff time, fuel, and resources.

Digital agronomy doesn’t just protect crops. It protects profits.

👉 Read more about how FarmRoad delivers ROI in real conditions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Yes, Plants Can Be Bullied—And Yes, They Talk Back

In one of IKEA’s more surprising experiments, two identical plants were placed side by side. One was spoken to kindly. The other—bullied with negative words.

After 30 days, the results were striking:

🌿 The complimented plant thrived.

🥀 The bullied one wilted.

While it might sound like a stunt, the truth behind it is powerful: plants respond to their environment—and they’re constantly sending signals.

At WayBeyond, we don’t talk to plants (well… not often), but we do listen.

🌱 Is the soil too dry?

🪲 Are pests creeping in?

☀️ Is the plant getting enough light or too much heat?

FarmRoad pulls data directly from the field—humidity, temperature, crop growth rates, and more—and gives growers clear, timely insights so they can respond before the stress becomes damage.

Because a healthy crop doesn’t just need care—it needs to be heard.

For Growers

Are you a grower who wants to hear what your crops are telling you? FarmRoad translates real-time field data into smarter, faster decisions, helping you grow more with less.

👉 Discover FarmRoad

For Investors & Strategic Partners

What if listening to plants was the smartest move in agriculture? With FarmRoad, data becomes insight—and yield becomes ROI.

👉 Learn more

OVER THE LINE

Over the Line: Costa Group’s expansion into Laos

What this move signals for agriculture in the region.

Australian fresh produce leader Costa Group has officially launched a new blueberry farming operation in Laos, beginning with a 17-hectare planting on the Bolaven Plateau in Paksong. Over the next five years, Costa plans to expand the project to 200 hectares—a bold move reflecting their long-term investment in high-quality, sustainable berry production.

WayBeyond is proud to support Costa in their berry breeding and cultivation efforts across Morocco, Australia, Laos, and India.

With FarmRoad as their crop management platform, Costa is consolidating climate data, irrigation metrics, and harvest insights from multiple regions into one clear view. This unified approach empowers their team to:

✅ Improve yield and fruit quality

✅ Track variety performance across diverse environments

✅ Make smarter, faster growing decisions at scale

🔗 Read more about Costa’s expansion here.

PODCAST

The Future of Farming: AI, Digital Agronomy, and the Water Crisis

Listen Up: WayBeyond’s own CEO, Darryn Keiller  joins the Food Fight podcast for a must-hear conversation on the future of farming, digital agronomy and the water crisis.

By 2050, farmers will need to produce 70% more food to feed an expanded population of 10 billion. Yet the world is running out of resources like water, farmland, and fertile soil to make that happen. In EIT's latest Food Fight podcast, our CEO, Darryn Keiller shares how digital agronomy and AI-powered solutions are helping farmers optimize crop production, conserve vital resources, and prepare for the future.

🎧 Listen here.

That’s a wrap for this edition of our newsletter! Until next time, follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

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If you have any questions or comments, your feedback is always welcome. Contact: marketing@waybeyond.io

– The WayBeyond Team