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Cultivian Sandbox Ventures

Chicago, IL · Invests in US · Website

Thesis

Building next-generation food and agriculture technology companies that commercialize solutions for sustainable production, equitable distribution, and healthy consumption. Partners with strategic investors to drive systemic impact in food systems.

Likely not a fit for

Non-food/agriculture technologies, companies without clear sustainability or food system impact focus

How they invest

Lead or follow
Leads or follows
Typical decision
~2 months
Warm intro
Not required
Involvement
Takes a board seat
Fund status
Actively deploying
Assets under mgmt
$300M
Decision process
Partnership vote

Partners & team

5 contacts on file

AZ

Andy Ziolkowski

General PartnerManaging Director, Co-Founder (Cultivian Ventures) · Primary contact

+ Pitch
BS

Bob Shapiro

General PartnerManaging Director, Co-Founder (Sandbox Industries)

+ Pitch
NR

Nick Rosa

General PartnerManaging Director, Managing Partner (Sandbox Industries)

+ Pitch

LinkedIn profile

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RM

Ron Meeusen

General PartnerManaging Director, Co-Founder (Cultivian Ventures)

+ Pitch
DP

Dan Phillips

PartnerManaging Director, Partner (Sandbox Industries)

+ Pitch

Portfolio

VestaronBiotech Life Sciences

Vestaron is leading a revolution in crop protection with new peptide technology, producing a pipeline of powerful insecticides based on peptides modified from the venom of spiders and other venomous species.

NuritasFood Beverage

Nuritas leverages AI technology to discover and unlock bioactive peptides from nature, creating innovative ingredients for healthier and safer consumer products.

Descartes LabsInsurance

Descartes Labs is an AI-powered company specializing in insurance and Earth observation satellite data. It operates a satellite constellation for high-quality Earth observation, focusing on delivering science-grade satellite data for various applications.

GeltorBiotech Life Sciences

Geltor is transforming biodesign into a new paradigm for sustainable, ethically sourced, and effective protein ingredients, focusing on beauty, wellness, and nutrition.

Sound AgricultureAgetech Longevity

Sound Agriculture is a company focused on agricultural technology, aiming to enhance crop productivity and sustainability through innovative solutions.

Full HarvestEcommerce Marketplaces

Full Harvest is the leading B2B marketplace for USDA Grade 1, surplus, and imperfect produce, connecting growers with commercial buyers to reduce food waste and improve the efficiency of the produce supply chain.

Novihum TechnologiesGaming

Novihum Technologies is a company focused on online gaming, specifically slot games in Indonesia. Their website offers the popular game SLOT5000, which promises large jackpot wins with a minimum deposit of 5,000.

Leaf
IngredientWerksFood Beverage

IngredientWerks is a leading molecular farming developer of plant-based ingredients for food and nutritional alternative proteins. Our plants become protein manufacturing systems, pioneering a new era of food production.

Cooks VentureFood Beverage

Cooks Venture is a company focused on culinary innovation.

Advanced Animal Diagnostics
Debut BiotechBiotech Life Sciences

Debut Biotech is a pioneering biotech beauty company that creates high-performing beauty products rooted in science and clinical testing, utilizing bio-based ingredients and advanced biomanufacturing techniques.

Recent activity

Cultivian Sandbox Ventures in the news

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Research briefRead more
Cultivian Sandbox Ventures Research Investment Thesis Cultivian Sandbox Ventures is a specialized venture capital firm dedicated to building next-generation food and agriculture technology companies. Founded through a strategic partnership between Cultivian Ventures (established 2008 by agricultural technology pioneers) and Sandbox Industries, the firm brings together deep industry expertise with

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