Mariana Vasconcelos, moderator; Carlos Araya Quintero, Executive Director and Founding Partner of Brumas Venture Capital; Teresita Di Marco, Director of Investments at The Yield Lab for LATAM; Vladimir Valera, Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab ACTIVA-CATIE; José Enciso, Director of Private Equity Investments for Latin America and the Caribbean at Incofin Investment Management; and Ariadne Caballero, Partner at SP Ventures.
San José, 26 September (IICA)- During the 2025 Digital Agriculture Week, organized in Costa Rica by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), more than 21 agtech companies took part in a strategic dialogue with investment funds specializing in agrotechnology. These funds presented their financing models and shared experiences on how to scale digital solutions in agriculture across the region.
In the panel “Investment Bridges for AgTech Innovation,” representatives of venture capital funds and investment platforms highlighted the key role of agtech companies in transforming the agricultural sector and explained how new enterprises can access financing to grow, generate impact, and contribute to the digitalization of rural areas.
The event featured Galit Flasterstein, Managing Partner of Danta Fund in Costa Rica; Ariadne Caballero, Partner at SP Ventures in Brazil; Carolina Hernández, Consultant at BID Lab, Venture Capital and Investment Unit; Teresita Di Marco, Director of Investments at The Yield Lab for LATAM; José Enciso, Director of Private Equity Investments for Latin America and the Caribbean at Incofin Investment Management; Vladimir Valera, Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab ACTIVA-CATIE; and Carlos Araya Quintero, Executive Director and Founding Partner of Brumas Venture Capital, the last two from Costa Rica.
The experts agreed on the need to foster investment bridges in the AgTech ecosystem of the Americas, conceived as mechanisms for bringing together key stakeholders such as governments, financial institutions, startups, research centers, and development organizations, in order to create enabling environments so that technologies such as artificial intelligence, remote sensors, blockchain, and big data, among others, can effectively reach rural producers.
Carolina Hernández of BID Lab stressed that agrotechnology is key to a sustainable and inclusive recovery of agriculture in the Americas.
“AgTech companies play a transformative role in agriculture in Latin America. At BID Lab we work to ensure that financing reaches those who are innovating in the field, connecting technology with social and environmental impact. The key is to build bridges between capital and solutions that address the real needs of rural areas”, she said.
For Vladimir Valera, investment in agricultural technology is not only possible but urgent. “At ACTIVA-CATIE we work to ensure that financing supports production models that regenerate their environment and foster inclusion. We bet on ventures that integrate science, technology, and social commitment to transform agriculture from within”, he explained.
Teresita Di Marco of The Yield Lab LATAM emphasized that investing in new talent, emerging ecosystems, and solutions that impact the entire agri-food chain is becoming a fundamental pillar for the development of new technologies applied to agriculture.
“Our approach goes beyond capital. We support startups with mentoring, networking, and technical expertise so they can scale their business models and generate a real impact on the sustainability of agriculture in Latin America”, she noted.
Digital Agriculture Week is the leading regional forum on digital innovation applied to agriculture. It is organized by IICA together with strategic partners such as the IDB, CAF, Bayer, PROCISUR, the University of Córdoba, and AWS. Over four days, the event features keynote presentations, thematic panels, technology solution exhibitions, side events, and networking spaces that bring together AgTech companies, policymakers, investment funds, accelerators, research institutes, international organizations, and agri–food and technology companies.
Through this event, IICA fosters spaces for sustainable rural development, promoting strategic investment in AgTech innovation as a driver of competitiveness, climate resilience, and inclusion in the agricultural sector.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
