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Ledesma joins Agricultural Innovation Network powered by NXTP Labs

Agricultural Innovation Network is composed by large Latin American agricultural producers who seek to incorporate innovation through startups.

(Buenos Aires, 9 April 2019) Ledesma, one of the largest agro-industrial companies in Argentina, with more than 100 years of history, has joined Agricultural Innovation Network (AIN) powered by NXTP Labs.

This Network is composed by large Latin American agricultural producers who seek to incorporate innovation through startups. AIN members conduct food production, industrialization and commercialization activities in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay.

With Ledesma incorporation, the Network adds 87,500 hectares and 24,000 cattle heads to this initiative. Therefore, AIN members acreage went up to more than 880,000 hectares in fields and 225,000 cattle heads, so Agtech startups may test their products and services, perform pilot testing and create the basis of joint businesses or alliances among producers and Agtech startups.

With more than 100 years of history, Ledesma has always been a company with innovative milestones. Some of them include the research made on the use of sugarcane juice to produce bioethanol in the 20ties, paper manufacturing from sugarcane in the 60ties, mechanized harvesting and underground drainage systems in the 70ties, and the pioneer generation of renewable energy from waste and unused materials, in the XXI century.

On the other end of paper value chain, Ledesma has developed innovative products, such as left-handers notebooks, or “+Caña” (+Sugarcane) notebooks, totally recyclable and most recently, “+Bio” notebooks, which is a unique series worldwide since covers, back covers and sheets are 100% made out of sugarcane, a renewable source.

Humberto Solá, Ledesma´s Innovation, Environment and Energy Chief Manager said: “Innovation is always present in Ledesma, and now we are participating in Agricultural Innovation Network, a very interesting initiative powered by NXTP Labs, which will benefit the network´s companies, thanks to startups contributions with new agro-related technologies. They are totally virtuous in terms of innovation, cooperation and interaction, and this NXTP Labs initiative is a clear example of that”.

Marta Cruz, NXTP Labs Co-founder said: “We are very satisfied with Ledesma´s incorporation to this innovation team powered by NXTP Labs. This is one example, among others, of the increasing trend of large producers of the region to incorporate innovation through Agtech startups”.

In addition to Ledesma, Agricultural Innovation Network is composed by big market players, such as Adecoagro, Goyaike, J. Harriet, Ceibos Group, Lartirigoyen, and Grubus.

This program completed the first calling to startups and more than 130 applications were received from almost all the countries of the region, and also from international markets, such as the United States, Australia and Israel.

After the startups selection process ends, and following the firsts pilot tests, this collective intelligence effort among producers will enable Network members to recognize in a faster and more efficient way which startups add value to their productive systems.

For example, developments to optimize irrigation process, to enhance the agricultural supplies purchasing process, to optimize trading channels, to offer financing to suppliers and to offer remote monitoring of crops conditions are expected, among other innovation-related developments.

About Ledesma

Founded in 1908 as a sugarcane mill in Jujuy, Ledesma is an Argentine agro-industrial company that employs almost 8,000 people and leads the domestic marketplace of sugar and paper produced from sugar cane. It is also the main local producer and exporter of oranges and grapefruits located in Jujuy and Salta. It has a corn wet-milling business in San Luis and produces meat and cereals in Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos.

About NXTP Labs

NXTP Labs is an entrepreneurial capital company in early stages that invest in technological startups which generate a positive impact in scale throughout Latin America. With local offices in all the region, and presence in Silicon Valley, the first NXTP fund has invested in more than 190 startups in the last 7 years. Besides from administering a second investment fund focused on Series A, NXTP Labs executes innovative programs for large corporations and administers corporate funds of entrepreneurial capital of different volumes and segments. For more information please visit: https://www.nxtplabs.com.

About Agricultural Innovation Network powered by NXTP Labs

This innovation hub is composed by a group of leading producers, including Ledesma, Adecoagro, Goyaike, J. Harriet, Ceibos Group, Lartirigoyen and Grubus. With more than 880,000 productive hectares, and 225,000 cattle and pork heads in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, Agricultural Innovation Network members conduct food production, industrialization and commercialization activities to the whole world.