VisVires rebrands to Clay Capital and closes $145M fund

Introducing Clay Capital: an investment firm for foodtech and agritech start-ups. Formerly known as VisVires New Protein, this firm has an impressive $145M under their belt from their second fund. They're not just about the money though, they're championing the cause for sustainable and circular food production.

• Brief Context: They're based out of Singapore, funding start-ups in Europe, Israel, and Asia, who are seriously transforming the food production scenario with their innovative and sustainable solutions.

• Funding Initiatives: Clay Capital plans to back up to 15 start-ups at their early, series A, and growth stages. The investment per round varies between $3M and $8M, with an additional reserve for follow-on investments.

• Success Story: Since their inception in 2014, Clay Capital has been part of the success stories of companies like Ynsect and Aleph Farms.

• Funding Strategy: Their unique three-phase investment strategy comprises pre-investment evaluations, in-depth due diligence, and annual performance reports from their portfolio companies.

• Ongoing Research: They're currently focused on making existing food system more sustainable. They're investing in research on plastic and packaging alternatives, fermentation, agricultural biology, crop disease resistance, soil health, and regenerative agriculture.

• Outside SEA Ventures: Though they have a global outreach, they lean towards the European market, with most investors coming from there. Yet Singapore’s innovative approach to the food system and supportive regulations align with Clay Capital's mission to facilitate Asian expansion for their portfolio companies.

In terms of their impact, Clay Capital boasts $200M in assets under management, and their portfolio companies have bagged more than $1B in extra private funding.