London, Ontario, October 31, 2023: RHA Ventures (RHA), a boutique investment firm with a Founders for Founders approach, announces a key role in the new agreement between Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Western Fair Association (WFA) including Innovation Farms Ontario. In September 2023, FCC announced a long-term relationship with WFA (including The Grove at Western Fair District) to elevate agriculture and food producers by delivering the knowledge, innovation and research Canadian producers can use to complement their own expertise in the advancement of farming and food businesses. RHA Ventures will support them by providing participating companies with investment and business mentoring support to help scale their businesses. The original press release from FCC can be found on their website; https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/about-fcc/media-centre/news-releases/2023/fcc-western-fair-partnership.html
Photo from left to right: Chuck Bearsich, President, Haggerty AgRobotics; Sophie Perreault, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Farm Credit Canada; Fred Wall, Vice President Marketing and Digital Agriculture, Farm Credit Canada; Reg Ash, CEO Western Fair Association; and Joe Dales, Co-Founder RHA Ventures.
RHA is also pleased to announce the first project in this agreement is with one of RHA’s portfolio companies, Haggerty AgRobotics (https://www.haggertyagrobotics.com). The launch of the new on-farm research called Innovation Farms Ontario powered by AgExpert, is located at Haggerty Creek near Bothwell, Ontario. This research farm is part of a network of Canadian demonstration farms, also sponsored by FCC, where innovative, emerging technology is developed and tested. The results and benefits of different technologies in the emerging agriculture robotics and automation industry are shared with producers to optimize current farming practices and future decisions.”
“We are thrilled to support this important project and develop innovative solutions for Canadian farm producers,” says Joe Dales, Co-Founder of RHA Ventures. “We look forward to supporting participating companies by demonstrating and testing the value of their products with real farmers.”
Nevin McDougall, Manager Partner at RHA, hails the plan for fostering innovation and building businesses directed at the agriculture and food industry. “There has been a lack of venture capital in Canada for early-stage firms and we are ready to step up to the plate,” said McDougall, “and RHA plans to provide capital and mentorship for early-stage companies with focus on investments in Agriculture & Food Innovations and/or Technology-Enabled companies. RHA will invest and lend its world-class business expertise and acumen to mentor and develop new leaders and innovators in these sectors.”
For more information visit https://rha.ventures/ or the Press Room page at https://rha.ventures/pressroom
About RHA Ventures Inc. - Founders for Founders.
RHA Ventures (RHA) is a boutique investment company for visionary founders looking for long term capital and a “Founders for Founders” approach to building business. The RHA partners have decades of collective operational experience and bring seasoned, hands-on support in corporate governance, go-to-market approaches, commercial development, growth and exit strategies. RHA helps founders and entrepreneurs identify the most valuable market opportunities and scale their companies for sustainable growth. RHA leverages a core group of founders (business owners / entrepreneurs), with an extensive network of mentors and investors to help entrepreneurs gain visibility, establish strategic relationships, and build successful companies.
RHA Ventures is a key investor and a General Partner of the 519 Growth Funds
The 519 Growth Fund was launched in 2022 to support innovations in early stage, growth-focused companies that are technology-enabled with demonstrated recurring revenue, market acceptance and a defensible market position.
For more information visit our website at www.RHA.Ventures
Contact : Michael Dales, RHA Ventures, michael.dales@rha.ventures