GIF invests in pioneering solar-powered irrigation in Southeast Asia.
Mar 11, 2025
GIF is pleased to announce our $500k investment in Agros, a Singapore-based Agritech business supporting smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia challenged by frequent climate shocks.
Agros provides solar-powered irrigation solutions that fully remove fuel expenses while avoiding CO₂ emissions. To date, the business has supported more than 6,000 smallholder farmers, and improved the lives of more than 30,000 members of the farming community.
Agros provides cutting-edge products and services tailored to modern farming needs, maximising productivity while minimising environmental impact. With subsidiaries in Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia, it works with over 6,000 farmers on over 14,000 hectares, aiming to impact 150,000 farmers within five years. Its goal is to be the leading sustainable solution provider for crop farmers across Southeast Asia.
Smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia contend with an extremely variable climate that alternates between monsoons and dry seasons, as well as with increasing water scarcity caused by climate change. Reliable irrigation is invaluable for maintaining agricultural productivity, but it is almost impossible for smallholder farmers to afford due to the high upfront, operating and maintenance costs of traditional irrigation systems.
Agros’s flagship solution, Agrosolar, is a solar-powered irrigation pump which allows substantial savings on fuel costs compared to conventional diesel pumps, making irrigation more affordable for smallholder farmers. This system will provide reliable irrigation during dry seasons and droughts.
Agros is also working on expanding its catalogue of support to smallholder farmers, being currently piloting the sales of biofertilisers through branded shops in one of its operation countries.
Agros’ innovations also yield significant environmental benefits, with Agrosolar removing CO2 emissions generated by conventional diesel pump. So far, the company has avoided over 35,000 tonnes of CO2e.
GIF’s risk capital investment will support Agros on its pathway to scale, helping the business crowd in at least $1 million in additional funding. GIF’s funds also aim to support the adoption of at least 500 new solar pumps across Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia.
By 2027, the company aims to partner with 30,000 farmers to increase their collective income by US$40 million, and prevent 1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions through the deployment of its solutions.
"This Series A funding marks a major milestone for Agros as we scale our impact across Southeast Asia," said Max Nelen, CEO and founder of Agros. "With the continued trust of our existing investors and the support of new partners like the Global Innovation Fund, we are accelerating our mission to empower smallholder farmers with sustainable, tech-driven solutions."
Agros will use the funds to drive the company’s nationwide expansion in Indonesia, accelerate product innovation, and further develop its in-house digital infrastructure. Having entered Indonesia in 2024, Agros is expanding quickly in the country, as a response to the country’s push for increased rice production and reduced dependency on rainwater.
"GIF finds and funds innovations that help the world’s poorest people adapt to extreme weather and build resilience to climate shocks,” said Francesco Valente, Investment Director at the Global Innovation Fund. "Agros offers innovative products and services and makes them accessible to poor smallholder farmers, maximising productivity while minimising environmental impact. Our risk capital investment will support Agros on its pathway to scale, helping the business crowd in additional funding.”
Looking ahead, Agros plans to raise additional debt financing during the first half of 2025 and is considering a Series ‘A’ extension in the near future once key milestones are met.