June 24, 2015
Partnership with Farm Credit and USDA Rural Business Investment Program Provides Funding to Invest in Irrigation Management Industry Leader
NAPA, Calif. – Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP (ACAP) has announced a $5 million investment in Hortau Corp., a California-based leader in irrigation management systems.
Founded in 2002 and based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Hortau is a designer and manufacturer of technology-enabled soil monitoring and irrigation management systems for agricultural applications.
As California and other places throughout the U.S. face serious droughts and other water-related issues, Hortau’s technology is especially relevant, providing farmers with easy-to-use mobile software and reporting technology to growers. The company’s technology monitors how crops are faring in real time, allowing farmers to detect early stresses on crops before they are negatively affected.
“Agriculture is currently going through an evolution phase, using data-driven technologies to bring more precision and insight to the daily decision processes. Our technology is right in line with this trend, enabling growers to make better use of water resources and of various ag inputs while optimizing their return,” Hortau CEO Jocelyn Boudreau said. “This investment will allow us to make our system more affordable and accessible to our growers, accelerating adoption and creating a true win-win situation for the industry.”
“Hortau’s proven soil sensing technology provides farmers with a tremendous value proposition in terms of both crop yield improvements and water conservation, which is driving strong growth in the business,” said Timothy Hassler, Principal at Advantage Capital Partners. “We are very excited about partnering with Hortau and supporting its continued growth.”
Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP (ACAP) is a $154.5-million fund, licensed as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), focusing on businesses involved in the production, processing and supply of agricultural products.
It is a partnership between Advantage Capital Partners and nine Farm Credit organizations. The Farm Credit System is a nationwide network of banks and lending institutions federally chartered to serve agriculture and the U.S. rural economy.
Previously announced investments made by ACAP include funding for Iowa Cage-Free, LLLP in February 2015 and North American Natural Resources, Inc. (d/b/a American Botanicals) in April 2015.
About the Advantage Capital Agribusiness Fund
Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP (ACAP) is a $154.5-million fund, licensed as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), that focuses on businesses involved in the production, processing and supply of agricultural products. It is a partnership between Advantage Capital Partners and nine Farm Credit organizations: AgCountry Farm Credit Services (Fargo, N.D.); AgStar Financial Services (Mankato, Minn.); AgriBank (St. Paul, Minn.); Capital Farm Credit (Bryan, Texas); CoBank (Denver, Colo.); Farm Credit Bank of Texas (Austin, Texas); Farm Credit Services of America (Omaha, Neb.); Farm Credit Services of Mid-America (Louisville, Ky.); and United FCS (Willmar, Minn.). The Farm Credit System is a nationwide network of banks and lending institutions federally chartered to serve agriculture and the U.S. rural economy.
Advantage Capital Partners is an investment advisor registered under the Investment Adviser Act of 1940. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This release is not intended to be an advertisement subject to the rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
About Hortau Corp.
Hortau Corp., an industry leader in wireless, web-based irrigation management systems, was founded in 2002 by two agriculturally minded entrepreneurs, Dr. Jean Caron, agronomist, Ph.D in Soil Physics, and Jocelyn Boudreau, agricultural engineer, M.Sc. in Soil Physics.
Hortau’s patented, irrigation management solutions help growers detect plant stress, ensuring optimal crop growth while reducing water and energy use as well as eliminate environmental impacts of crop production.
With U.S. operations based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Hortau has offices, representatives and technicians throughout North America.
Learn more at Hortau.com or by calling (805) 545-5994. You can follow Hortau on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, or contact us by email at media@hortau.com.
