A new report by Omnivore, Beanstalk AgTech, and Briter argues that Southeast Asia represents one of the world’s largest untapped AgriTech opportunities—and that India’s evolution in venture capital and public systems offers a practical blueprint for unlocking it.
Titled The Opportunity for AgriTech Investment in Southeast Asia, the report is a detailed, data-driven assessment of agriculture and AgriTech across 13 markets. Produced with support from FMO Ventures, IFC (World Bank Group), and Rabo Foundation, it draws on Omnivore’s sector expertise to highlight four verticals with the strongest momentum: digital value chains, inclusive AgriFinTech, agrifood life sciences, and sustainable consumer brands.
“We’ve spent over a decade investing in Indian AgriTech, watching the ecosystem mature through better governance, clearer exit pathways, and the steady build-out of market infrastructure,” said Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore. “Southeast Asia is on a similar path. The fragmentation is real—but so is the opportunity to improve farm productivity and farmer incomes at scale. What’s needed is patient, disciplined capital that understands local markets.”
Agriculture accounts for roughly 15% of GDP and employs up to 40% of the workforce across the region. With deeper digitalisation and wider AgriTech adoption, the report estimates that Southeast Asia could unlock over $90 billion in annual GDP gains by 2033.
Investment in AgriTech peaked at more than $750 million in 2022, before dropping nearly 70% by 2025. The correction reflects a broader reassessment by investors—particularly around fragmented value chains, difficult unit economics, and the complexity of scaling ventures across diverse markets. Against this backdrop, the report identifies where the next wave of opportunities is likely to emerge.
A key takeaway: there is no single, unified Southeast Asian market. Nearly two-thirds of cross-border expansion attempts have failed, and the most resilient companies tend to focus on a single market, built around the right value chain, business model, and local execution. In fact, premature regional expansion was cited in over 60% of venture failures between 2022 and 2025.
On exits, corporate acquisitions dominate—accounting for about 75% of liquidity events since 2020—while only eight IPOs have taken place. The report points to India’s BSE SME and NSE Emerge platforms as a model worth watching, offering dedicated listing routes for growth-stage companies that fall below traditional IPO thresholds.
Development finance institutions and impact investors have committed around $650 million to agrifood-focused funds in the region and remain critical to the ecosystem. However, the next phase of growth will likely depend on more sophisticated capital stacks—blending equity, credit, and concessional funding to support scale.
-Press release