Inveready invests in Catalan biotechnology firm Agrasys after leading capital increase
<p>The venture capital company has invested in Tritordeum, a new grain that offers nutritional and agricultural advantages</p>
Through the Inveready Invierte Biotech II fund, venture capital company Inveready –based in Barcelona- has invested €500,000 in Catalan biotechnology firm Agrasys, whose other shareholders include Uninvest.
This capital will go to consolidating the company’s global expansion strategy for its main product: Tritordeum. This is the first grain created by humans for human consumption. It is low in hard-to-digest gluten proteins and high in lutein, making it a product with clear advantages to compete in a premium market niche, according to Inveready Director of Investment Sara Secall.
Tritordeum was developed by researchers at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and is a combination of durum wheat and barley. For the 2014-2015 harvest, 1,300 hectares of the grain are being planted by several different production companies in Spain and Italy using conventional and organic production systems.
In addition to spreading the grain, the funds invested will also allow Agrasys to increase their human resources and accelerate growth in Spain and Italy.