Vækstfonden's Eric-Alan Rapp on how the Danish state is investing in the future of food

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Vaekstfonden is the Danish State’s investment fund. Since 1992, they’ve funded over 9 thousand companies with investments amounting to more than 4.4 billion euro. Eric-Alan Rapp is a partner at Vækstfonden investing in FoodTech companies. He has more than 25 years in the world of start-ups, venture capital, and corporate finance in both Europe and the United States. In this episode, we explore how Vaekstfonden is investing and thinking about the future of food. Eric-Alan and I also discuss why connecting on values is key for finding the right investor, the future of Denmark as a leader in meat and dairy, and the role of 

  • 5:30 Vækstfonden’s food and ag investment thesis 

  • 10:00 The future of meat and dairy in Denmark

  • 26:20 What Vækstfonden looks for when investing

  • 39:40 Why values matter

  • 42:00 Eric-Alan’s vision for the future in 10-15 years

For more conversations, join our community on Instagram or check out other episodes on www.nordicfoodtech.io. I’d also love to connect with you on LinkedIn and hear your feedback and thoughts on the episode! 

2:50 How does Vækstfonden relate to the other Danish funds?

5:30 What is green by Vækstfonden’s definition?

7:40 Why does green matter?

How will this affect me? How will this affect my children?

10:00 When we think of the future of agriculture in Denmark and being able to feed the future, what do you think the industry will look like? And what will it take for us to maintain a competitive advantage?

13:15 What will the future of dairy and meat by in Denmark?

14:40 What tension do you see between old and new? What’s the role of subsidies?

18:30 What is necessary to enable shift?

We need political action to drive change.

19:50 What would be your ideal portfolio in 10 years?

23:00 What is your due diligence process? What do you look for when choosing to make an investment?

26:20 What do startups need to have in place to be considered green or sustainable?

30:50 How do you work with other funds internationally?

34:00 How did you end up working in this space?

37:30 What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?

39:40 Why do values matter when looking for an investor?

42:00 What is your vision for the future of food in 10-15 years?

43:30 What are we missing to get there?

47:30 What collaborations are you looking for?

48:40 What’s the best way for someone to get in touch?