Generation Food Rural Partners Announces Definitive Agreement to Sell PlantSustain to Frontera Ag
Transaction marks the first exit for Generation Food Rural Partners and strategic next chapter for PlantSustain as part of Frontera Ag
NEW YORK, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Generation Food Rural Partners (GFRP), a venture fund built by Big Idea Ventures to create and scale agriculture, food, and materials technology companies in rural America, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company, PlantSustain, to Frontera Ag, a leading agricultural solutions provider. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
PlantSustain is a pioneer in sustainable plant and soil health solutions, serving growers across key agricultural regions. Since being launched by GFRP in May of 2024, the company has expanded its product portfolio and strengthened its research and development capabilities.
PlantSustain was created through the GFRP venture build model, which matches supply chain needs with promising scientific discoveries and builds companies designed for rapid commercialization and industry adoption.
“This exit to a strategic acquirer completes the validation of the GFRP model – venture building to solve supply chain challenges,” said Tom Mastrobuoni, Chief Investment Officer at Big Idea Ventures. “PlantSustain represents the type of science-driven company we launch and grow, commercializing research into practical solutions. We are proud of the progress the team has made and believe Frontera Ag is the ideal partner to accelerate PlantSustain’s next phase of growth and impact.”
Under GFRP’s ownership and CEO Simon Hills’ leadership, PlantSustain developed a biological platform designed to improve plant health and resilience while supporting more consistent crop performance. The PlantSustain platform enhances plant growth, improves margins for growers, and supports more sustainable farming practices.
Frontera Ag is a biological agriculture platform focused on developing high-performance crop solutions for global farming systems. “We are excited to welcome PlantSustain into the Frontera Ag family,” said Matti Tiainen, Founder and CEO of Frontera Ag. “PlantSustain strengthens our position as a biological platform company built to deliver practical, field-proven performance. PlantSustain’s innovation pipeline complements our existing portfolio and expands our capabilities across plant resilience and biological crop protection.”
Mr. Tiainen went on to say, “With our expertise in formulation science, advanced seed and soil delivery systems, regulatory execution, and global market access, we can translate breakthrough biology into scalable, field-ready solutions. Our ambition is clear: to build a next-generation biological portfolio that integrates seamlessly into modern farming systems and accelerates the transition toward more resilient agriculture.”
Simon Hill, Chief Executive Officer of PlantSustain stated, “The GFRP model has allowed PlantSustain to ‘start with the end in mind’ – to study the agricultural biological market, recognize both the successes and limitations of existing biological solutions, and design a novel approach to biological solution design that solves real-time issues and fits modern farming systems. This philosophy and vision is mirrored by Frontera Ag, and we are delighted to be combining our innovation and resources to improve biological product performance, grower satisfaction and overall uptake in the global agricultural biologicals sector.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close shortly.
About PlantSustain
PlantSustain is a platform for progressing biological innovation from research through to commercialization, aiming to replace chemical pesticides and fertilizers with natural biological solutions. Leveraging the expertise and innovation developed at leading universities, research institutes, and within the private sector, PlantSustain products are designed to boost plants’ ability to compete and thrive, for healthier crops and the environment. The Company will license intellectual property from universities and commercialize biological technologies to address challenges in the agriculture and food industries. For more information, visit www.plantsustain.com
About Frontera Ag
Frontera Ag is a global biological agriculture platform focused on building high-performance crop solutions. By combining advanced formulation expertise with precision delivery technologies, the company develops scalable biological products designed for consistent field performance worldwide
About Generation Food Rural Partners
Generation Food Rural Partners Fund (GFRP) is an RBIC-licensed investment fund built by Big Idea Ventures to support economic growth and innovation in rural communities across the United States. The fund focuses on food, agriculture, and protein technologies, creating new companies from scientific discoveries and intellectual property developed by universities, research institutions, and industry partners. GFRP operates through a venture-build model that identifies promising technologies and forms companies designed for rapid commercialization and industry adoption. The fund is backed by members of the Farm Credit System, including Farm Credit Services of America, CoBank, Compeer Financial, and Mid-America Farm Credit.
GFRP is part of Big Idea Ventures (BIV), a global investment firm focused on food, agriculture, and materials innovation, with more than 100 portfolio companies across 30 countries.
For more information, visit our website.
Media Contacts
PlantSustain | Simon Hill | simon@plantsustain.com
Frontera Ag | Matti Tiainen | matti.tiainen@frontera.ag
Big Idea Ventures | Tom Mastrobuoni | tom@bigideaventures.com
