Agros closes Series A funding round of USD 4.25M to scale solar-powered irrigation in Southeast Asia
Singapore, 11 March 2025 – Agros, a pioneer in solar-powered irrigation for the agricultural sector in Southeast Asia, has closed a USD 4.25 million Series A funding round to accelerate its expansion and innovation. Co-led by long-time investors and ARE Member Gaia Impact, Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia, and Wavemaker Impact, the round also welcomed new investors like the Global Innovation Fund (“GIF”) – an impact-first investor backing social innovations in emerging markets. Silverstrand Capital and angel investor Steve Melhuish (PropertyGuru Founder) reaffirmed their support by joining the round. Agros expects to raise additional debt financing in the coming months.
Founded in 2019, Agros has now expanded its operations to Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar, providing solar-powered irrigation solutions that fully remove fuel expenses while avoiding CO₂ emissions. To date, Agros has supported more than 6,000 smallholder farmers, and improved the lives of more than 30,000 members of the farming community.
By 2027, the company aims to partner with 30,000 farmers to increase their collective income by US$40 million, and prevent 1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions through the deployment of its solutions.
“This Series A funding marks a major milestone for Agros as we scale our impact across Southeast Asia,” said Max Nelen, CEO and founder of Agros. “With the continued trust of our existing investors and the support of new partners like the Global Innovation Fund, we are accelerating our mission to empower smallholder farmers with sustainable, tech-driven solutions.”
This investment, which follows Agros’s pre-Series A round of USD 2.7 million raised less than two years ago, underscores the company’s rapid growth and commitment to transforming agriculture in Southeast Asia. Agros will use the funds to drive the company’s nationwide expansion in Indonesia, accelerate product innovation, and further develop its in-house digital infrastructure. Having entered Indonesia in 2024, Agros is expanding quickly in the country, as a response to the country’s push for increased rice production and reduced dependency on rainwater.
“GIF finds and funds innovations that help the world’s poorest people adapt to extreme weather and build resilience to climate shocks,” said Francesco Valente, Investment Director at the Global Innovation Fund. “Agros offers innovative products and services and makes them accessible to poor smallholder farmers, maximising productivity while minimising environmental impact. Our risk capital investment will support Agros on its pathway to scale, helping the business crowd in additional funding.”
Looking ahead, Agros plans to raise additional debt financing during the first half of 2025 and is considering a Series A extension in the near future once key milestones are met.