Agtechs in Emerging Markets: sector trends in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia

This presentation explores how agtech investment is evolving across emerging markets, drawing on data from AgBase by Briter Intelligence, our data and business intelligence platform tracking agrifood and agtech activity.

Over the past few months, Briter has expanded AgBase beyond Africa to include Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. These new datasets underpin our upcoming Agtech in Emerging Markets report , developed in collaboration with ISF Advisors and Mercy Corps AgriFin. The research looks beyond purely digital models to include asset-heavy solutions such as irrigation and mechanisation, as well as science-based innovations like biological inputs. It also examines who is funding these businesses, which financial instruments are being used, and how those choices influence business models, scalability, and exit pathways.

The teaser presentation shared here highlights several early trends from the data. Funding is moving upstream across regions, but in distinct ways. In Latin America and South Asia, upstream investment is flowing into biotechnology, climate tech, and production systems. In Africa, the shift is more closely linked to vertical integration, equipment, and mechanisation. Africa also remains highly concessional, with accelerators, impact investors, and development finance institutions playing a central role, reinforcing a strong focus on on-farm solutions.

South Asia stands out as the most developed exit market for agtech, with deeper late-stage capital, a broad range of funded solutions, an active corporate buyer base, and the region’s only consistent IPO pathway to date. Latin America, by contrast, most closely resembles a mainstream venture capital market, with larger round sizes, greater use of commercial equity and corporate venture capital, and a tilt towards processing, retail, and foodtech models. In Southeast Asia, agtech growth is being driven by exporters and corporates, particularly around traceability, logistics optimisation, quality assurance, and compliance, where solutions deliver clear value to downstream buyers.

All insights presented are based on AgBase by Briter Intelligence and form part of our broader research into agtech investment trends across emerging markets. Pre-register to be the first to receive the full report here .