Vytelle Closes Oversubscribes Series A - $13.2 Million to Accelerate Genetic Progress in Cattle

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, September 28, 2021 – Vytelle, a precision livestock company, is pleased to announce the closure of an oversubscribed Series A funding worth USD $13.2MM. Private equity firm Open Prairie, through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, and Kansas-based Ag-tech VC, Fulcrum Global Capital co-led the round. The financing also included participation from new Midwest investors Serra Ventures, Innovation In Motion, and KCRise, as well as existing investor, UK-based Wheatsheaf Group.

Comet Bio Announces $22 Million Round of Equity Financing

LONDON, ONTARIO, July 13, 2021 – Comet Bio, manufacturer of healthy, sustainable, and award-winning ingredients, announced today the completion of the company's Series C with an initial close of $22M. The round was led by Open Prairie, a multi-faceted private equity fund management firm with headquarters in Effingham, Illinois. Other investors include Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), BDC Capital, and existing investor Sofinnova Partners.

Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund Invests to Diversify Product Lines and Market Initiatives for

Northern Feed and Bean

EFFINGHAM, IL, June 24, 2021 – The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund announces a growth-stage investment in Northern Feed and Bean.  Headquartered in Lucerne, Colorado, Northern Feed and Bean has been serving bean growers and livestock producers since 1952.  With a network of more than 300 growers across Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, Northern Feed and Bean has established itself as the leading provider of premium pinto, mayocoba and black beans – marketed and distributed in the United States, Mexico and the Dominican Republic under the Frontier™ brand.  The company is also a Certified Expert distributor for Purina® and one of the nation’s largest Purina® dealers, offering a complete line of Purina® products for livestock and companion animals. 

Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund Records First Exit with Sale of Legacy Seed Companies

EFFINGHAM, IL, June 9, 2021 - The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, a growth-stage private equity fund dedicated to providing capital for agribusiness companies throughout rural America, proudly announces its first exit with the sale of Legacy Seed Companies. Open Prairie’s initial investment in July 2018 facilitated the Legacy Seed Companies strategy for integration of regional seed companies with an emphasis on non-GMO and organic product lines.

HerdDogg, Inc. Announces the Closing of Series A Financing

EFFINGHAM, IL, January 12, 2021 - HerdDogg, the Animal Traceability PlatformTM, announced the closing of its $4M Series A Financing.  The capital will be used to accelerate market adoption of its patented solution. HerdDogg’s innovative data platform helps livestock producers increase profits and enhances food security.

The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund and Lightship Capital Lead $3.25 Million Financing Round for FreshFry

EFFINGHAM, IL, July 15, 2020 - The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund and Lightship Capital announce completion of a $3.25 million equity round of financing into FreshFry, a Louisville, Kentucky-based food technology company focused on developing award-winning solutions that result in better tasting foods and increased profitability for establishments operating in the food service, hospitality, and other industries.

RealmFive Accelerates Growth Strategy for its Agricultural Connectivity Platform with Investment from the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund

EFFINGHAM, IL, June 24, 2020 - The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund has expanded its growth-stage private equity portfolio with an investment in RealmFive, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based provider of customized hardware, software, remote monitoring, and data connectivity solutions.  RealmFive’s innovative suite of products is currently being deployed into a diverse array of markets including ag retail and agronomy, ag machinery and equipment, irrigation and water management, and livestock and animal health.  

Shenandoah Valley Organic Raises $15 Million in New Funding to Drive Continued Growth

EFFINGHAM, IL, December 18, 2019 - Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) announced it closed a $15 million funding round led by NRV, with participation from Open Prairie, as well as existing investors S2G Ventures and Middleland Capital’s VTC Innovation Fund.

Manna Tree Partners Joins Open Prairie for Growth Investment in Nutriati

EFFINGHAM, IL, December 5, 2019 - Nutriati, an ingredient technology company focused on research, development and commercialization of best-in-class plant-based ingredients and makers of Artesa® Chickpea Protein, today announced it has closed its Series C round with anchor investor Manna Tree Partners, joined by existing investor Open Prairie. The round also included participation from Tate and Lyle Ventures, PowerPlant Ventures, NRV Early Stage Growth Fund, PLT Health Solutions, Blueberry Ventures and others.

Agrivida Launches $20 Million Financing Round with Lead Investment from the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund

EFFINGHAM, IL, July 24, 2019 – The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, a growth-stage private equity fund dedicated to providing capital to agribusiness companies throughout rural America, announces a lead investment in Agrivida’s current round of financing.  The $8 million first close includes $3 million from Open Prairie and participation from existing investors including ARCH Venture Partners, Batios Holdings Limited, Cultivian Sandbox, Syngenta Ventures, Maschhoff’s Agricultural Holdings and Middleland Capital.  The new funding will facilitate expansion of the Agrivida research and development platform and advancement of the company’s commercialization strategy for its GRAINZYME® Phytase technology into the global poultry and swine markets.    

Green Dot Bioplastics Secures $6.5 Million to Expand Material Portfolio and Increase Production Capacity

EFFINGHAM, IL, February 6, 2019 - Green Dot Bioplastics has closed a $6.5 million Series A Preferred Round led by Fulcrum Global Capital. Funds will be used to implement management’s strategic plan to capitalize on rapidly rising demand for more sustainable plastics.

Open Prairie Completes Final Closing of Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, LP

EFFINGHAM, IL, February 13, 2019 – Open Prairie announced that it has completed a final closing of its third fund, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, LP, a balanced private equity fund licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC).

MyAgData Secures $2 Million from the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund for Expansion of Electronic Acreage Reporting Platform

Financing Helps MyAgData Bridge the Gap between Farmer-Created Precision Ag Data, the USDA and Crop Insurance Companies

EFFINGHAM, IL, August 22, 2018 – Open Prairie has made its second investment through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, a growth-stage private equity fund dedicated to providing capital to agribusiness companies throughout rural America. The $2 million of convertible debt financing will allow MyAgData to scale its technology infrastructure and expand its sales and marketing teams to accelerate adoption of the MyAgData platform.

Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund Invests in rural Michigan-based Tillerman Seeds to Advance $40+ million, non-GMO Agribusiness Platform

EFFINGHAM, IL, August 14, 2018 – Open Prairie is pleased to announce its first investment through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, a growth-stage private equity fund dedicated to providing capital to agribusiness companies throughout rural America.