Oana Coșman
The value of the transaction amounts to 370,000 lei, out of which 247,000 lei was used to acquire a minority stake, while 123,000 lei represents a financing convertible into shares.
"The transaction announced today is part of Holde's strategy to invest in agritech start-ups. By investing in start-ups, we can optimize the operational activity of our farms by integrating technology as well as we have an opportunity to create supplementary added value for our shareholders. The latter is accomplished through an increase in the valuation and the subsequent monetization of our stake in these companies within the next five years. Today, agriculture and technology must work together. Agriculture has evolved extremely rapidly in the last ten years due to the implementation of technology in the machinery used as well as through the digitalization of certain processes. Since the very beginning, we have relied on technology on all our farms, and we are constantly considering identifying new technological solutions that can significantly improve our farming activity. By way of example, currently, with the help of digital systems, we ensure careful planning and verification of the works performed in the field, and we have full control over all our operations," stated Iulian Circiumaru, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Holde Agri Invest.
Enten Systems SRL is a company specialized in providing integrated technologies based on precision agriculture. The solutions and systems provided by the company aim to obtain the most accurate data on agricultural production so that farmers can streamline their investments.
This is done by installing equipment that constantly monitors the microclimate and provides farmers with essential data on the condition of crops and the potential risks to which they are exposed. Thus, farmers know in real-time what actions they must take and the optimal conditions for intervention to have healthier cultures.
For 2021, Holde has a budget between 0.75 and 1 million lei for agritech investments, targeting minority stakes in two start-ups focused on developing technologies for agriculture. Investment in Enten Systems is the first of the two transactions. Holde is currently in advanced negotiations to complete the second one.
Holde Agri Invest also holds a 12% stake in a Romanian start-up, AgroCity. In 2021, Holde granted AgroCity additional financing of approximately 200,000 lei, capital that is convertible into shares.
Established in 2018 Holde Agri Invest operates approximately 10.000 hectares of land, organized into three core farms - Rosiori farm located in Rosiori de Vede (Teleorman county), Frumusani (Calarasi county) and Videle (Teleorman county).
As of October 2020, Holde Agri Invest is a public company quoted on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange with the symbol HAI. As of October 2021, the company is included in the BET-AeRO index of BVB, having the second-largest share.
