TEL AVIV, ISRAEL--(Marketwired - Dec 7, 2016) - Copia Agro & Food (http://copia-agro.com/), a two-year-old fund, investing in and managing disruptive agricultural and food projects developed by Israel's leading research institutes, today announced it is raising $50 million to expand its investments in Israeli technologies to address global challenges, such as climate change and food shortage. The fund, co-managed by Ohad Zuckerman, former CEO of Zeraim Gadera, and Eyal Cohen, cooperates with Israel's leading agriculture research institutes as well as international and local agro/food tech industry partners to transform technologies into products that improve the efficiency and sustainability of the food chain and decrease the negative effects of agriculture on the environment.

Copia's unique business model is to invest in R&D projects rather than in companies and manage the entire process from research to commercialization. In addition to funding the research, Copia matches each project with suitable industrial partners who fund and execute the development and the commercialization of the technologies. This collaborative triangle model (Israeli institution plus Copia plus industry partner/investor) catalyzes the transformation of the technologies into products, reduces financial risks and drastically reduces time to market.

Copia's first Israeli research partner is Israel's Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Center) through its TTO (Technology Transfer Office) Kidum. Copia, Volcani and industrial partners already have six operational projects with additional three in the pipeline.

Zuckerman stated, "Copia's vision is to further the rich tradition of Israeli agricultural and food tech R&D and bridge the gap between the need for sustainable innovative solutions in the global agricultural and food sectors and scientific technological breakthroughs. Our hands-on involvement from research to commercialization, based on proven processes we developed during our careers, results in smooth cooperation between academia and industry, something in which very few have succeeded."

According to Cohen, co-managing director, "Copia's operating model is unique. By investing in projects, not companies, we can make many small investments with no overhead instead of few large ones, thereby minimizing risk and heightening potential success. The fact that the research is conducted by institutes with state-of-the-art facilities and world-renowned scientists, and development and commercialization are spearheaded by experienced, well financed companies, increases the success potential, as well."

About Copia Agro & Food
Copia is a privately-owned fund that invests in outstanding agricultural and food technologies developed by the leading research institutes in Israel, which carry the promise of significant added value across the food supply chain and address substantial market potential. Based in Israel, Copia leads the technologies transition from research to market readiness by hands-on management and cooperation with prominent industrial partners from the initial stages of development.

Please visit: www.copia-agro.com