Impact First Investments Announces Investment in Agricultural Technology Company Catalyst AgTech

HERZLIYA PITUACH, Israel, May 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Impact First Investments (IFI) announced today an investment in Catalyst AgTech, an Israeli company developing technology that minimizes the environmental impact of agrochemical products. The Company's solution solves the conflict between the growing demand for pesticide use and the impact those chemicals have on the environment.

Catalyst AgTech's technology can be applied to more than 40% of active agrochemical ingredients, including major products for controlling weeds, fungi and pests, enabling farmers to continue using the most effective agrochemicals without damaging the environment.  

IFI is the first Israeli investment firm that exclusively invests in viable and socially driven high tech companies.  Its core competencies include sourcing/screening impact-first ventures that will achieve both social and capital gains, assisting social-tech entrepreneurs with clarifying their social mission, creating stakeholder value for underserved populations, and active management of technology-based impact-first investments

"This strategic partnership with IFI will allow Catalyst AgTech to expand our R&D activities and accelerate our time to market," said Shalom Nachshon, Co-Founder and CEO of Catalyst AgTech. "Our solutions present a completely new approach to preventing agrochemical contamination, enabling the use of highly efficient, proven agrochemical while significantly reducing their environmental impact."

Impact investing is based on the concept of "doing good while doing well", harnessing the power of the free market and private sector to sustainably benefit society. Impact investments are made in companies with both social and financial objectives, and that can demonstrate a viable business plan as well as a clear strategy for impacting and improving society.

"As the need for technologies that enable farmers to continue using effective, field-proven products in a way that minimizes the negative impact on the environment continues to increase, demand for products such as those being developed by Catalyst Agtech will dramatically rise," said Cecile Blilious, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IFI. "We look forward to working with Shalom and his team to help bring their technology to market as quickly as possible."

Impact First Investments is a member of Pitango Community Ventures with Chemi Peres as Chairman of the Advisory Board.

About Impact First:

Impact First Investments is the first Israeli investment firm specifically designed to leverage local technology and innovation to create global social impact.  By exclusively investing in socially driven Israeli start-ups, the firm is uniquely positioned at the crossroads between global social challenges and the technological solutions that address them. In recent years, Israel has claimed its role as a high tech "powerhouse", commonly referred to as "the Start-up Nation", and as such, has successfully enhanced the lives of individuals and communities around the globe through its innovation and robust tech industry. Impact First is seeking to leverage Israel's unique aptitude for tech innovation, and the growing global interest in the impact investment market, to create sustainable global social impact.  

Media Contact:
Matthew Krieger
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SOURCE Impact First Investments (IFI)