UpTerra announces CEO appointment and investment from Generation Food Rural Partners Fund

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UpTerra, a company redefining how water performs in agriculture, announced two updates today. Stephen Birch has been appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Big Idea Ventures' Generation Food Rural Partners Fund has made a strategic investment in the company.

Birch has been leading UpTerra's commercial push, including recent deployments highlighted in Texas and multi-state acreage growth to +40,000 noted in prior company updates. As CEO, he will focus on scaling UpTerra market penetration across core crops and regions, building out regional teams, and strengthening grower and channel partnerships. Recent releases cite installations across thousands of acres and growing state coverage.

"Farmers are seeking solutions that deliver real results. Our goal is simple, to apply the UpTerra proven successes to every irrigated farm in the United States. We will do this by providing value field by field, helping farmers deliver higher yields, and making farm agronomics work better," said Stephen Birch, CEO, UpTerra. "With GFRP's support and our demonstrated momentum this year, we can help more farms turn irrigated water into rain water."

The investment comes from the Generation Food Rural Partners Fund, part of Big Idea Ventures, which backs technologies in food, ag, and materials. The fund is led by Chief Investment Officer Tom Mastrobuoni. Prior GFRP announcements describe its mandate to commercialize innovations that matter for agriculture and rural economies.

"Big Idea Ventures, through its Generation Food Rural Partners fund, in partnership with the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, are proud to join the existing investors in UpTerra," shared Tom Mastrobuoni, Chief Investment Officer at Big Idea Ventures. "This fund invests in breakthrough technologies that drive rural economic development, and UpTerra's traction with growers shows why we are excited to support the next phase."

About UpTerra
UpTerra is a revolutionary farm performance technology company that applies advanced physics inside existing irrigation systems to restructure and enhance water. This improves infiltration, uniformity, and nutrient transport so growers see measurable efficiency and yield gains. UpTerra is installed on more than 40,000 acres nationwide across 300 farms, spanning row crops, orchards and specialty crops.

About Generation Food Rural Partners Fund
Generation Food Rural Partners is part of Big Idea Ventures, a multi-stage platform investing in technologies that will transform the global food system. The fund focuses on commercializing innovations with impact across food, agriculture, and materials.

For more information, visit upterra.co.

SOURCE UpTerra