Cibus Capital, a London-based investment advisory firm specialising in sustainable food and agriculture, has supported the merger of two firms focused on artificial intelligence and robotics in horticulture and food production.

Cibus Capital has just announced the completion of the merger of two companies: ISO Horti (ISO), a specialist in horticultural robotics and automation, and TTA, specialists in robotic transplanting and sorting solutions. The combined company will operate under the name TTA-ISO.

TTA-ISO is positioned to meet the growing global demand for artificial intelligence and robotics in horticulture and food production, the firm said in a statement. The horticulture industry is expanding rapidly, with annual growth rates projected at 8 to 10 per cent. However, it faces headwinds, including escalating labour shortages, strict sustainability challenges, and rising quality expectations. With a team of over 200 staff worldwide, including 30 working on research and development, TTA-ISO will provide solutions to help growers to succeed in evolving markets in regions including Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Oceania.

Cibus Capital first invested in ISO in 2021. It has since helped the Netherlands-based company expand its research and development team to create market-leading robotics systems for plant propagation and greenhouse automation, grow sales in Brazil and enhance its installation and maintenance capabilities in the Netherlands.

Alastair Cooper at Cibus Capital recently told this news service why it is important to make agriculture more sustainable and resource-efficient for both the planet and humans. The need to produce more food using fewer resources to feed a growing population has become critical. “The catalyst is new technology which is offering new solutions around resource efficiency and sustainability,” Cooper said. “A big area for us is around robotics which is also about addressing the shortage of labour. With a declining birth rate, an ageing population and people not wanting to work on farms, it’s importance to mitigate the labour risk.” Under the terms of the merger, Cibus Capital has retained a majority stake in TTA-ISO, by providing additional funding and supporting the deal with its strategic, financial, legal and operational expertise.

“The horticultural industry is facing serious challenges around the world, so this merger makes perfect sense,” Rob Appleby, founder and CIO at Cibus Capital, said. “It brings together two innovative companies with complementary strengths to create a leading robotics business that will help growers worldwide adapt to changing markets and to thrive.” 

“The merger of ISO and TTA drives synergies in research and development to expedite labour-saving solutions for their international customer base,” Jason Silm, partner, head of agriculture at Cibus Capital, added. 

“This merger is a defining moment for us as we expand our ability to serve the horticultural sector in a deeper, more impactful way,” Martin Maasland, CEO at ISO, continued. “By joining forces with TTA and strengthening our collaboration with Cibus, we’re poised to address the industry’s biggest challenges to succeed in these evolving markets – from labour shortages to sustainability.” 

“Uniting as TTA-ISO is a natural next step in our shared commitment to advancing the horticultural industry,” Jan Bakker, CEO at TTA, said. “Automation has become essential to addressing labour shortages, boosting productivity, and enabling growers to operate sustainably. This merger allows us to deliver smarter solutions, leveraging our combined expertise to empower growers globally to innovate and thrive in an increasingly complex world.”

Cibus Capital is an investment advisor to the Cibus funds. The Cibus funds partner with food and agriculture companies that provide investors with a risk-adjusted return on capital and a sustainable competitive advantage. Cibus has raised over $1 billion to invest in two strategies: mid-market growth/buyout investments in food production and processing businesses and late stage agrifood technology companies. Another investment is the Burro robot, which means donkey in Spanish; it is an autonomous workhorse collobarative robot, developed to combat labour scarcity.  See more about the Cibus funds here.