The ideal backdrop for the first primary and secondary sector “investor showcase” will be National Fieldays at Mystery Creek.
NZTE’s general manager capital Quentin Quin expects 120 people, including 30 intending investors from overseas, to attend the event on June 11.
Such was the reputation of NZ agriculture, servicing and processing that finding people and companies willing to invest in a well-structured proposal wouldn’t be difficult, he said.
The United States, China, and the Middle East tended to provide most overseas investor interest, he said.
“It is not just any capital, but strategic capital, which brings both cash and prizes like offshore connections, distribution channels, and alliances.”
However, there were plenty of NZ companies and wealthy individuals looking for opportunities in the agribusiness sector, he said.
Many of those wanted diversification investments while remaining in the primary or secondary sectors.
Through its dealings with 4000 NZ customers, plus some networking and data-mining, NZTE had come up with 10-15 contenders for capital injections and partnerships, Quin said.
From those 6-8 would be selected to make presentations on June 11 but the rest wouldn’t be forgotten and NZTE would continue to work with them, he said.
All contenders are going through the Better by Capital programme, which has three phases: orientation (diagnosis), challenge (external analysis by KPMG in this instance), and connection with qualified investors.
The programme aimed to make companies “investor-ready” so they had access to the right capital at the right times, he said.
The agribusiness companies were not start-ups requiring angel or venture capital but small-to-medium-sized businesses with good track records requiring $2 million to $20m.
“They tend to be entrepreneurs who are recycling wealth from previous innovations.
“We have a strong pipeline of well-led, innovative agribusiness companies in this country.”
There was high expectation of success because by the time parties met a lot of the ground work would have been done, Quin said.
NZTE held a similar event in San Francisco during the America’s Cup last year for 11 tech-sector companies looking for $100m collectively from American investors.
Nine of those companies are going through the connection phase.
As part of the Government’s Business Growth Agenda, NZTE is targeting the sectors in which NZ has points of difference globally.
It has then looked for companies that would benefit from more capital for innovation and technology.
NZTE has been joined by ASB and KPMG for the agribusiness investor showcase.
On June 11 NZTE chairman and former Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier will host the event and the group will visit the National Fieldays, as well as the Wexford Stables of Lance and David O’Sullivan.
Presentations will be made at a dinner.
Investors keen to participate should contact Amanda Johnston at NZTE.
