Montfort Communications, the fast-growing corporate reputation firm, has been appointed as strategic communications adviser to the Cibus funds.
The team, led by Founding Partner Gay Collins, and including Olly Scott, Louis Supple and Lauren O’Keeffe, will work closely with Rob Appleby, Co-Founder of ADM Capital and the Cibus funds senior team to support the firm’s growth initiatives and drive its mission to raise awareness of sustainable food and agriculture as an emerging asset class in the ESG arena. The Montfort team will provide strategic advice around brand building and media campaigns to help build the Cibus funds’ reputation within the sustainable investments space and raise the profile of their investment philosophies.
Founded in 2016, the Cibus funds are one of three pillars within investment adviser ADM Capital. The Cibus strategy aims to address the challenges in producing more food with limited resources (including land) and capitalise on the investment opportunities in agriculture’s changing landscape. The company raises capital to support the transition of the food value chain to a new sustainable model, by investing in new and innovative companies which have the potential to disrupt food production or processing, using the latest technology to increase resource efficiency and sustainability. By investing globally across developed countries via two different strategies, the Cibus funds have raised over USD$500 million so far (as of March 31st 2021).
The two funds that make up the Cibus strategy are the Cibus Fund LP, which focuses on growth equity opportunities and the Cibus Enterprise Fund, which prioritises Agrifood Tech investments. Both share the principle that financial capital should be provided to companies that have found innovative ways to produce better food with fewer negative externalities and efficient resource use.
Gay Collins, Founding Partner at Montfort Communications, said:
“We have an exciting opportunity to enhance the visibility of a firm that is actively driving sustainability in the areas of food and agriculture at such a crucial time. Montfort has built up considerable experience in the ESG space in the past several years, and we look forward to showcasing the fascinating work the team at the Cibus Fund are doing.
“The Cibus funds are the latest addition to Montfort’s rapidly growing roster of clients and follows on from an exceptional year of growth and a strong start to 2021 for the financial services team and Montfort overall, with new retained clients including Impax Environmental Markets Plc, Temple Bar Plc, Chrysalis Plc, RWC Partners and River & Mercantile Group.”
Rob Appleby, Co-Founder of ADM Capital, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Montfort at a time when food and farming is undergoing systemic change. Farmers are facing the challenges associated with the climate emergency, pandemics and alternative subsidies, whilst being stewards of our environment and producing more food at lower costs. Technology will play an increasingly important part in the future of food in helping to address the changing regulatory and consumer landscapes. Cibus is well positioned to provide capital to those companies embracing technology and sustainability in these exciting times.”
About the Cibus Fund and the Cibus Enterprise Fund
ADM Capital Europe launched the Cibus Fund in 2017 and the Cibus Enterprise Fund in 2019 (the ‘Cibus funds’). The Cibus Fund targets control equity investments in mid-market food production and processing businesses in Europe and other OECD countries. The Cibus Enterprise Fund has a global mandate to invest in late-stage venture companies disrupting the food value chain through technological advances in the sector. Both Funds take advantage of the significant investment opportunities presented by global regulatory changes, shifting trade and consumption patterns and the inability of the world’s fastest growing economies to meet rapidly increasing regional demand for food. Investments are evaluated on their environmental sustainability as a key determinant of value creation