Hatch Fund Singapore makes first investment in Cultive8, a globally scaling agri-tech startup
Daily FT: Hatch Fund Singapore has announced the completion of its first investment backing Cultive8, a fast-growing agri-technology startup with Sri Lankan roots and a rapidly expanding regional footprint.
Hatch is the centre of gravity for Sri Lanka’s startup and innovation ecosystem, combining co-working, incubation, mentorship, acceleration, partnerships, and venture funding to startups. This milestone investment reflects Hatch’s commitment to supporting high-potential early winners originating from South Asia and scaling them to global markets.
Cultive8, formerly known in Sri Lanka as Agrithmics, is now headquartered in Singapore, with operational teams across Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh. The company is a well-established provider of automation, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and fintech solutions for large and mid-size plantations and processing facilities across South Asia.
Its growing portfolio includes partnerships with leading enterprises across the telecommunications, agriculture, and industrial sectors, and it continues to expand its presence in India and Bangladesh. With exclusive focus on the agriculture-based industry, Cultive8 provides Artificial Intelligence of Things (AI/IoT) enabled technologies to solve challenges faced by this critical sector.
Cultive8 Founder and Group CEO Prashanth Premakumar said: “At Cultive8, we are passionate about what we build to elevate the plantation and agriculture sector in the region. With the investment from Hatch Global, we are excited to take this Sri Lankan tech to Asian markets and beyond. I strongly believe our continued efforts in R&D for the sector will provide direct impact for many critical challenges faced in the agricultural value chain.”
Through this transaction, Hatch Fund Singapore will invest approximately $ 650,000, streamlining parts of Cultive8’s cap table while injecting fresh growth capital to accelerate regional and international expansion. Beyond capital, Cultive8 will gain access to Hatch’s global accelerator platform, which supports early-stage companies through follow-on fundraising, strategic partnerships, and market entry. This includes access to markets such as Singapore, Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US, where Hatch maintains a strong network and on-ground presence.
Hatch Fund Singapore is a $ 20 million early-stage fund focused on technology and technology-enabled startups emerging from South Asia.
Hatch Fund Co-Founder Jeevan Gnanam said: “The early signs of globally scaling startups from Sri Lanka are extremely encouraging. They reflect the strong tailwinds created by a stabilising macroeconomic environment post-crisis. Hatch Fund is uniquely positioned to identify and support these early winners as they transition from local success to global scale.”
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s agriculture industry, especially in the sector of agri-tech, has presented a host of business/investment opportunities in line with the ongoing developments in the country and the increasing demand. With Sri Lanka becoming an emerging business destination in the South Asian region and the focus on ensuring food security in the country while gearing to face climate challenges, there’s a steady growth in the business/investment opportunities in the agriculture industry and specifically in the agri-tech sector. Sri Lanka needs to be on par with the latest global agri-tech advancements as the country is on a path to becoming a hub in the South Asian region. The increasing interest among foreign businesses/investors in exploring the expanding opportunities in Sri Lanka’s agri-tech sector and collaborations with local businesses engaged in the industry are clear indications of the increasing business potential in the sector. Given these developments, foreign businesses/investors could explore the emerging business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s agri-tech sector as well as in the overall agriculture industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260112/Z_2 |