The Collaborative Sorghum Marketing Transformation Program (cSmart) today announced the launch of the first-ever venture capital platform dedicated exclusively to attracting capital for companies, projects and innovations that create opportunities for sorghum farmers.

“The number of opportunities to add value to sorghum farmers by attracting capital to our industry is

truly unprecedented,” said cSmart Board Director and Keyes, Okla., sorghum farmer JB Stewart. “From San Francisco to New York, businesses across the U.S. are seeing the value in investing in agriculture, and cSmart is proud to come alongside these businesses to facilitate investment in Sorghum: The Resource Conserving Crop.”

cSmart matches private capital with funding to support startups and established companies investing in

sorghum as well as facilitates a network of private investors seeking opportunities for competitive returns in agriculture.

“To date, cSmart has invested in support of a container facility for specialty sorghum exports, matched

private investment with funds for marketing efforts for an all-female-run sorghum food startup and

facilitated networking and due diligence for an industrial sorghum starch project,” said cSmart Consultant

John Duff. “The diversity of these investments demonstrates the wide net cSmart intends to cast,

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supporting and financing innovation in American agriculture—a necessity we are proud to announce this

National Ag Day.”

Fueled by relationships across the sorghum industry and the supply chain, cSmart leverages knowledge

and financial flexibility to support startups, existing companies and investors bringing innovation to the

sorghum industry.

“Out of necessity bred by difficult growing environments, innovation is the American sorghum farmer’s

most important tool,” said cSmart Director and MOJO Seed President Jerry O’Rear. “As a reflection

of this inventive spirit, the launch of cSmart is a groundbreaking step toward financing even more

innovation and doing so in a way that adds maximum value to sorghum farmers.”

For more information on investing or obtaining support for sorghum innovation, contact Duff at [email protected] or 806-638-5334.