Big Idea Ventures is an accelerator-and-fund hybrid in food and agriculture technology. It states that it runs two vehicles and an accelerator programme. Global Food Innovation Fund II (GFIF II) "invests in and supports the best companies around the world focused on proteins, fats, ingredients, sweeteners, flavorings, and mono-crops both directly and through its accelerator program". The Generation Food Rural Partners fund (GFRP) "commercializes university-developed intellectual property focused on food, protein, and agriculture innovation", holds a Rural Business Investment Company licence from the USDA, works with partner universities and creates and launches new companies headquartered in rural communities near those universities rather than only backing existing ones. The accelerator is a five-month programme run twice a year from New York, Paris and Singapore, and the firm states its terms are fixed: "We invest USD$200K ($125K USD cash and $75K USD of in-kind value-adds)", of which $125,000 is cash, and it has said it may invest up to $3.5 million in top-performing companies afterwards. Accelerator participation and portfolio membership are the same thing at this firm by its own account: its cohort announcements are headed "Big Idea Ventures Invests in" and quote its founder saying "We invested in these five companies", and cohort companies are described as joining the GFIF II portfolio. The firm also runs corporate innovation programmes and challenges that are not investments, including the Next Generation Pet Food Program with Mars Petcare (which offers selected startups $15,000 and a summit slot) and the Golden Crisp Innovation Challenge with McCain Foods.
2019
New Protein Fund I LP is incorporated in Delaware and files its Form D with the SEC, reporting a first sale on 5 March 2019, with Big Idea Ventures GP I LLC as general partner and Andrew D. Ive as its managing member.
2019
Big Idea Ventures Asia Pte. Ltd. is incorporated in Singapore on 10 May 2019 (UEN 201915063E).
2019
A first close of $50 million on the New Protein Fund is reported in May 2019, with backing from Temasek and Tyson Foods.
2019
Tom Mastrobuoni is appointed a venture partner in December 2019 and tasked with leading the firm's second fund.
2022
Frank Klemens is appointed Managing Director of the Generation Food Rural Partners fund (announced 15 February 2022).
2022
Generation Food Rural Partners I, LP is formed in Delaware, with a first sale on 23 December 2022 per its SEC Form D.
2023
The Generation Food Rural Partners fund receives a Rural Business Investment Company licence from the USDA (announced 19 January 2023).
2023
New Protein Fund II LP files its SEC Form D on 5 May 2023; a first close is announced on 23 May 2023 with a stated $75 million target.
2023
Generation Food Rural Partners launches its first portfolio company, TerraSafe Materials, and appoints Scott Bolin chief executive (announced 1 August 2023).
2023
Generation Food Rural Partners launches Nexture Bio and appoints Teryn Wolfe chief executive (announced 5 December 2023).
2024
New Protein Fund II LP is renamed Global Food Innovation Fund II LP: the amended Form D filed 21 February 2024 carries the new name on the same SEC filer, CIK 0001975927 and file number 021-480992, and reports $12,500,000 sold.
2025
Big Idea Ventures acquires the assets of Vevolution, an agrifoodtech investment platform, and states in the same release that it is "managing over $150M and with over 150 portfolio companies" (announced 20 May 2025).
2025
The Generation Food Rural Partners I, LP Form D amendment of 14 February 2025 reports a $53,760,000 offering, fully sold, with Andrew D. Ive, Thomas A. Mastrobuoni and Frank Klemens listed as directors.
2026
The firm states in its own boilerplate of 22 January 2026 that it has made more than 160 investments across 30 countries and has teams in New York, Paris and Asia.