Investment Climate Podcast: Max Nelen of Agros, How to Get Funded in 2025

In this episode of the Investment Climate Podcast, host Alex Shandrovksy interviews Max Nelen, founder and CEO of Agros, a startup in Southeast Asia that focuses on sustainable irrigation solutions for smallholder farmers. Agros recently closed a Series A funding round of $4.25M led by Wavemaker and Schneider Electric. Nelen shares insights on how the team tackled affordability with a debt stacking approach, transformed hardware into a subscription model, and built trust in low-tech communities.

Key findings from the podcast include the importance of warm introductions over cold outreach when it comes to securing investors, leveraging debt stacking to reduce dilution, and pre-aligning with the board on downside scenarios before raising funds. Nelen also discusses founder resilience, navigating tough markets, and staying aligned with his co-founder and spouse. The episode provides valuable insights into the funding strategies and challenges faced by Agros in the agrifood tech industry.