India's agri-tech models may help South East Asia unlock $90 billion growth opportunity, says report

Southeast Asia sits on one of the largest untapped agricultural technology opportunities in the world and India's venture and governance evolution offers the most instructive model for unlocking a $ 90 billion growth opportunity for the region, says a new report.

The report “Opportunity for AgriTech Investment in Southeast Asia”, authored by Omnivore, Beanstalk AgTech, and Briter, is a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of the agricultural and agri-tech landscape across thirteen markets in the region. It identifies four verticals showing the most credible momentum: digital value chains, inclusive agri-fintech, agrifood life sciences, and sustainable consumer brands.

"We've spent over a decade investing in Indian agri-tech, watching the ecosystem mature through governance, exit opportunities, and the hard work of building market infrastructure," says Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore. "Agri-tech landscape in Southeast Asia is navigating a similar journey and India's experience offers a genuine roadmap. The fragmentation is real, but so is the opportunity to uplift agricultural production and farmer communities across the region. Patient, disciplined capital that understands local market dynamics is what moves these ecosystems forward."

The report points out that agriculture contributes approximately 15% of GDP and employs up to 40% of the workforce across the region and says that digitalisation and agri-tech adoption could unlock more than $90 billion in annual GDP gains across Southeast Asia alone by 2033.

“Agri-tech investment across the region peaked at over $750 million in 2022 before falling nearly 70% by 2025. The region has undergone a sharp correction, as investors reassess the structural realities of agricultural markets, fragmented value chains, and the challenges of venture scaling across Southeast and South Asia. Key insights from the research show where the next investment opportunities may emerge across the region”, the report notes.

The report highlights how there is no unified SEASA market, two-thirds of documented cross-border expansion attempts have failed, and the most defensible opportunities are single-market plays built around the right value chain, business model, and local execution team. Premature regional expansion was the cited cause of failure in over 60% of venture collapses between 2022 and 2025.

On exits, corporate acquisitions account for roughly 75% of liquidity events across the ecosystem since 2020, with only eight IPOs completed in the same period. The report points to India's BSE SME and NSE Emerge platforms, the dedicated listing routes for growth-stage ventures below traditional IPO thresholds, as a model worth watching for SEASA.

DFIs and impact investors have committed a combined $650 million to agrifood funds across the region and remain essential to the capital stack. The next phase of scaling, according to the authors, will require blending equity, credit, and concessional capital.

The report was produced with support from FMO Ventures, IFC (World Bank Group), and Rabo Foundation.