News

VTC Seed Fund Adds SWARM Engineering to Portfolio

SWARM Engineering, Inc, the next generation of cognitive software for the food supply chain, announced it has closed funding for a $2.7 million seed round.

SWARM Engineering is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform specifically for the food supply chain, rapidly solving complex problems such as supply & demand forecasting, optimizing inbound and outbound logistics, or maximizing yield in controlled environment agriculture. SWARM is a ‘no-code’ solution, so end users do not need data science expertise, knowledge of machine learning, or a degree in math to use the software. Business users simply define their problem, and SWARM matches their definition with a curated library of algorithms (which can be added to by customers or 3rd parties) to rapidly deliver a solution via the cloud.

S2G Ventures, a Chicago-based investment firm focused on food and agriculture, led the seed round, which included participation from Serra Ventures via their new AgTech fund, Harvard Business School Alumni, Wells Street Capital, VTC Seed Fund, and Rinvest. Angel investor and former CEO of Bunge, Soren Schroder, also participated in the round. The capital will support continued technological innovation and team growth, to support an expanding list of customers, ranging from growers through to dedicated logistics firms.

SWARM are anticipating continued growth in ag-data, combined with an ongoing scarcity of data scientists, especially those with agricultural expertise. They aim to simplify the use of AI and advanced Machine Learning in the food supply chain, so that organizations can reap the rewards of the huge advances being made, at affordable price points, using existing team members’ skills and knowledge.

Anthony Howcroft, CEO and founder of SWARM Engineering said, “I’m excited to have the capital to continue SWARM’s exciting journey in solving real-world problems for food supply chain organizations, but I’m even more thrilled to be partnering with investors who are so knowledgeable and committed to this space.”

“SWARM has developed a truly disruptive technology which harnesses AI & ML to drive massive efficiency gains across multiple verticals within the broader food supply chain. Part of what makes SWARM’s approach so revolutionary is that it democratizes AI & ML by making it both useful, and useable for its clients in the ‘real world’.” said James Ramey, Managing Member of the VTC Seed Fund.

Soren Schroeder, former CEO of Bunge a global agribusiness and food company says, “The Ag-Food supply chain is all about optimization and prediction. Often the biggest challenge is to define a problem very precisely. SWARM can help companies – large and small – define and solve very complex problems quickly, using the latest in data technology.”

The global pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of supply chains, and food has frequently made headlines – in many cases, for all the wrong reasons; who can forget seeing dramatic images of milk being poured away because of logistical challenges? “In the next few years, we have a tremendous opportunity to make a step change in efficiency and sustainability in food production and transportation,” says Howcroft, “We need to give the right tools to the people at the heart of the food supply chain to help them deliver this transformation.”

Recent News

07/01/2025

ISOThrive Announces Promising Phase 2 Interim Data for Novel Heartburn Treatment and Appoints Pharma Veteran Mike Walther as Chief Strategy Officer

ISOThrive Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced interim results from a Phase 2 study of its lead candidate, ISOT-101, for treatment of Non-Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD). The data showed positive trends in addressing heartburn frequency and symptom severity among proton pump inhibitor (PPI) partial-responders (PR), a patient population with major unmet medical need. These positive

07/01/2025

Gary Lowenthal Joins Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s Council

The Focused Ultrasound Foundation is pleased to welcome Gary Lowenthal to its Council, a dedicated group of goodwill ambassadors who work closely with the Board of Directors and staff to provide advice and assist with raising funds and building awareness. Mr. Lowenthal is a retired educator, entrepreneur, and executive with a career spanning education, international service,

06/25/2025

Liquet Medical Closes Oversubscribed Seed Round to Launch Pilot Study Evaluating Real-Time Hemodynamic Monitoring

Liquet Medical, a clinical-stage medical device company developing the Versus™ Catheter — a first-of-its-kind dual-tipped catheter system cleared by the FDA for controlled and selective infusion of fluids into the pulmonary vasculature and hemodynamic monitoring — announced the successful and oversubscribed close of its Seed funding round, which officially closed in May 2025. The capital