Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
Federal public-law development bank backed by Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Anstaltslast)
Also known as Rentenbank
Frankfurt-based federal development bank for agriculture; since 2022 invests as LP in AgTech, FoodTech and nature-based VC funds (EUR 21.4m invested in 2025, EUR 48.5m in 2024).
Federal development bank for agriculture and rural areas (Frankfurt am Main); not to be confused with Deutsche Rentenbank (historical) or with pension (Rente) institutions.
- HEADQUARTERS
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- FOUNDED
- 1949
- AUM
- —
- OUTSIDE CAPITAL
- No — own capital only
- TEAM LISTED
- 6 people
FOCUS
- STAGES
- —
- ASSET MIX
- Funds (as LP)Venture capital
- GEOGRAPHY
- GermanyEurope
WHAT IT IS
Government-backed Fund. Public money — a state or EU-backed vehicle investing on behalf of taxpayers, often with policy goals.
ABOUT
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank is the German development bank for the agricultural sector and rural areas, founded in May 1949 as a federal Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts whose share capital was raised by German agriculture and forestry; the Bund bears the Anstaltslast. It mainly provides programme loans through commercial banks, plus grants and subordinated loans to agri start-ups on behalf of the federal agriculture ministry. Since early 2022 it has also invested as a limited partner in venture capital funds focused on AgTech, FoodTech and nature-based solutions, with VC fund investments of EUR 48.5m in 2024 and EUR 21.4m in 2025.
INVESTMENT THESIS
LP commitments to VC funds whose main focus is AgTech and FoodTech, financing start-ups that work on sustainable development of agriculture and the food industry, to close a growth-capital gap and steer the sector's transformation.
PORTFOLIO (15)
- AENU (fund)
- Astanor Ventures (fund)
- European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) (fund)
- Extantia (fund)
- FoodLabs (fund)
- Forbion (fund)
- Green Generation Fund (fund)
- Nucleus Capital (fund)
- Hatch Investment (fund)
- Oyster Bay Venture Capital (fund)
- Zintinus (fund)
- Five Seasons Ventures (fund)
- Nordic Foodtech VC (fund)
- McWin (fund)
- Anterra Capital (fund)
TEAM
- Nikola SteinbockSpokeswoman of the Management Board (Sprecherin des Vorstands) · source
- Dr. Marc KaninkeMember of the Management Board · source
- Hubert SpechtenhauserInterim Member of the Management Board (from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) · source
- Lisa SchmittVC investments contact (BVK contact person) · source
- Max EberweinVC investments contact · source
- Friedrich BarduaVC investments contact · source
LINKS
FAQ
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank is a government-backed fund based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, founded in 1949.
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank does not primarily invest directly in private companies. It also commits capital to third-party funds as an LP.
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank invests in Food & Agriculture, Climate & Energy and Biotech & Life Sciences.
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank's stated ticket size is €3M–€25M.
Key people at Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank include Nikola Steinbock (Spokeswoman of the Management Board (Sprecherin des Vorstands)), Dr. Marc Kaninke (Member of the Management Board), Hubert Spechtenhauser (Interim Member of the Management Board (from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027)) and Lisa Schmitt (VC investments contact (BVK contact person)).
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank's investments include AENU (fund), Astanor Ventures (fund), European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) (fund), Extantia (fund), FoodLabs (fund), Forbion (fund), Green Generation Fund (fund) and Nucleus Capital (fund), among others.
No. Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank invests its own capital and does not raise money from outside investors.