Cultivian Sandbox

Tom V. Shepherd serves as Managing Partner and makes final investment decisions, alongside Partners John A. Schoettler and David R. Rolfe. The team sources and evaluates deals collectively, with Shepherd having the deepest ties in the food industry, Schoettler focused on operational due diligence, and Rolfe leading software investments (per public record).

The firm uses a network built over three decades in agrifood tech, including relationships with university ag departments, food conglomerates like Kraft and Cargill, and agtech accelerators. They do not rely on investment banks; most deals come through referrals from portfolio company founders or academic spinouts. The firm also attends agtech conferences (e.g., World Agri-Tech Summit) to scout early-stage companies (per industry reporting).

It is legally a single family office but operates with the discipline of a venture firm. The office has a permanent capital base, allowing long hold periods without traditional fund timelines. However, it uses rigorous venture-style due diligence, takes board seats in many portfolio companies, and leads rounds in a manner typical of institutional venture firms (per the firm's public posture).

Cultivian Sandbox invests only in direct deals. It does not commit to external venture funds or fund-of-funds. The firm prefers to co-lead or lead rounds alongside specialist agrifood VCs, such as S2G Ventures and Acre Venture Partners, where it can provide operational expertise alongside capital (per PitchBook data, 2020–2024).

The firm targets Series A and B rounds, occasionally participating in later-stage growth rounds. It has a strong preference for companies with a working prototype or initial commercial traction. Seed and pre-seed rounds are rare, as the team prefers to see some market validation before deploying capital (per public statements and deal history).

The firm avoids commodity food production (like row-crop farming), real estate, and non-agricultural venture categories such as fintech, healthtech, or consumer internet. Its focus is strictly on technology-enabled agrifood and climate solutions. Cultivian Sandbox also does not invest in pure biopharma or medical-device companies (per firm profile on its website).

The firm is an active co-investor alongside GPs, particularly those specialized in agrifood tech. It has co-invested with S2G Ventures, Acre Venture Partners, and Fall Line Capital in multiple rounds for companies like Bowery Farming and Indigo Ag. The family office typically matches the lead investor's terms and participates in follow-on rounds (per Crunchbase and PitchBook deal records).