Tall Grass Ventures

The firm invests in early-stage companies applying technology to agriculture, energy transition, and industrial supply chains. Its Calgary base positions it to leverage deep operating expertise from the Canadian energy sector, applying that engineering talent and capital-discipline mindset to agtech and climate-resilience startups. The geographic focus spans the Canadian prairies and the US Midwest.

Deal flow originates through deep operator networks in the prairie agriculture and energy sectors, regional research institutions like the University of Saskatchewan's Global Institute for Food Security, and co-investment relationships with other prairie-focused venture funds. The firm's proximity to a concentrated pool of energy-industry engineers creates a proprietary angle on hard-tech ag and industrial deals that coastal funds often miss.

The firm targets seed-stage companies, writing initial checks at the earliest institutional round. Its portfolio suggests a preference for startups with working prototypes or early commercial traction in precision agriculture, food-safety software, or energy-transition technology, rather than pre-revenue science projects.

The firm focuses on agtech and foodtech, energy transition and renewables, climate technology, and enterprise software serving industrial supply chains. Its portfolio and geography suggest a negative screen on consumer-facing technology, pure-play SaaS outside physical-economy verticals, and biotechnology.

The firm co-invests alongside prairie-focused vehicles including Saskatchewan-based Emmertech, and its portfolio companies frequently participate in accelerators and research partnerships tied to Canadian agricultural institutions. It operates within a regional innovation corridor that includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with informal links to US Midwest and Australian agtech networks.