Ospraie Ag Science (OAS) identifies solutions to help farmers
"Do More With Less."

OAS’s companies aim to increase profitability, improve quality-adjusted yield, and reduce environmental impact benefitting not only producers, but seek to generate smarter, healthier, and more efficient food for consumers globally. Utilizing our network and 25+ years of experience investing in agriculture, we believe OAS is positioned to help farmers achieve a sustainable future.

Ospraie has experience investing in agriculture, in public and private markets, including successfully building and profitably exiting multibillion-dollar ventures. By bringing to bear our commercial experience and extensive network across the agricultural value chain, we believe that OAS is uniquely positioned to source a differentiated pipeline of investments.

The Vast OAS Addressable Market

Deglobalization, labor shortage, supply chain fragility, and climate change are ongoing, long-term trends that require technology adoption in food security and production, which will impact more than $7T of global GDP by 2040.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

  • Naturally increasing yield
  • Reducing input costs

~$280B sub-sector TAM

Diagnostics

  • Collecting & synthesizing data
  • Prescriptive analytics

~$240B sub-sector TAM

Controlled Environment

  • Enable pesticide-free growth
  • Reduce water needs

~$170B sub-sector TAM

Protein Health & Efficiency

  • Plant-based feed and aquaculture

~$500B sub-sector TAM

Intelligent Automation

  • AI-driven labor augmentation

~$230B sub-sector TAM

Digital Infrastructure

  • Traceability and standardization

~$1T sub-sector TAM

Select Portfolio

Bioceres is an integrated provider of crop productivity solutions spanning proprietary seed traits, microbial inputs, and next-generation crop nutrition and protection products, helping growers improve yields and resilience while supporting more regenerative, climate-smart production.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

AgroSpheres develops bio-based crop protection products using a proprietary biodegradable encapsulation platform. Its technology enables highly targeted, non‑toxic pest control and enhanced stability of bio modalities, offering growers effective alternatives to conventional chemistries.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

Agragene is developing sustainable, biological pest control solutions using gene‑editing tools. Its Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology™ (pgSIT) is designed to suppress damaging insect populations without chemicals or radiation, reducing reliance on traditional pesticides.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

Beagle Technology brings AI-powered mechanization to specialty crops by retrofitting existing farm equipment with cameras and robotics controls. Its systems automate labor‑intensive operations such as vineyard pruning and vegetable harvesting to save growers real cost on their labor.

Intelligent Automation

INTENT is a digital insights company focused on de‑risking product commercialization through on‑farm field trials at scale. Leveraging a network of growers and its INvision Trials software, INTENT designs and executes data rich trials that generate actionable data to support adoption of new tech.

Diagnostics

Four Growers develops autonomous robots and analytics for greenhouse crop management, focusing on robotic harvesting and quality assessment of vine crops, helping growers address labor shortages, reduce waste, and gather detailed crop data to improve operational efficiency.

Intelligent Automation

Beeflow is a pollination science company that combines bee biology, plant science, and data analytics to deliver high‑performance pollination services that help specialty crop growers increase fruit set, quality, and yields in crops such as berries and almonds.

Pollination

Koidra provides AI‑driven autonomous control systems for controlled‑environment agriculture and other industrial operations. In greenhouses, its physics‑informed AI optimizes climate, irrigation, and energy use in real time, with documented improvements in yield and profitability.

Intelligent Automation

Pattern Ag, now part of EarthOptics, uses soil DNA sequencing and a large metagenomics database to predict pest, disease, and fertility risks before planting. By turning soil microbiome data into forward‑looking insights, the company helps growers optimize their input requirements.

Diagnostics

5Metis develops novel chemistries with new modes of action using a proprietary platform that combines natural product screening with advanced boron chemistry, focusing on early‑stage discovery and partnering with leading crop protection companies.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) designs and manufactures industrial‑scale vertical farming systems built around its modular Growth Towers. IGS supplies technology, not produce, helping growers and partners globally to grow consistent, high‑quality crops year‑round.

Controlled Environment

Terramera is a sustainable ag‑cleantech company developing plant-based alternatives to conventional pesticides by pairing natural active ingredients with proprietary formulation technologies to deliver solutions that reduce synthetic chemical use while maintaining productivity.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

Phospholutions creates high‑efficiency phosphorus fertilizer that improve nutrient use while reducing environmental impact. Its RhizoSorb® platform is designed to enhance phosphorus availability throughout the growing season, enabling lower application rates and improved returns.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

VelociGro develops innovative growing substrates, most notably its HYPERroots™ line of compostable hydrogel-based media and liquid stimulants. Designed for indoor ag, these substrates aim to accelerate root development, improve efficiency, and reduce the environmental footprint.

Controlled Environment

Past Investments

Trace Genomics, now part of Miraterra, offers advanced soil biology diagnostics that combine DNA sequencing, soil science, and machine learning to characterize the soil microbiome, translating complex microbial and chemical data into practical agronomic recommendations.

Diagnostics

Plant Health Care provides proprietary biological products and peptide‑based technologies that deliver higher yields and quality. Its PREtec™ platform and related products give growers environmentally friendly tools to improve performance across a wide range of field and specialty crops.

Sustainable Crop Inputs

Freight Farms built fully integrated hydroponic container farms that allowed customers to grow fresh produce virtually anywhere. Its Greenery™ farm and Farmhand® software gave customers a turnkey vertical-farming solution that delivered year‑round production with a compact footprint.

Controlled Environment

CubicFarms developed automated indoor farming systems that localized the production of fresh produce and livestock feed. The CubicFarm System and HydroGreen feed technology enabled consistent, high‑quality output year‑round in almost any climate.

Controlled Environment

CO2 GRO delivered aqueous CO₂ enrichment technology that increased plant growth in protected agriculture by dissolving CO₂ into water and applying it as a fine mist onto leaves, creating a microfilm that enhanced photosynthesis and yield while reducing the loss of CO₂ gas to ventilation.

Controlled Environment

Ospraie Ag Science

Jason Mraz

Co-Founder/ Partner
Head of OAS

Carl Casale **

Operating Partner – Agriculture

Lee Vetsch

Research Analyst

Zachary Morse **

Analyst – Agriculture

Yogesh Mago **

Analyst – Agriculture

Tom Wiltrout **

Operating Partner – Agriculture

Julie Overbeck **

Operating Partner – Agriculture

Chris Papouras **

Operating Partner — Energy

**20+ Outsourced Subject Matter Experts

**  –  Consultant
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Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz is the Co-Founder and President of Ospraie Management. Since 2010, Mr. Mraz has focused on Ospraie’s business development and private investments. He organized and led the development of the Ospraie Ag-Science (“OAS”) team and platform with the catalytic investments in Beeflow in late 2017 and Marrone Bio in early 2018. He managed the OAS team through 19 investments in AG-tech companies ranging from early seed-stage partnerships to public holdings. The OAS team deployed over $220mm over a seven-year investment term.

While actively engaged in all of the Ag-Scienc portfolio companies, Mr. Mraz represents Ospraie Ag-Science on the boards of directors of Beefflow and IGS – Intelligent Growth Solutions, and he also serves on the board of Five Rivers Cattle Feeders for Ospraie Management. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mraz was the Co-Portfolio Manager for Ospraie Real Return and Ospraie Real Return Enhanced Funds, actively managed long-only commodity index funds with $1.5bb in AUM. From 1999 to 2009, he ran all trading activities and related personnel for Ospraie Management.  

Mr. Mraz’s career has been focused on the financial markets for over 30 years, beginning when he joined JPMorgan in 1989. He began his career trading foreign bonds and currencies and spent his last four years at the bank as the long bond sector trader on the U.S. Treasury desk. In the summer of 1999, Mr. Mraz joined Dwight Anderson to form Ospraie in partnership with Tudor Investment Corporation.  

He holds an AB in political science from Princeton University. In his personal time, Mr. Mraz serves on the board of Concarlo Therapeutics, a pre-clinical oncology company, and on the Board of Advisors for the Princeton Varsity Club.

Carl Casale

Carl Casale is an Operating Partner who evaluates agriculture deals and serves on several boards of directors of companies in the OAS and ORA portfolios. Previously, Mr. Casale served as a Non-Executive Director, Independent Director, and member of the Audit Committee and Independent Directors at Syngenta. Mr. Casale spent twenty-six years working for Monsanto Company, starting as a sales representative in 1984, and after several sales, marketing, business development, and business leadership roles, concluded his tenure as Chief Financial Officer. In 2011, he left Monsanto to become CEO of CHS Inc., the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States. Mr. Casale earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Oregon State University and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

Lee Vetsch

Lee Vetsch is an Investment Analyst at Ospraie, where he sources and evaluates venture capital, growth-equity, and real-assets opportunities while supporting portfolio companies with business development and strategic initiatives. Mr. Vetsch earned an MS in agribusiness and applied economics from North Dakota State University, authoring a published thesis on ag-tech valuations and co-authoring peer-reviewed papers and analysis for agribusiness. During school, his early experiences included industrial-focused equity research positions at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board and private equity firms. Mr. Vetsch remains involved in agricultural production through his family’s grain and livestock farm and through the co-founding of a small vertical farming business focused on leafy greens in the upper Midwest.

Zachary Morse

Zach Morse has been with Ospraie since 2014 and is focused on financial diligence, business diligence, deal execution, and business development for OAS. Previously at Ospraie, in addition to evaluating public equity and private investments, he helped lead the fundamental analysis of natural gas, crude oil, refined products, and other energy markets. With 15 years of experience in financial services, he has evaluated hundreds of transactions and helped oversee more than $2 billion of investments. Prior to Ospraie, Mr. Morse was in the Recapitalization and Advisory Services Group at Sandler O’Neill, where he advised companies, creditors, and financial sponsors across a variety of industries on restructurings, recapitalizations, and M&A. Mr. Morse received his BA in geosciences from Princeton University.

Yogesh Mago

Yogesh Mago has over 15 years of experience in fundamental, bottom-up investing across a variety of industries globally, including agriculture, travel, consumer, transportation, industrials, and real estate. Mr. Mago serves as a consultant for Ospraie, reviewing agriculture transactions and serving on the boards of directors of several OAS portfolio companies. Previously, Mr. Mago worked as a Senior Investment Analyst at Ospraie and at Merchants’ Gate Capital L.P. Mr. Mago is the President and Co-Founder of Operation Water, a nonprofit organization that aims to deliver sustainable access to clean water in impoverished countries through the development of scalable infrastructure projects. In addition, he serves on the advisory board of Girl Rising, a nonprofit organization behind the worldwide social action campaign for girls’ education and empowerment. Mr. Mago has a bachelor’s degree in finance and international business from New York University.

Tom Wiltrout

Tom Wiltrout is an Operating Partner who evaluates agriculture deals and serves on the boards of directors of companies in the OAS and ORA portfolios. Mr. Wiltrout has spent his entire career in the agriculture industry, including 35 years at Dow AgroSciences, where he served as a strategic leader developing the global seeds business. Mr. Wiltrout was a member of the American Seed Trade Association’s Board of Directors and served on the Board of Directors of Agri Institute, Indiana’s premier agricultural leadership program. He has also served on several additional boards of directors, including Ag Alumni Seeds, Innovative Seeds Solutions LLC, and Remington Holding LLC. Mr. Wiltrout earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry and a master’s degree in forest ecology from Purdue University.

Julie Overbeck

Julie Overbeck is an Operating Partner at Ospraie and serves on the boards of directors of companies in the OAS and ORA portfolios. Ms. Overbeck is currently the Managing Partner of Basset Capital, a family investment firm. After a 17-year career with Eli Lilly, Julie joined Remington Seeds in 1994 and, as President, was fundamental to the growth of Remington as it transitioned from a local production company to a worldwide producer of agricultural seed. She has been a leader in Girls Inc., serving on both the national board and the board of the Chicago affiliate. She is also active as a board member for several other philanthropic and business organizations. Ms. Overbeck received a BS in biology and a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University and has been honored by the University as an outstanding alumna.

Chris Papouras

Chris Papouras is an advisor to Ospraie Ag Science, supporting portfolio company strategy and governance. In this capacity, he serves on the Board of Directors of Four Growers LLC and has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Freight Farms Inc. and Velocigro Inc.
Mr. Papouras is also a private investor who previously served as President of Nabors Drilling Solutions and President of Canrig Drilling Technology, where he led efforts to automate and modernize the well construction process and holds several related patents. He advises Nabors Industries on energy transition and carbon nanoparticle technologies and has held board roles with SEACOR Holdings, Era Group, Avangard Innovative, and multiple oil and gas technology startups. Mr. Papouras earned a BSE in chemical engineering from Princeton University and dual MSc degrees in management and chemical engineering from MIT, where he was a Leaders for Manufacturing Fellow.
Mr. Papouras resides in Miami Beach and is active in YPO Gold and local mentoring programs. He also serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Houston, where he is a former board chair.