Cavallo Ventures

Cavallo Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Wilbur-Ellis Holdings, a privately owned family business founded in 1921. Established in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco, the firm has invested more than $60 million in approximately 42 startups focused on agritech, food technology, and sustainability. President and CEO Mike Wilbur, a founding member with over 20 years at Wilbur-Ellis, leads the effort alongside Managing Director Brett Morris, who joined in January 2021 with nearly a decade of agritech venture capital and corporate development experience. Cavallo leads rounds at the Seed through Series B stages, deploying checks of $1 million to $5 million. The portfolio spans agronomy, sustainable agriculture, animal and human nutrition, and agri-software. Notable companies include Sound Agriculture, Agtonomy (autonomous tractors), FarmWise (acquired by Taylor Farms in April 2025), Taranis in crop intelligence, Beta Hatch in insect protein, Crop Enhancement, Boost Biomes, and Performance Livestock Analytics. The firm has recorded three exits, with FarmWise being the most recent. Cavallo's investment focus aligns directly with Wilbur-Ellis's four business divisions — agronomy, aquafeed, cosmetics ingredients, and nutrition — giving portfolio companies access to deep industry relationships, market expertise, and distribution channels that financial investors cannot replicate. Beyond capital, Cavallo provides board seats and active support in strategy, executive recruiting, and fundraising, positioning the firm as an operational partner with real commercial skin in the game.