Omnivore Venture capital at the agriculture-textile intersection

Omnivore is an impact venture capital firm backing agrifood innovation and climate solutions in India since 2011. Through its third fund, a USD 215 million vehicle, Omnivore has expanded into sustainable materials, backing enterprises that bridge India’s agricultural base with global textile supply chains. Its investment in STCH, an asset-light fabric and materials innovation platform, illustrates how agri-derived fibres, including banana, Himalayan wild grass and hemp, can be integrated into commercial apparel supply chains in ways that generate both environmental and livelihood outcomes.

India’s position as the world’s largest cotton producer, combined with the scale of its agricultural residue, creates a structural opportunity that few geographies can replicate. Banana cultivation alone generates an estimated 30 million tonnes of biomass annually, most of it currently disposed of at cost by farmers. STCH’s model converts this disposal burden into a raw material supply chain, connecting rural farming communities to a premium textile segment that previously had no place for them. Omnivore tracks smallholder farmer participation and income improvements relative to conventional residue disposal as core impact indicators.

Omnivore’s experience also surfaces the infrastructural constraints that capital alone cannot resolve: the absence of standardised testing facilities for alternative fibres, limited mill willingness to experiment with new inputs, and the gap between brand sustainability commitments and firm purchase orders. The firm’s conclusion is direct: investors who help build the enabling infrastructure, not just fund into it, will be best positioned as the sector matures.