Investment Firm Proterra Acquires Farmland Investment Platform AcreTrader

A firm focused on finding alternative investments in the global food value chain has reached agreement to buy an emerging online platform that helped to open farmland investing to those who may not have had firsthand experience in agriculture. Proterra Investment Partners, a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based firm, announced on August 12 that it would acquire AcreTrader, headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Proterra already claims management of $3.4 billion in assets. AcreTrader, founded in 2018 by Carter Malloy, has served as a financial bridge for investors looking for the traditionally stable gains of farmland and for farmers looking for vital access to capital.

AcreTrader said that it provided investment in more than 140 farmland properties in 20 states that covered 44,000 acres. Malloy also founded Acres.com, an additional platform that provides land data and mapping to assist with analyzing and valuing land.

Carter Malloy to Remain Leader of Acres.com

Proterra’s announcement of the purchase of AcreTrader stated that Malloy will continue to lead Acres.com, which is not part of the purchase.

In a news release announcing the sale, Malloy said, "This sale marks a pivotal milestone for both companies.  We built AcreTrader to make farmland investing more transparent and accessible. Proterra accelerates that mission as their reach and expertise equips AcreTrader to further scale its platform, broaden access, and deliver greater value to both farmers and investors in the years ahead."

Origins of AcreTrader

Malloy shared with American Farmland Owner in February 2024 his lifelong interest in data and research. That passion, combined with his upbringing on his family’s Arkansas farm that has grown cotton, rice, corn, and beans, led him to create AcreTrader. 

“I was grinding out 12, 15- hour days in public markets with near perfect information on a relative basis between investors. And here’s this multi-billion-dollar asset class (farmland) that I’m in love with any way and find fascinating personally…with effectively no information,” Malloy said.

Malloy decided that there needed to be a better way to connect investors who were interested in the future value of farmland with the farmers who dedicated their lives to its success. “At the core, that’s where our business came from…make a more efficient market…make it more productive for participants,” Malloy said.

Malloy also told American Farmland Owner about the pride that he felt that his new platform could make farmland investing more accessible to those who didn’t have significant resources to commit.

AcreTrader, he said, “connects farmers with growth capital. So, when farmers want to grow their business, we partner with them to buy land. And if investors want to have access to farmland in their portfolio…we allow investors to come and invest in farmland 10-20,000 dollars at a time, rather than millions of dollars at a time.”

RELATED: Listen to Carter Malloy explain how his upbringing on his family’s farm inspired his commitment that eventually led to the creation of AcreTrader.

Proterra Investment Partners Responds to Purchase of AcreTrader

Proterra identifies six areas of focus in the food value chain that the investment firm prioritizes:

• Credit

• Farmland

• Sustainable agriculture

• Growth equity

• Net lease

• Proterra Asia

  
  

Rich Gammill, Managing Partner at Proterra, explained in a news release why acquiring AcreTrader adds value to his company.

"Proterra's acquisition of AcreTrader represents an exciting alignment of vision and capabilities. We've long admired their data-driven platform and strong operator relationships, and we are especially impressed by the AcreTrader team, whose exceptional track record and unique approach position us to expand investor access to farmland investing," Gammill stated.

RELATED: The value of farmland as an asset class was important in another firm’s significant recent purchase.