By Iman Milner
After a decade of leading the way in sustainable agriculture prices and analytics in the United States, Founder and CEO Kellee James‘ company Mercaris has been acquired by Argus.
James’ company – which provides price assessments, analytics, and forecasts for organic and non-GMO agriculture – boasts customers like Perdue Chicken, Cargill, and Rabobank and worked as a conduit for a $100 million USDA fund for organic dairy farmers in need of financial support from the industry, according to AfroTech.
“We are excited to become part of Argus which presents a great opportunity to leverage their trusted brand, global reach and scale with our best-in-class sustainable agriculture offering,” James said in a statement. “Together, we will be able to broaden Argus agriculture insights both within the U.S. and internationally and enhance our existing product portfolio, better serve our customers, and accelerate product development into related markets.”
In addition to price assessments, Mercaris provides acreage estimates, supply/demand analysis, and facilities density mapping to customers across the agriculture supply chain in the U.S. – key factors in helping Argus to expand its reach and impact.
“We are pleased to further expand Argus agriculture capabilities in the Americas,” said Argus Media chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks. “The development of sustainable agriculture is critical as the world embraces the transition to net zero. The integration of Mercaris into Argus will allow us to scale our offering and provide valuable new market transparency.”
Expansion is also top of mind for James, who sees the partnership as an inevitable part of the desire to see Mercaris grow. “As a founder, I’m always looking for ways to scale our impact, and this acquisition is a strategic means to accelerate the work that both companies do in the vital sectors of agriculture, energy, and other critical markets,” she said. “Startups are tough to build and grow, and taking Mercaris from idea to exit is something that I, and the Mercaris team, are proud of.”
