Lotus Foods, a company operating in heirloom, organic and regenerative rice cultivation and rice-based noodles, announced an investment of $22.5 million from Grounded Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm focused on deploying capital that supports healthy social, ecological and financial systems.

Grounded Capital's investment will enable Lotus Foods to further scale its business by deepening investments along its value chain, from sourcing new global rice cultivation communities to growing and diversifying its customer base. Grounded Capital's CEO Stephen Hohenrieder and Principal William Culler-Chase will join Lotus Foods' Board of Directors as part of this investment. This marks a significant milestone for the company, which has achieved remarkable growth over nearly three decades without substantial external investment.

Founded in 1995, Lotus Foods is an industry leader in promoting organic rice farming practices, rice biodiversity and supporting farmers' resilience. Since 2008, the company has created incentives for growing methods that help mitigate climate change and empower women, using the regenerative methodologies of System of Rice Intensification (SRI), what Lotus Foods calls its More Crop Per Drop® method.