Samuel Rapolu

As Investor Partnership Manager, Samuel Rapolu is responsible for leading the strategic relationships with StartLife’s existing and prospective Investor Partners. Serving as the critical link between AgriFoodTech startups and investors, Samuel is dedicated committed to fostering partnerships that support the creation of sustainable food systems with scaleable technology.

Samuel’s primary focus is ensuring the perfect match between startups and investors, facilitating collaborations that deliver mutual value and drive meaningful impact.

Before stepping into this role in November 2024, Samuel spent over two years as a Startup Scout and Analyst at StartLife. During this time, he gained a profound understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by both agrifood startups and investors. This experience equipped him with the insights and expertise necessary to bridge the gap between entrepreneurial innovation and investment opportunities effectively.

Samuel completed his master’s in Plant Science with a specialization in Plant Breeding at Wageningen University & Research. He has done his bachelor’s in Agriculture from Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, India. He has a wide range of experiences in field research and analytics from his master’s thesis which he conducted at the breeding trials of Vitalis Biological seeds. Furthermore, he gained experience in biodiversity conservation, proposal assessments, and science policy analysis from his internship at The Global Crop Diversity Trust, Germany.

Samuel is passionate about the sustainable transition that the world is going through, specifically in agriculture. His dream is to create impact through supporting startups that are innovative and will bridge the gap from the present to a future with sustainable food systems.