Before co-founding Aliment Capital, Ben Belldegrun managed food and agriculture investments inside Brevan Howard's $300 million Natural Resources Fund, an experience that shaped his preference for pre-IPO agriculture companies, his practice of building a real portfolio before asking investors to commit to a fund, and his habit of testing potential investments with major ag companies before backing them. He has also focused on the overlap between agriculture and life sciences, looking closely at gene editing and biological inputs, paying attention to actual grower adoption rather than just sustainability messaging, and favoring companies like Agrovision that control their entire production process rather than just one piece of technology.