3+
Years, typical relationship
We don't hand you a presentation and leave
Operators who have launched, sold, and scaled in food and ag, now doing it inside your business. We join your meetings, own deliverables, and report on results.
Commercial Growth Systems
You have the technology.
We build the commercial engine.
We partner with agriculture, food, and ingredient companies to build and run the commercial engine behind market entry, revenue growth, and scale.
Select clients
What we do
We don't advise on the commercial function. We are it.
9 North Group is a commercialization firm for agriculture, food, and ingredient companies. We embed experienced commercial operators inside client teams to run go-to-market, market intelligence, funding readiness, product strategy, sales, and commercial scaling.
Who we work with
Pre-revenue startups
Months from first commercial revenue, deciding where to point the product.
Scale-ups
Growing faster than the commercial infrastructure behind it.
Enterprise growth divisions
Launching a new product or entering a new segment inside a larger business.
International entrants
Non-U.S. companies commercializing in the United States.
How we work
We build the strategy with you.
Then we stay and run it.
How does 9 North Group work with clients?
We start by building the commercial strategy with you. Then we take a piece of the workload, run it alongside your team, and hand back working processes your people keep using after we go.
120+
Years of combined experience
We've sat on every side of this channel
Across growers, retailers, co-ops, distributors, venture capital, strategics, and vertically integrated downstream businesses.
7
Functions, one team
Cheaper than one specialist hire
Commercial strategy, marketing, product, sales, business development, customer success, and commercial operations from one team.
How we're different
Consultants deliver reports.
We're measured on the number.
9 North Group works as embedded operators, not as advisors who present and leave. We own deliverables, sit in your commercial meetings, and are measured on pipeline, revenue, and partnerships.
What you usually get
A deck and a recommendation
A specialist hired for each function
Measured on the report delivered
Gone when the engagement ends
What you get here
Deliverables we own
Seven functions blended into one team
Measured on pipeline, revenue, and partnerships
Processes your people keep using
And in select engagements, we don't just get measured on the number — we get paid on it.
For a limited number of engagements we take a reduced base in exchange for performance fees, equity, or both — tied to whatever we were hired to deliver, whether that's a funding round, an M&A outcome, or a business development milestone. We offer it selectively, where the commercial path is clear enough that we're willing to put our own compensation on it.
What we build
Six services.
One commercial engine.
What commercial services does 9 North Group offer?
Six, covering the full commercial function from first buyer to scaled revenue. Start with one where you need it most, or several as your commercial team.
Go-to-Market & Commercial Execution
Turn a working product into paying customers.
Right for you if: you are months from first commercial revenue, or launching into a new segment.
We define who buys first, why they switch, and how the product reaches them. Then we run the launch with you.
Ideal customer definition and segment prioritization
Pricing, packaging, and channel strategy
Distribution, partner plans, and launch execution through first-customer onboarding
Market Intelligence & Industry Positioning
Make the call with the numbers in front of you.
Right for you if: you are choosing between markets, entering the U.S., or fighting to be understood in a crowded category.
We size the opportunity, map the competition, and build the positioning that makes the case for why your company wins in its category.
Market sizing, segmentation, and demand analysis
Competitor benchmarking and positioning
Messaging architecture and industry visibility: events, media, analyst presence
Funding & Strategic Partnership Readiness
Walk into diligence with a commercial story that holds.
Right for you if: you are raising in the next two to four quarters, or evaluating a partnership, licensing deal, or exit.
We build the commercial case behind the raise, then identify, prioritize, and pursue the right partners.
Commercial narrative, pitch, and data room support
Market and revenue model validation
Investor and partner mapping, structuring, and negotiation support
Product Strategy & Market Fit
Build what the market will actually pay for.
Right for you if: adoption is slower than expected, or you are deciding what to build next with limited runway.
We test demand with real buyers, sharpen the value proposition, and translate customer reality into the product roadmap.
Customer and grower discovery programs
Value proposition definition and ROI modeling
Fit validation, pilot design, and roadmap input
Sales & Revenue Acceleration
Build a more disciplined path from interest to revenue.
Right for you if: deals stall mid-funnel, the forecast is guesswork, or sales depends on one or two people.
We build the pipeline, tighten the sales motion, and give your team the tools and cadence to close predictably.
Pipeline development and qualification
Sales process, CRM, and forecasting
Proposals, negotiation, and enablement
Organizational & Commercial Scaling
Grow without breaking what works.
Right for you if: revenue is growing faster than the team, processes, or reporting behind it.
We put the commercial infrastructure, hires, and reporting in place so growth holds as volume climbs.
Commercial team design and hiring support
Process, tooling, and operating cadence
Metrics, dashboards, and expansion planning
Engagement models
Two ways to start.
Path 1: Not sure what you need yet?
Start with a free commercial diagnostic.
A call where we walk through your market, your commercial goals, and what's in the way. You leave with our read on the fastest path forward. The Commercial Acceleration Diagnostic.
A 60–90 minute intake meeting, with the operator who would run your engagement. No cost, no obligation.
“9 North stepped in to strengthen our go-to-market approach and internal sales processes. They brought structure, polish and industry credibility, and ensured that our commercial strategy is every bit as strong as our technology.”
Two paths. One partner.
Commercial Growth is one half of how we help you grow.
Questions we hear
Fair questions. Straight answers.
Which service should we start with?
9 North Group recommends starting where revenue is most constrained: go-to-market for pre-launch agriculture and food companies, sales acceleration for companies whose growth has flattened. If you are unsure, the free diagnostic call sorts it out.
Can we engage one service, or do we have to buy the whole set?
Either. Each of the six 9 North Group services stands alone with its own scope and deliverables. Most engagements start with one or two workstreams and expand from there based on what the business needs.
Who do you work with?
9 North Group works with agriculture, food, and ingredient companies, from pre-revenue startups to enterprise growth divisions, plus non-U.S. companies commercializing in the United States.
What does an engagement cost?
9 North Group engagements typically start at $15,000 per month, whether that's a defined-scope project or a monthly retainer. Pricing is set by scope, not by hours. In a limited number of engagements we take a reduced base in exchange for performance fees or equity, tied to the outcome we were hired to deliver. You will have exact numbers before you commit, and the diagnostic call is free.
How much does fractional commercial leadership cost compared with hiring?
The useful comparison is not cost per year — it is what one hire buys you versus what an embedded team buys you.
A senior commercial hire in food and ag runs $200,000 to $350,000 in base salary before bonus and equity, and 1.3 to 1.6 times that once benefits, payroll taxes, and overhead are counted. Add a retained search fee, four to six months to seat the role, and roughly six months of ramp. For that, you get depth in one function.
A 9 North Group engagement gives you four to seven commercial functions blended, starting in weeks, with no search fee, no equity, and no severance. And in engagements where we share upside, part of what you pay depends on whether we deliver.
A fractional team is not a permanent substitute for a full-time commercial leader. When the workload justifies the hire, we help you define the role and recruit for it.
How do international ag and food companies enter the U.S. market?
Entering the U.S. agriculture market usually requires rebuilding the commercial approach rather than translating it. The channel structure, buying cycle, agronomy, and regulatory path differ from most home markets. 9 North Group supports international agriculture, food, and ingredient companies with market sizing, channel and distribution strategy, positioning for U.S. buyers, and on-the-ground commercial execution.
How quickly do you start?
9 North Group engagements typically begin within a few weeks of agreeing scope, and faster when an event, a raise, or a season sets the deadline.
How does this relate to AI Growth Systems?
Commercial Growth Systems builds the commercial engine: positioning, funding case, go-to-market, revenue. AI Growth Systems gives a lean team the leverage to run it without adding headcount. Clients engage either one on its own, or both together.
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