Verizon has acquired Skyward, a drone operations management platform. Last year Skyward partnered with PrecisionHawk to offer farmers and other industry customers a package of technology tools. It operates in other industries too. Verizon Ventures was an investor in Skyward previously. Other investors include Draper Associates, Founders Co-Op, Moment Ventures, TechStars, and Voyager Capital, according to CrunchBase. This is the second ag-related exit in as many weeks; last week Jain Irrigation acquired Observant.
AgCode, a vineyard management software, has raised funding from Cavallo Ventures, the venture arm of ag retailer Wilbur-Ellis. The strategic investment is the third for Cavallo Ventures, which launched last year. Cavallo is looking to expand AgCode to other crop types. AgCode’s “Command Code Technology” tracks hand harvests and its “Payrule Engine” handles labor concerns, such as linking payroll with contractors and enabling field workers to enter their time from a mobile device.
Miyoko’s Kitchen, the food company manufacturing non-dairy, vegan cheese and butter alternatives, raised a $6 million Series B round led by JMK Consumer Growth Partners and including Obvious Ventures, CircleUp, and Stray Dog Capital. The company will use the proceeds to complete a new manufacturing facility in Petaluma, CA, which will increase production capacity 30 times.
Landmapp, a Dutch startup operating in Ghana that enables smallholder farmers to document and protect their land holdings, has raised an undisclosed funding round from impact investor Omidyar Network to help it grow its customer base.
Smart Yields, a Honolulu, Hawaii-based precision agriculture startup, raised $420k in funding, according to CrunchBase. The startup sells sensors and data analytics software to farmers.
FarmDrive, a fintech startup helping farmers to get bank loans by creating credit scores for them, raised funding from Safaricom Spark Venture Fund, the venture arm of the East African communications company.
Bloom & Wild, a UK flower delivery service, has raised £3.75 million ($4.68m) in Series B funding from Burda Principal Investments, the growth capital arm of Hubert Burda Media, and MMC Ventures.
48East, an Indian online food delivery service, raised $500k in seed funding from the Al Dhaheri family of the UAE, according to TechCircle.
CannaRoyalty, a Canadian cannabis investment business, raised $15 million on the Canadian Securities Exchange to provide upfront capital to licensed cannabis businesses in exchange for a royalty on their revenues.
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