While debate continues around use of the term “alt leather,” the products build around the concept keep rolling out. This week, two companies — Pact and Ecovative — raised funds to further their work in this area. Also bagging a capital round was Brazilian agri-biz marketplace Cayena, seaweed packaging startup Notpla, and biotherapeutics startup Bio-Sourcing, among others.
Meanwhile, Deliveroo bowed out of Singapore and a one-time leader in restaurant tech put itself up for sale.
Foodtech funding
🇧🇷 Claure’s Bicycle Capital leads $55 million round for Cayena Bloomberg
🇺🇸 Helaina raises $45m series B round to support market entry of human lactoferrin AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Mycelium innovator Ecovative raises $28m to propel MyBacon growth & launch eco-leather Green Queen
Agtech funding
🇲🇾 Qarbotech Gains $1.5M to Expand Photosynthesis Enhancing Tech Across Southeast Asia Green Queen
🇧🇪 Bio-Sourcing secures €12.5M from EIC Accelerator for biotherapeutic production Tech.eu
🇺🇸 Enhanced rock weathering startup Eion strikes carbon removal deal with Microsoft, raises $3m series A extension AgFunderNews [Disclosure:AgFunderNews’ parent company AgFunder is an investor in Eion.]
🇨🇴 AgriCapital secured debt financing from Grupo AlphaMundi Latamlist
Biomaterials & climate tech funding
🇬🇧 Seaweed packaging: Notpla closes £20m Series A extension to fuel US expansion & sell 100 million plastic-free units Green Queen
🇬🇧 Biomaterial startup Pact raises £9m as it opens 13,000 sq ft lab UKTN
🇮🇳 Climate financing platform Two Point O Capital raises $6.3 million led by Omnivore Financial Express
M&A, IPOs & partnerships
🇺🇸 Lifeway Foods confirms receipt of unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Danone PR Newswire
🇺🇸 Rebellyous Foods partners with RMS Foods to revolutionize plant-based meat manufacturing Vegconomist
🇺🇸 NOVUS partnering with biotech company to develop new feed additives Feedstuffs
🇺🇸 701x Acquires DigitalBeef LLC American Cattleman
🇮🇱 GEA and Believer Meats join forces to scale up cultivated meat production EQS
🇺🇸 HowGood & Informatica team up to tackle food and ag’s ‘garbage in, garbage out’ data problem AgFunderNews
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇺🇸 Online foodservice platform Rgand launches $100 million accelerator for global suppliers Forbes
🇳🇱 Meatable secures €7.6 million Innovation Credit to accelerate cultivated pork production Protein Production Technology
People news
🇨🇦 Sollum Technologies welcomes Jacqueline Heard to its board of directors Sollum Technologies
Other news
🇺🇸 Presto Automation puts itself up for sale Restaurant Dive
🇸🇬 Deliveroo gets out of cloud kitchen business in Singapore Tech in Asia
🇺🇸 EVERY secures foundational patent for ovalbumin produced via precision fermentation Business Wire
🇺🇸 Green group sues Tyson Foods for allegedly false climate claims Reuters
🇺🇸 Trump threatens Deere with 200% tariffs if it shifts manufacturing to Mexico Agriculture Dive
🇬🇧 Plant-based steaks by Juicy Marbles launch at 553 Sainsbury’s locations UK-wide Vegconomist [Disclosure:AgFunderNews’ parent company AgFunder is an investor in Juicy Marbles.]
🇬🇧 Tesco to ‘revolutionise’ food waste with facility that turns surplus food into animal feed Grocery Gazette
🇨🇦 Brilliant Harvest emerges from stealth with AI-powered helpdesk for ag equipment dealers AgFunderNews
