AgFunder Network Partners

Category: FoodTech

Midweek Digest: Delivery deals win the week as Gopuff gets $1bn, Bolt bags $711m

August 4, 2021

The Estonian ride-hailing startup said it will use the funding to finance its push into express grocery delivery.

Data Snapshot: 2020 was the year agrifoodtech venture capital swam upstream

August 3, 2021

Upstream categories – that is, technologies and business models nearer the farm or lab – outstripped downstream funding in 2020 for the first time in seven years.

Join us online for GROW Impact Accelerator Demo Day 2021

August 3, 2021

The AgFunder-backed program will showcase 10 game-changing startups offering sustainable solutions in alt-protein, smallholding, food waste reduction, and more.

Hey Alexa, should I water my lettuce? Telus, Amazon funds back home farm startup Rise Gardens

August 2, 2021

Rise Gardens founder Hank Adams launched the in-home farming startup after finding the economics of large-scale indoor farming too daunting.

Innovate UK & GROW launch incubator to help UK agrifood startups scale into Asia Pacific

August 2, 2021

Global Incubator Programme – Gateway to Asia will help UK agrifoodtech startups expand into the Asia-Pacific region remotely.

5 startups win Japfa innovation challenge to advance protein production in Asia

July 29, 2021

Japfa and GROW have unveiled the 5 winners of Japfa Feeds the Future – a startup challenge aimed at advancing protein production and food resilience in Asia.

Meati must meet manufacturing & scale challenges head on after its $50m Series B coup

July 29, 2021

“That’s something we will have to work on. When is the last time that a whole new category of food was created?” says co-founder and CEO Tyler Huggins.

Nations join forces to transform world’s food systems at UN pre-summit

July 29, 2021

From the US and Bangladesh to Iceland and Senegal, governments around the world agreed Wednesday to change the way the world currently produces and consumes food, with technology and innovation playing a crucial role.

Midweek Digest: Indonesia agrifoodtech startups score big-ticket fundings

July 28, 2021

Indonesia saw several big deals for agrifoodtech startups over the past week, while there was also news from Cargill, Joyvio, and The Yield Lab LatAm.

Augmentus raises seed funding for its ‘no-code’ robotics system

July 27, 2021

The Singaporean startup is deploying its robotics platform across multiple industries – including indoor ag, where it streamlines crop inspection and harvesting.

Brief: NotCo bags $235m funding to enhance its discovery AI for plant-based protein

July 26, 2021

The Chilean startup said the round – which also saw participation from sports stars Roger Federer and Lewis Hamilton – values it at $1.5 billion.

Can food systems really get to ‘net zero?’

July 26, 2021

‘Net zero by 2050’ has become the rallying cry for many agrifood businesses. Here are some of the ways they can make those aspirations into reality.

Don’t blame business for cultivated meat’s cell line shortage. Public funding is the problem

July 23, 2021

Cell lines for cultivated meat R&D are proving hard to come by. But don’t point the finger of blame at startups, as a major UK newspaper appeared to do this week.

Brief: Zomato sees share price leap 70% on Indian market debut

July 23, 2021

Zomato, which competes for the mantle of India’s top food delivery app with rival Swiggy, is reportedly valued at $12.2 billion post-IPO.

Plant-based cheesemaker Nobell Foods nets $75m from a16z, AgFunder & Breakthrough Energy

July 22, 2021

It’s using soybeans to produce casein, the protein found in cows’ milk which gives cheese its characteristic “melt, stretch, and mouthfeel.”

Midweek Digest: Impossible Foods & Beyond Meat enter chicken race, Swiggy scores billions

July 21, 2021

Swiggy has raised a whopping $1.25 billion from SoftBank and Prosus, while the rival plant-based protein players have both launched chicken analogs.

Shiok Meats adds Asian food industry giants to cap table in latest funding round

July 21, 2021

Shiok Meats is planning to open a production facility in its native Singapore by 2023 to cultivate cell-based shrimp, lobster, crab, and crayfish at commercial scale.

Choco raises $100m Series B funding to streamline restaurants’ ingredient purchasing

July 20, 2021

It’s taking aim at food waste by helping restaurant suppliers move expiring items more quickly.

UK’s Collectiv Food banks $17m to transform urban food supply chains

July 19, 2021

The London-based startup allows foodservice clients to buy meat, seafood, and plant-based protein collectively and have it delivered sustainably and transparently.

UPDATE: Innovative program offers better approach for ag startups seeking US market entry

July 19, 2021

The next (virtual) cohort of the Cultivo program, run by America’s Cultivation Corridor, will begin later this year – and it’s accepting applications until August 2.