From novelty to necessity? The evolution of insect farming
Industrial-scale insect farming is not for the faint-hearted. So what business models make sense, and who is going to fund the next wave of facilities?
Industrial-scale insect farming is not for the faint-hearted. So what business models make sense, and who is going to fund the next wave of facilities?
Proprietary tech and proprietary strains of seaweed provide a model that’s scalable anywhere in the world, says Seadling founder Simon Davis.
Dutch startup Rival Foods will start deploying shear cell technology—a novel approach to texturizing plant-based proteins that can create whole cuts—at a “commercially viable scale” this summer.
The team recounts its days from university students to founding Agrospheres, a startup delivering novel encapsulation tech for biologicals.
Gates Ag One will focus on crop innovations that benefit yields and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
“One thing we’ve recognized is that sometimes breakthrough technologies that map really well to a very positive and impactful food and agri thesis might originate outside of the sector,” says Michael Lavin.
“You need to engage with deep tech to support the green transition,” says longtime investor and biomaterials champion Nicolaj Reffstrup.
“A key part of the proposition to fine dining chefs was that they can serve something that no one else has and no one else can have, because we invented it,” says Vow’s CEO.
Funding into Australian agrifoodtech startups fell 33% last year according to AgFunder data… But it could have been worse: global agrifoodtech funding fell 49% over the same period.
The R&D partnership aims to eventually develop a commercial product.
‘Investors are starting to understand that plant cell culture is one of the emerging categories within cellular agriculture,’ says CEO Frank Jaksch.
The Israeli startup leverages AI technology from computational biology specialist Evogene it claims will dramatically speed up the R&D process.
RipeLocker’s patented tech can significantly extend the post-harvest life of everything from blueberries, hops and walnuts to roses, says VP Julian Lewis.
Bpacks combines bark from timber production, used coffee grounds and other bio-based materials to create pellets that can be used by packaging manufacturers to create a variety of materials from produce packaging to meat trays.
The CEO and co-founder of soil-carbon startup Agreena talks agrifinance, regenerative agriculture, and how to help small farmers.
Meatable has slashed production times for cultivated pork by dramatically speeding up the process by which its stem cells differentiate into fat and muscle.
Scaling and commercializing products from a completely new crop takes time and patient capital, says Terviva cofounder and CEO Naveen Sikka.
The ADM regenerative ag program has signed up more than 2 million acres in the US and aims for for north of 4 million by 2025.
TRACT aims to help agrifood corporates trace sustainability performance across supply chains and various commodities.
If the marketing of whey from fermentation is too narrowly focused on the ‘animal-free’ aspect, it potentially limits the market, says Netherlands-based startup Vivici.
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International Fresh Produce Association launches year 3 of its produce accelerator