AgFunder Network Partners

Category: Novel Farming Systems

Bowery CEO: Building tech is expensive, takes time but has direct impact on economics of vertical farming

November 12, 2019

Bowery Farming, the New York-based vertical farming startup that counts Google, First Round Capital, and famous chef Tom Collichio as investors, has just raised an extra $50 million as an extension to its Series B.

EXCLUSIVE: Let there be Lemna! UK’s DryGro secures £1.4m Series A to build out duckweed production

November 7, 2019

A European family office led the round, which requested anonymity, with investment advisors Fonte Capital and EthicalFin both helping to bring in the latest tranche.

The second generation of vertical farming is approaching. Here’s why it’s important.

November 4, 2019

As vertical farming moves into its next phase where operating expenses are dropping, Boaz Toledano writes that it will be able to compete with the industry organic industry.

A startup cheat-sheet for London’s World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit

October 15, 2019

The cheat-sheet comprises 14 international agri-tech start-ups that will present their tech at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London on October 15-16; they come with a special seal of approval from the organizers, the Brighton-based Rethink Events.

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: 500 Startups leads seed round for Vietnam’s Cricket One

October 13, 2019

Cricket One is another insect-based protein startup that's taking off in Asia, but why? AFN speaks with its founder, Nam Dang, to find out.

One small steak for man, one giant leap for space-grown meat!

October 7, 2019

Aleph Farms — a startup designing bio-reactor grown and 3D-printable beef steaks — has been busily turning the International Space Station into, well, an International 'Space Steak' Station.

Indoor AgTech Landscape: 1,000+ companies innovating inside

September 26, 2019

People are recognizing the potential opportunity for indoor growing to address many of the challenges in food and ag. Since the Plenty funding in late 2017, we have seen a surge of funding for both sunless and greenhouse approaches, says The Mixing Bowl releasing its first Indoor AgTech Landscape.

Vertical farm tech Intelligent Growth Solutions expands Series A to £7m

September 26, 2019

Vertical farm tech Intelligent Growth Solutions sealed a £7m Series A, after a second close of the round backed by Ospraie Ag Science and AgFunder.

XAG get its drones upgraded with tie-ups with Bayer and Huawei

September 25, 2019

What is dronemaker XAG working on with Bayer and Huawei? Its co-founder Justin Gong gives us the details, along with his outlook for China.

Fifth Season comes out of stealth with 60k sqft vertical farm & $35m in funding

September 24, 2019

The Pittsburgh-based startup has developed 40 different robots to shave labor costs so that it can offer produce at a competitive cost.

3 startups focused on sustainability and nutrition win big at inaugural FoodBytes! Chicago

September 20, 2019

Tia Lupita Foods, LocalCoho and Capro-X won at FoodBytes! Chicago yesterday.

What happened to those GM spider goats with the silky milk?

September 2, 2019

This is not just kidding around with mind-bending science experiments for its own sake; dozens of potential applications exist for spider silk, like new ligaments or bullet-proof vests.

How much should you feed fish? UMITRON’s ‘Fish Appetite Index’ can tell you

August 26, 2019

How much do fish need to eat? UMITRON tells us how its tech uses machine learning & IoT for aquaculture. We also interview their co-founder & MD.

UPDATE: Why is insect-based protein sprouting wings in Asia?

August 20, 2019

From the bustling streets of Bangkok and into labs in the APAC region, here’s how start-ups here are harnessing the power of the insect kingdom.

BrightFarms appoints new CEO as founder Paul Lightfoot transitions to president

August 15, 2019

Steve Platt comes from the CPG sector, most recently serving as CEO of yogurt company Icelandic Provisions.

5 questions with AquaBounty on feed ingredients, social license for GE animals, and regulation

August 13, 2019

AquaBounty was the first company to obtain FDA approval for genetically modified seafood intended for human consumption. We spoke to COO Alejandro Rojas ahead of the Animal AgTech Innovation Summit in Amsterdam in October.

MetoMotion raises $1.5m seed round for zany greenhouse robot that spots ripeness in tomatoes

July 31, 2019

Israel’s MetoMotion has revealed to AFN that it had secured $1.5 million in funding for its slightly zany answer to spotting ripeness in greenhouse-grown tomatoes: a luminous green multipurpose “Greenhouse Robotic Worker” (GRoW).

A $500m Question: What’s William the Conqueror’s Cousin Got to do with FoodTech?

July 18, 2019

A household name in the UK, the Grosvenor family can trace its ancestry back to William the Conqueror’s cousin and today Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, is godfather to Prince George. No big deal then. But what's the link to foodtech?

AeroFarms Raises $100m from ‘Patient Capital’ to Continue Steady Growth of Vertical Farming Business

July 9, 2019

AeroFarms has now raised over $230 million in total but has been slow to expand, particularly overseas despite plans to do so.

How Big is Controlled Environment Agriculture? Autogrow & Agritecture Launch the Global CEA Census to Find Out

July 3, 2019

The Census seeks to understand the scale and nature of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) to better determine the roadblocks to accelerating the industry. This includes greenhouses, vertical farms, indoor rooms and hoop or tunnel houses.