AgFunder Network Partners

Category: Novel Farming Systems

Ag Industry Brief: Plenty Makes Plans in China, Remote Sensing Startups Merge, Ex-Cisco CEO Invests in Agtech, more

January 19, 2018

Indoor farm Plenty makes plans in China while startups merge and launch new products in this week's brief.

Women in Agtech: Sonia Lo of FreshBox Farms is a Female CEO in Indoor Ag

January 9, 2018

We caught up with Lo to find out how her experience as an investor informs her role as an entrepreneur, and what she wants from the men in her field.

Grower or Tech Company? Indoor Farmers Must Make Up Their Minds

January 8, 2018

In a gradually maturing industry, companies need to focus on the primary scope of their business if they want to be successful. For indoor farmers, this may mean a choice between selling technology and selling produce.

Access to Capital is Biggest Challenge to Indoor Farms – Report

January 3, 2018

Indoor growers say that access to capital is their biggest hurdle, according to a new report from indoor farming software company Agrilyst.

Best of 2017: AgFunder’s Top 7 Guest Articles

December 28, 2017

Our evergrowing global subscriber base of agrifood tech entrepreneurs, venture capital investors, agrifood corporates, governments, and enthusiasts means that we have an incredible amount of expertise in our 45,000-strong network.

Best of 2017: AgFunder’s 10 Most Read Stories in 2017

December 26, 2017

Twenty Seventeen has been quite the year for the agrifood technology startup scene, with some of the largest-ever funding announcements on record. And we've been pretty busy at AgFunderNews too, nearly doubling our member and subscriber base to 55,000 and posting over 450 original articles.

Ag Industry Brief: New Venture Fund Eschews NY, CA Startups, Trump to Address Farm Bureau, End of Year M&A, more

December 22, 2017

J.D. Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy" and former Peter Thiel employee, will lead the $150 million Rise of the Rest fund aimed at startups in cities outside California, Massachusetts, and New York, plus more in our weekly brief.

The Top 10 Farm Tech Deals of 2017 (How Many Can You Name Without Clicking?)

December 21, 2017

It was an exciting year in farm technology, to say the least, with several exits and record deals set and then overtaken by even larger deals just weeks or months later. Check out the standout deals of 2017.

Plenty Vertical Farm CEO Matt Barnard: “We Have a Lot of Work to Do” [podcast]

December 20, 2017

In today's episode, we speak to Matt Barnard, CEO of indoor vertical farming company Plenty about his record-breaking $200 funding round and his plans for growing a global farming business with highly localized customers.

Algae is Poised to Become a Mainstream Food Ingredient if Supply Can Keep Up With Demand

December 12, 2017

Algae in various forms can be integrated into a wide array of foods and beverages, ranging from veggie shakes and smoothies to meal replacements and the growth potential is limited only by the capacity to establish a robust, ever-expanding supply chain.

Tortuga AgTech Raises $2.4m Seed Round for Indoor Ag Robotics

December 4, 2017

Tortuga AgTech is developing robotic systems for harvesting fresh produce in controlled environments, from indoor hydroponics to greenhouses, starting with strawberries.

Why Did IKEA Invest in AeroFarms and What is Next For This New Agrifood Tech Investor?

December 4, 2017

IKEA's iconic meatballs and packaged food products are headed for a shake-up, says Michael la Cour, so we caught up with him to find out what's in store and how startups might play a role.

Ag Industry Brief: New CEOs Headed to Blue Apron and Chipotle, Cannabis Co. Buys into Blockchain, more

December 1, 2017

Blue Apron and Chipotle are getting new CEOs after a tumultuous year for both companies, plus more in our weekly news brief.

The State of Play for Farm Robotics

November 27, 2017

A small group of farm robotics startups is taking on various farming tasks in the hopes of saving labor, adding efficiency, and improving precision agriculture.

What do Indoor Farming CEOs Think of Hydroponics Organic Approval?

November 8, 2017

Plenty CEO, Bowery CEO, and AeroFarms CEO weigh in on NOSB's decision to reject a proposal that would disallow hydroponic and aquaponic farms from being certified organic.

IKEA Wants ‘Radical Change’ for its Food Business to Promote Sustainability

November 8, 2017

Some key changes at IKEA in the wake of a deep dive into their supply chain include introducing the veggie meatball as well as taking Coca-Cola and Pepsi products off the menu.

“There Are a Lot of Palm Pilots Out There but No iPhones Yet In Consumer Indoor Farms” – Verdical CEO

November 1, 2017

The category of consumer indoor farms has been slow to get funding. We caught up with Andrew Deitz to find out how he plans to grow Verdical in this nascent category.

UPDATE: AeroFarms Brings in IKEA and David Chang to Close $40m Series D

October 27, 2017

US indoor agriculture group AeroFarms has closed a $40 million Series D round.

Aquaculture Fund Aqua-Spark Moves Beyond Farms and Feed With Two New Investments

October 26, 2017

Aqua-Spark has finalized two investments this week that signal the fund dedicated to the future of aquaculture is moving beyond farms and feed.

Who are the Leading Insect Farming Startups?

October 17, 2017

Since 2014, insect startups raised $124 million. Of this, $4.2 million went to companies creating consumer products for human consumption - the rest went to insect farming operations.