Category: Editorial

AFN’s top 20 guest articles in 2020

December 28, 2020

AFN regularly runs analysis, opinion, and expert commentary from guest authors. Here are the 20 most-read guest pieces we published this year.

AFN’s last minute holiday gift ideas (of course they’re about food!)

December 24, 2020

If you’ve been so head-down focused on just getting to the end of 2020 that you forgot all about holiday gift planning, AFN has you covered with last-minute ideas that you can send and they can eat.

5 trends that shaped agrifoodtech in 2020

December 24, 2020

A year like no other… But while Covid-19 has been catastrophic for the agrifood sector in many regards, it has also put agrifoodtech into the limelight like never before.

Bioreactor breastmilk, farm tech, and (of course) Covid-19: AFN’s top 20 stories in H1 2020

August 24, 2020

Reader numbers were up 24% on H2 2019, with much of the growth coming from Asia Pacific and Africa – though the US retains its top spot.

Why we invested in SIMULATE

July 30, 2020

Mail order, frozen, plant-based chicken nuggets… Before we met Ben Pasternak, the founder of SIMULATE (formerly NUGGS), this would have sounded like the worst idea ever.

Has the UK’s latest $31m agrifoodtech shellout gone anywhere useful?

July 27, 2020

UK Research & Innovation, the UK government’s tech grant body, has upped the amount handed out for its latest food production challenge. But grant success isn’t just about money.

Facebook and Paypal join Google, Tencent to back Indonesian food and payments giant Gojek

June 3, 2020

Facebook’s first investment in an Indonesian company has echoes of its $5.7 billion Jio deal in India earlier this year.

Why AgFunder invested in Singrow

June 2, 2020

Born out of the National University of Singapore, Singrow is directing its efforts towards local production of temperate-zone fruits and vegetables in tropical areas. And it’s starting with strawberries.

Americans need better access to healthy food to lower risk of Covid-19 complications

May 7, 2020

The failings of the US food system have left 88% of the population metabolically unhealthy. Frighteningly that means they’re all at a higher risk of complications from the Covid-19 virus compared to the 12% who are deemed metabolically healthy. This startup wants to help.

Uber Eats beats a retreat in Europe, Americas, and Middle East

May 5, 2020

Uber is pulling out of the food delivery business in 7 countries to “reinvest… in priority markets.” Here are some clues as to where it should refocus.

Facebook’s $5.7bn Reliance Jio deal will make it an even bigger player in Indian agrifood

April 22, 2020

Facebook’s move to acquire 10% of the Indian telco is about a lot more than agriculture and supply chains. But its impact on the sector could be massive – here’s how.

How founders can prepare for the tail risk of COVID-19

March 3, 2020

It’s hard to know how to respond to the spread of COVID-19. The virus is creating uncertainty across the world, impacting societies and businesses with varying degrees of severity.

Why we invested in MycoWorks

February 27, 2020

We joined DCVC Bio, Novo Holdings, 8VC and others to invest in sustainable leather startup MycoWork’s $17m Series A. Here’s why.

Why I’m most excited about pork alternatives

January 15, 2020

It’s been all about pork in the alternative meat space so far in 2020 and it’s a welcome shift from the focus on beef.

AFN’s top tips to improving your startup’s media communications game in 2020

January 7, 2020

There’s no easy way to say this, so here it is: some of your communication is not great. We’ve compiled what we hope will be a handy list of dos and don’ts to help you boost your media and communications game a bit (and uh, make our jobs a little easier too).

As agtech moves from “more with less” to higher quality, Benson Hill Seeds has right idea for 2020

December 9, 2019

Do more with less. It’s probably fair to say that’s been the key mantra for the agtech industry over the past decade. As we approach 2020, expect more attention on improving the quality of the food we produce. Benson Hill is one example.

We just invested in the fastest-growing agtech company and farmer network in the world

October 30, 2019

People often ask us if agtech will have a Facebook or Google and we’ve told them to look to marketplaces in emerging markets. It’s also important to us at AgFunder that startups have a clear mission and there’s no more noble mission than uplifting the fortunes of the world’s largest workforce.

Does the US agtech industry agree with Sonny Perdue’s ‘the big get bigger and the small go out?’

October 21, 2019

Recent comments from the Sec’y of Agriculture have rallied small farmers across the country who aren’t going out without a fight. But does the tech industry feel the same?

UK wants agriculture to be carbon neutral by 2040. But £20m here and there won’t do the trick

October 14, 2019

Prodded by rising public concerns about climate change, the UK government wants its agricultural sector to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. This is a bold target and there isn’t enough heft in the right places, British investors have warned AFN.

The extraordinary opportunity in Asian Ag & Food Technology

October 9, 2019

Asia’s getting richer faster than anywhere else, and there’s a huge need to produce enough food for growing populations. Here’s why you should get into it.