This week saw a greater number of agtech fundraises than normal, which is a bright spot considering how tough the current fundraising environment is. In addition to Monarch Tractor’s mega-raise, Micropep raised new capital to fuel its biopesticide business, Oceano Fresco got investment for its sustainable aquaculture platform, and NoPalm Ingredients landed funds for its palm oil substitutes.
Agtech funding
🇺🇸 Monarch Tractor bags record $133m, eyes global expansion for its all-electric, autonomous machines AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 InnerPlant raises $30m Series B led by its ‘ideal investors’: an alliance of North American farmers AgFunderNews
🇫🇷 Micropep raises $29m in Series B funding FinSMEs
🇵🇹 Portuguese seafood company Oceano Fresco secures €17M for sustainable aquaculture Tech.eu
🇳🇱 NoPalm Ingredients bags €5M to produce sustainable palm oil alternative Tech Funding news
🇩🇰 Agrobiomics lands $4.3m from NOON Ventures to tackle soil salinity and make plants climate resilient with biostimulants AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Farmblox raises $2.5M seed round to bring AI and automation to farms The Packer
🇧🇷 Meu Pescado raises $420K for expansion Latamlist
🇺🇸 Edison Agrosciences lands fresh funds to make natural rubber from sunflower crops AgFunderNews
M&A, IPOs & partnerships
🇮🇳 Captain Fresh eyes third overseas acquisition with Poland-based F&B manufacturing firm Koral Inc42
🇸🇬 SE Asian super app Grab acquires Singapore-based dining platform Chope Deal Street Asia
🇫🇷 Elicit Plant partner with Bayer France to combat water stress in agriculture iGrow News
🇬🇧 Dechra bids for animal health leadership with Invetx acquisition Pet Business World
🇬🇧 Lidl commits £1.5 billion to British beef sustainability after partnering with WWF for global environmental initiatives FeedNavigator
🇦🇺 🇳🇿 Designer lipids startup Nourish Ingredients collaborates with dairy giant Fonterra on fats from fermentation AgFunderNews
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇺🇸 AgFunder VC closes Fund IV oversubscribed on $102m, reveals deep tech portfolio focus AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Tree planting nonprofit launches investment Iinitiative to back new climate solutions Arbor Day
🇨🇭 Better Cotton to launch fund aimed at gender equality, sustainability Apparelist
🇺🇸 Schmidt Sciences investing millions into biomass projects that can replace fossil fuel feedstocks AgFunderNews
People moves
🇺🇸 Meati Foods new CCO, CEO look to avoid plant-based pitfalls Food Dive
🇺🇸 me&u founder Stevan Premutico steps away from his latest startup adventure Startup Daily
Other news
🇺🇸 Juicy Marbles launches plant-based ribs with edible bones Food Dive [Disclosure: AgFunderNews’ parent company AgFunder is an investor in Juicy Marbles.]
🇺🇸 Meati Foods hit with false advertising lawsuit over ‘mushroom root’ claims AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Elmhurst 1925 enters alt meat market with launch of ‘the world’s cleanest chicken alternative’ AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Beyond Meat Debuts New Product Innovation, Beyond Sun Sausage Yahoo Finance
🇺🇸 Cargill to eliminate 200 tech jobs globally World Grain
🇳🇱 Dutch Startup Mosa Meat Hosts First Cultivated Beef Tasting in the EU Green Queen
🇺🇸 ADM targets 5m acres of regenerative farmland by 2025: ‘Farmer feedback has been really positive’ AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 New robotic capability lets retailers remotely monitor store shelves Grocery Dive
🇺🇸 Vayu Robotics puts delivery robot using AI foundation models on the road The Robot Report
🇺🇸 Flashfood launches new platform for independents Supermarket News
🇨🇭 Nestlé develops technology to reduce fat in dairy ingredients Food Dive
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