The Week in Agrifoodtech: Zepto bags $200m, Stanford launches climate change school
“Instant delivery” e-grocer Zepto got closer to unicorn status with its Series D round, while VitroLabs raised funds for its cell-cultured animal leather.
“Instant delivery” e-grocer Zepto got closer to unicorn status with its Series D round, while VitroLabs raised funds for its cell-cultured animal leather.
The theme of Earth Day 2022 is “invest in our planet.” In the agrifoodtech community, we’re taking it literally – and must push governments to do the same.
Choco became a unicorn with its latest fundraise, Leaft is making protein from leaves, and Alt Farm is 3D-printing waygu beef alternatives.
Beewise aims to save the world’s bee population with robotic beehives; while Arzeda creates enzymes for use in food, personal, and homecare products.
Over in the US, meanwhile, The Every Company launched the world’s first chickenless egg white.
GROW’s Land x Launch™ platform helps late-stage agrifoodtech ventures expand into Asia.
Elsewhere, Plantish scored $12 million for plant-based fish – and Mzansi Meat unveiled ‘Africa’s first’ cultivated beef burger.
Data from AgFunder shows a steady increase in the number of female founders in both upstream and downstream agrifoodtech startups.
Starship’s delivery bots move into new markets, Source.ag aims to make greenhouses smarter, and cultivated meat arrives at Singapore’s hawker stalls.
Vertical farming and alt-protein saw sizable financings this week, with companies like GrowUp Farms, Novameat, and Wildtype closing significant rounds.
The firm has made the first close of its $15 million maiden fund, which it claims is the first to exclusively back Asia Pacific alt-protein startups.
Equip scored $58 million while Tindle parent company Next Gen Foods raised the largest Series A round to date for plant-based protein.
Protix bagged big bucks this week for its insect protein; while Cooks Venture secured capital to breed slower-growing chickens.
Meanwhile, it has been forecast that the plant-based protein sector needs to invest $27 billion in production capacity by 2030 to meet demand.
Three of the biggest funding rounds announced in the last week involved on-demand food and grocery delivery startups from various countries.
Remilk was one of a bevvy of agrifoodtech startups to close funding rounds above or around the $100 million mark this week.
Elsewhere, soil-sensing company Stenon raised $20 million and John Deere showed off its first commercially available autonomous tractor.
The top three deals of 2021 involved companies from China, India, and the US – and were focused on grocery, food retail, and logistics.
Catering startup ezCater kicked its valuation over $1 billion, alt-protein funding proliferated, and José Andrés started championing cultivated meat.
Ho Ren Hua also announced the launch of Thai Wah Ventures, which will invest in startups working across agritech, supply chain, bioplastics, and novel ingredients.