The eGrocery category may be down but it’s not out, and certainly not in India, where quick-commerce app Zepto just scored a massive funding round. Turkey’s Getir, also an eGrocery platform, also landed a mega round, while over in Australia, a recycled plastics startup bagged AUD $100 million ($66 million).
Outside the funding realm, Denmark has introduced a new tax on carbon emissions for livestock farmers, iFood has launched a digital bank for restaurants in Latin America, and more US lawmakers are going to battle with cultivated meat.
Foodtech funding
🇮🇳 Zepto, a 10-minute delivery app, raises $665m at $3.6B valuation TechCrunch
🇹🇷 Turkish food delivery giant Getir raises $250m and restructures into two businesses Tech.eu
🇺🇸 Telenutrition platform Foodsmart takes $200m from The Rise Fund Valor.tv
🇦🇺 Citrus juice startup Naked Rivals squeezes $3 million raise Startup Daily
🇸🇬 Cellivate Technologies wins $3.3m on business reality TV show to reduce animal slaughter using cells Cultivated X
🇸🇬 Ai Palette Raises Total of $7.7M+ with Latest $1.45M Series A1 Extension from InnoVen Capital Ai Palette [Disclosure, AgFunderNews’ parent co AgFunder is an investor in Ai Palette]
🇿🇦 South Africa’s Immobazyme raises $1.3m to boost production of precision fermentation-derived proteins Vegconomist
Agtech & biomaterials funding
🇦🇺 Lululemon backs recycled plastics clothing startup in $100 million Series A+ Startup Daily
🇮🇳 Sid’s Farm raises $10 m in Series A round bl-premium-article-image Hindu Business Line
🇧🇷 Cleantech Kilimo raises $7.5m in Series A round Latamlist
🇺🇸 Foray Bioscience Raises $3m to protect and restore natural ecosystems with biomanufacturing Business Wire
🇭🇺 Scoutlabs lands $2m seed round for digital insect monitoring Scoutlabs LinkedIn
🇮🇳 Novo Holdings invests in Indian agritech firm AgNext Technologies Deal Street Asia
M&A, IPOs & partnerships
🇺🇸 SoundHound AI acquires ordering platform Allset Restaurant Dive
🇺🇸 Microsoft partners with Indigo Ag to purchase carbon credits Feed & Grain
🇺🇸 🇳🇿 Western Growers & Wharf42 initiative Platform 10 launches global grower trial network to speed up adoption of biologicals AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 🇮🇱 Specialty crop equipment leader CNH partners with Bluewhite to bring autonomous tech to orchards, vineyards AgFunderNews
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇺🇸 AgFunder assumes management of Blue Horizon’s $100m growth fund AgFunder
🇺🇸 NIFA Invests $70M in Visionary Sustainable Agricultural Research NIFA
🇨🇦 Canada Strengthens Plant-Based Sector With $11M Federal Boost for Pulse Production Vegconomist
People moves
🇺🇸 Brightseed appoints new senior vice president of bioactives Nutritional Outlook
🇺🇸 Local Bounti chief financial officer Kathleen Valiasek promoted to president and CFO PR Newswire
🇫🇷 Agronutris appoints aquaculture business director The Fish Site
Other news
🇺🇸 Ohio Rep. introduces bill to ban federal support for cultivated meat, citing threats to health and farmers Vegconomist
🇧🇷 iFood launches digital bank for restaurants, iFood Pago Latamlist
🇺🇸 Ginkgo job cuts to hit at least 35% of workforce; as many as 400 jobs to be cut Biz Journals
🇨🇭 Nestlé health science launches comprehensive GLP-1 nutrition support platform PR Newswire
🇩🇰 Denmark to charge farmers €100 a cow in first carbon tax on agriculture Financial Times
🇦🇺 BeanstalkAgTech is building a $10 million venture studio to back nearly 100 startups focused on drought resilience Startup Daily
🇺🇸 Agco plans significant layoffs, citing ‘weakening demand’ Agriculture Dive
🇺🇸 TurtleTree and Strive to Launch Health-Focused Beverages Powered by Animal-Free Lactoferrin Vegconomist
🇺🇸 Benson Hill receives indication of interest for buyout from investor group Market Watch
Sponsored
Farmers ‘ready and willing to try’ biological crop solutions. Only ‘strong business models’ need apply