
The week in agrifoodtech: JOKR’s back with $50m, Plenty nabs $20m indoor ag grant, Mewery debuts microalgae meat
Chipotle tests robotic makelines in its restaurants and Barcelona follows other European cities banning dark stores for quick commerce.
Chipotle tests robotic makelines in its restaurants and Barcelona follows other European cities banning dark stores for quick commerce.
Fable’s meaty mushroom products are minimally processed and clean label with all natural ingredients, a boon amid growing controversy about the alternative meat industry.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a clear impact on brick & mortar restaurants and retailers, forcing them to innovate to stay afloat, so while globally there was a dip in investment during 2020, it soon picked up in 2021 as these stores adjusted to a new normal that forced many of them to digitize.
“You can’t change how meat eaters eat by making the same thing they already consume,” says cultivated meat startup Vow’s founder George Peppou.
New School Foods, E-TERRY, BloomX and many other agrifoodtech startups raised funds this week, even as food and ag industry layoffs continue.
Creating sustainable meat means developing more than just the same old chicken and beef analogues, says Vow’s CEO and cofounder.
Plus: Multus Biotechnology secures Series A funding, Danone announces plans to reduce methane and Nest’s co-founder launches a circular economy trash bin.
In agtech, deals from Grow Indigo, FreezeM and others were all about insect farming, forest restoration and capturing more carbon.
From widespread soil degradation in Africa to Iowa’s quickly disappearing “black gold,” the numbers show how urgent the world’s soil situation is.
Meanwhile, collaborative investment platform FoodShot Global announced the winners of this year’s esteemed GroundBreaker Prize.
Meanwhile, it’s more bad news for food delivery, with a quick-commerce startup shutting down and a major service leaving Australia.
PeakBridge and others participated in the Series A round, which Vow says will enable it to bring its cultivated quail to Singapore soon.
Other notable raises this week came from shelf-stable meal producer Proper Good and Mexico produce rescue company Perfekto.
Innovative Food startups garnered $356 million in 2021; much of that went to Singapore alt-protein companies as well as those in China and India.
The growAG platform connects startups, researchers, investors and other key players with opportunities in Australia’s agtech industry.
Investors poured a record-breaking $15.2 billion into Asia-Pacific agrifoodtech startups in 2021; in 2022, the region continues to break records.
Australia’s evokeAG Startup Program is instrumental in connecting local and global startups to farmers researchers, corporates, governments and investors.
Bread-baking robots get funding, GM invests in MycoWorks and Smart Asset raises new capital for its precision-spraying tech for orchards.
Meanwhile, Estonia-based FlyFeed lands funds to build insect farms and more delivery robots head to university campuses courtesy of Grubhub and Starship.
Canada’s Elevate Farms got a fresh injection of capital for its indoor farming business and Gourmey raked in funds for its cultivated foie gras ambitions.
Sponsored
Here’s where AI could make the biggest impact in the agrifoodtech sector