Impossible Foods and others are cutting staff, while Finland approves the term “burger patty” for plant-based meat marketing.
Funga is “rewilding” forest microbiome to grow more trees and McDonald’s & Beyond Meat test a new plant-based product in Germany.
Chipotle tests robotic makelines in its restaurants and Barcelona follows other European cities banning dark stores for quick commerce.
New School Foods, E-TERRY, BloomX and many other agrifoodtech startups raised funds this week, even as food and ag industry layoffs continue.
AgFunder led a $3 million round for farm real estate marketplace CommonGround, and a cultivated meat company has achieved kosher status.
Plus: Multus Biotechnology secures Series A funding, Danone announces plans to reduce methane and Nest’s co-founder launches a circular economy trash bin.
The week also saw new deals for ingredient tech startups and funding for revitalizing the world’s forests.
Alterpacks raised $1 million while greenhouse grower AppHarvest entered a sale-leaseback deal for one if its Kentucky facilities.
AFN’s most-read guest articles of the year debated the future of CEA, analyzed (a complete lack of) plant-based meat branding and more.
News roundups from 2022 shed light on the rise and fall of eGrocery, the downturn’s impact on agrifoodtech and what to watch for 2023.
In agtech, deals from Grow Indigo, FreezeM and others were all about insect farming, forest restoration and capturing more carbon.
NotCo has big plans for its AI tool, while nutrition platform HealthKart will expand its business and Winter Farm will grow a new crop.
Restaurant tech company MarginEdge and AgFunder portfolio company Black Sheep Foods also raised money, as did forest tech platform Gaia AI.
Meanwhile, collaborative investment platform FoodShot Global announced the winners of this year’s esteemed GroundBreaker Prize.
In agtech, produce quality control platform Clarifruit raised $12 million while more layoffs struck the food delivery sector.
Meanwhile, it’s more bad news for food delivery, with a quick-commerce startup shutting down and a major service leaving Australia.
Other notable raises this week came from shelf-stable meal producer Proper Good and Mexico produce rescue company Perfekto.
Ostara closes $70 million round and more than one vertical farming startup ceases operations.
Local Bounti raises new funds for indoor farming while Bill Gates and others start a new venture to decarbonize rice production in Asia.
Bread-baking robots get funding, GM invests in MycoWorks and Smart Asset raises new capital for its precision-spraying tech for orchards.
Smoke & mirrors, not worth the extra cost: 50 US farmers speak out on carbon markets