“These are exciting times, these are challenging times, but the breakthroughs are incredible,” says Erik Andrejko, VP of Science at Climate Corp. When it comes to finding ways to feed our ever-increasing population while combating the effects of climate change, Andrejko sees some clear parameters: “It’s going to be about integrated solutions—integrating information from different sources from different pieces of equipment.
Editor’s Note: AgFunderNews recently had the chance to speak with Gregg Halverson, President of Black Gold Farms. Halverson will be speaking at the Forbes Reinventing America: The AgTech Summit, taking place in Salinas, CA, July 8-9.
Microbiomes are all around us—and even inside us. According to The Human Microbiome Project, tens of trillions of the little cells live on and inside humans. Representing thousands of species, microbiomes outnumber our own cells by roughly 10 to 1.
As the summer temperatures heat up and July 4th looms closer on the calendar, most folks only have one beverage on their mind: beer. With some historians speculating that nomads brewed beer from ancient grain and water during the prehistoric years, the history of beer reveals that we’ve been keeping a cold one close by for centuries.
Editor’s Note: AgFunderNews recently had the opportunity to speak with The Honorable Joe Gunter, Mayor of Salinas, on the relationship between agriculture and technology both in his home town and around the world.
According to the American Association of Port Authorities, “The United States is served by some 360 commercial ports that provide approximately 3,200 cargo and passenger handling facilities.” Food and farm products, including wheat and wheat flour, corn, soybeans, rice, cotton, and coffee are listed among the leading commodities shipped for domestic and foreign trade through U.S.
As the world population continues to climb, so does the demand for food. With a finite amount of arable land, keeping up on the supply side is a major challenge for farmers located in certain regions of the world.
Microbial DNA maker Zymergen recently announced a $42M Series A led by Data Collective, with a group of investors participating, including AME Cloud Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurveston, HVF, Innovation Endeavors, Obvious Ventures, True Ventures, and Two Sigma Ventures.
“Farmers everywhere will tell you that weather and water are the biggest issues,” Travis Bayer, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Asilomar Bio. The company recently closed a $3 million Series A round co-lead by Cultivian Sandbox Ventures and Fall Line Capital.
Following the heals of Delivery Hero’s recent $110M funding announcement, two additional online food delivery companies have announced the close of respective funding deals. Blue Apron, a New York-based meal delivery service, recently sealed a $135M Series D funding deal led by Fidelity Management and Research Company.
Oakland-based food company Back to the Roots announced this morning that it has closed its first funding round to the tune of $2 million. Fund Good Jobs, an Oakland-based organization designed to increase employment opportunities in the region, led the round.
Berlin-based Delivery Hero announced recently that it has secured an additional $110 million in funding from two unidentified U.S.-based “leading public market investors.” This recent funding round brings Delivery Hero’s total investment deals to over $1 billion, with almost $600 million of those funds secured in 2015 alone.
Precision irrigation management provider Hortau announced earlier this week that it has secured $5 million in funding from Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners (ACAP). ACAP, which holds a Rural Business Investment Company license from the U.S.
Aerobotic Innovations, a drone control and safety application, announced recently that it has partnered with Packet Digital LLC to offer new products that will combine their respective state-of-the-art software and hardware technologies.
Idaho is the latest state to announce a new agtech event, among a slew of local, national and international events cropping up across the globe.
On June 16, 2015, Idaho will host its first-ever AgriTech summit featuring local agricultural and technology sector leaders.
VitalFields announced recently that it has secured $1.2 million in Series A funding from an international syndicate of investors, including SmartCap, the investment arm of the taxpayer-funded Estonian Development Fund, and an undisclosed large Silicon Valley based investor.
