Funding rounds were abundant this week, including a raise by chocolate-free cocoa maker Voyage Foods, ag biotech startup ArkeaBio, and several players in southern Asia.
Speaking of Asia, South Korea has designated a “regulation-free” zone for biotech — including cultivated meat — in an effort to foster more innovation. Back in the US, alt-protein investor Big Idea Ventures entered a new agrifoodtech sector.
Foodtech funding
🇺🇸 Cocoa-free chocolate maker Voyage Foods raises $52 million Bloomberg
🇺🇸 Meati Foods raises $100m, rolls out at Kroger nationwide AgFunderNews
🇳🇬 Nigeria’s YC-backed Chowdeck hopes to scale food delivery, a notoriously tough market, with $2.5M funding TechCrunch
🇵🇭 Ninjacart invests in Philippine ag-tech start-up Mayani Fruitnet
🇺🇸 AI nutrition app Hexis raises $2M in pre-seed round Sports Business Journal
🇫🇷 Oligofeed raises €600k from The Yield Lab LinkedIn
Agtech funding
🇺🇸 ArkeaBio raises $26.5m in Series A funding FinSMEs
🇮🇳 Agritech startup Superplum raises $15 million from investors to expand fresh fruits business Economic Times
🇺🇸 Shinkei raises $6m in seed funding FinSMEs
🇮🇳 Agtech firm BharatRohan raises $2.3 million in pre-IPO round The Hindu Business Line
🇺🇸 NVIDIA’s venture arm invests in autonomous weeding startup Carbon Robotics AgFunderNews
Climate tech funding
🇩🇪 Insempra secures $20M Series A to advance bio-based alternatives in manufacturing Tech.eu
🇺🇸 Mycocycle raises $3.6 million to transform waste into sustainable raw materials with fungi Global Newswire
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇺🇸 VC firm Big Idea Ventures enters biologicals sector with PlantSustain platform AgTech Navigator
🇺🇸 Next cohort of ag innovators announced for IFPA 2024 Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator Fresh Produce
🇮🇱 ProFuse Technology awarded €2.4m European Innovation Council Grant for muscle growth solutions in cultivated meat Cultivated X
People moves
🇺🇸 MycoWorks welcomes Ginevra Boralevi to leadership team as communications executive PR Newswire [Disclosure: AgFunderNews’ parent company, AgFunder, is an investor in MycoWorks.]
🇰🇪 New Forests appoints Managing Director, Africa New Forests
Other news
🇺🇸 Experts question debt-laden Beyond Meat’s future in wake of grim Q1 figures AgFunderNews
🇸🇬 TurtleTree to debut animal-free lactoferrin with espresso shot for endurance athletes Green Queen
🇰🇷 South Korea establishes ‘Regulation-Free Zone’ for bio-tech Alt-Meat
🇺🇸 ‘The relationship soon turned rancid…’ Judge awards wins to both sides in ugly dispute between Eat Just and ABEC over unpaid bills AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Indigo Ag splits carbon credit, crop protection businesses in restructuring Agriculture Dive
🇬🇧 Meatly unveils “groundbreaking” protein-free culture medium at £1 per liter Vegconomist
🇨🇳 Plant protein maker BaiChuan Bio Tech prepares for IPO in China Green Queen
🇧🇷 Bioceres Crop Solutions announces Brazil’s approval of new generation bio-insecticide BusinessWire
🇺🇸 Farmers blast cover crop requirements for sustainable jet fuel tax credits Agriculture Dive
