Midweek Digest: Trimble launches $200m venture fund, AeroFarms partners Nokia

Among the top agrifoodtech headlines from around the web over the past seven days is news of agricultural tech and services provider Trimble getting in on the corporate VC game – while a New Zealand meat industry group is raising a few tricky carbon questions.

Trimble launches $200 million VC fund (US). Trimble Ventures will invest in early and growth-stage companies working on the digital transformation of the industries that Trimble serves, including agriculture, construction, and transportation. (Trimble)

Miyoko’s Creamery scores $52 million to expand its portfolio of plant-based cheese and butter products (US). PowerPlant Partners led the Series C round, with Cult Capital, Obvious Ventures, Stray Dog Capital, and CPT Capital also taking part. (Bloomberg)

AmplifiedAg raises $40 million funding (US). The Charleston, South Carolina-based startup will use the capital to expand its Vertical Roots hydroponic container farm and further develop its indoor farming tech platform AmpEDGE. (AmplifiedAg)

Planted scores $21 million to bring plant-based schnitzel to shelves (Switzerland). The ETH Zurich spin-out raised the “pre-Series B” funding from investors including Vorwerk Ventures, Gullspång Re:food, Movendo Capital, Good Seed Ventures, Joyance, ACE & Company, and Be8 Ventures. (TechCrunch)

XpertSea nets $20 million in QED Investors, Atlantico-led Series B round (Canada). The Quebec City-based startup provides a “data-driven marketplace” and financial services that allow shrimp farmers to finance and sell their produce. (Forbes)

AeroFarms and Nokia partner on indoor ag crop monitoring (US/Finland). The vertical farming company and Nokia’s Bell Labs unit will collaborate to identify and track plant interactions. (AeroFarms)

AgroScout nets $7.5 million Series A funding (Israel). Kibbutz Yotvata led the investment into the crop management platform, with Agriline, Kibbutz Yiron, and Trendlines among the other participants. (Tech.eu)

Meat industry group makes case for carbon farming restrictions (New Zealand). Beef & Lamb New Zealand is calling for limits on how much pasture is planted as forest after a study it commissioned found over a third of Kiwi sheep and beef farms sold have become carbon-only titles. (Radio New Zealand)

Rockshield Capital completes plant-based rollup with Belle Pulses, Sapientia acquisitions; forecasts $60 million 2021 revenue (Canada). The Vancouver-based investment firm is creating a vertically integrated “plant-based foods platform” after announcing its intention to refocus on agrifood businesses earlier this year. (Rockshield Capital)

Kroger, Kitchen United partner on in-store ghost kitchens (US). The startup will run ghost kitchens at Kroger-operated grocery superstores, with its first installation set to open at a Los Angeles outlet of Ralphs later this year where it will offer up to six takeout restaurant brands. (The Spoon)