AgFunderNews reports on the evolution of the global food and agriculture system. By going beyond the headlines, we analyze the people, companies and technologies aiming to improve human and planetary health. Publishing daily, our team of award-winning journalists delivers deeper insight on the growing foodtech, agtech and climate tech industries. A multimedia publication, AgFunderNews is a division of AgFunder, one of the world’s most active agrifoodtech venture capital firms.
Ag biologicals' next big challenge, regen ambitions outpace realities, building self-reliant systems in Africa
Express interest in investing in Fund V. AgFunder is a top 100 VC, according to TIME and Statista. Is your business ready for AI analytics? Find out more here.
This week: Despite steady growth over the last year, there's still a whole lotta work to do educating farmers and investors on biological inputs, according to Dr. Pam Marrone at the recent Salinas Biological Summit in California. Elsewhere, agrifood corporates have no lack of ambition around regenerative agriculture. Now they need the outcomes to match. Plus:
Have a fantastic week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine And a big thanks to this week's sponsor: Report card from California: Farmers and investors need more education on ag biologicals Dr. Pam Marrone highlights "steady progress" for the ag biologicals market despite economic uncertainty. Jennifer Marston "Ambition alone is insufficient" for corporate regen ag strategies, says a new report from investor network FAIRR. Jennifer Marston TurtleTree, Novonesis strike partnership to scale up precision-fermented lactoferrin The deal includes participation from 321Catalyst Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Mitsui Chemicals. Jennifer Marston The wizard, the prophet, and the case for regenerative agriculture Regenerative approaches are not about retreating from technology but using it to amplify living ecosystems. AgFunderNews guest contributor Rob Appleby Meet the 3 forces reshaping consumer palates and food industry profits Food system advisory firm Bramble Intelligence examines the intersection of GLP-1s, AI, and at-home diagnostics. Jennifer Marston Olam Agri on what it takes to build self-reliant food systems across Africa Food security relies on not just agricultural production but also on logistics, policy, and private-sector investment. John Njiraini 🎥 Inside Faraday Earth’s bid to make cheap green ammonia without Haber-Bosch Can a container-sized plasma reactor make green ammonia without Haber-Bosch? Elaine Watson AgriFood Signals: Chipotle’s next agrifood cohort, John Deere settlement, fruit-harvesting robots Plus: FMC's new herbicide. Jennifer Marston The Future Food & Agriculture Leadership Program, developed by INSEAD in partnership with Agrohub, is offering a limited number of partial scholarships for startup leaders. Eligible founders and senior executives can receive 30% off the course fee to join this advanced leadership development track. Designed for leaders already operating at scale, the program focuses on: The path to CEO: The strategic mindset required for top-level succession and enterprise leadership. Strategic scaling: Navigating global market dynamics, digital transformation and sustainable growth. Peer networking: Connecting and exchanging ideas with a high-level international cohort. Applications are open until July 31. To learn more, contact program manager Bogdan Popovich at bp@agrohub.org Responses to President Trump's Executive Order run the gamut, from optimism and applause to warnings about hype and hollow promises. Jennifer Marston Deep innovation, limited capital define Argentina’s agrifoodtech opportunity The country's constraints have produced a generation of startups built around efficiency, resilience, adoption, and global scalability. Bernardo Milesy 🎥 Can non thermal plasma seed treatment move from lab curiosity to broad acre reality? - AgFunder portfolio co! Sylvarum is running seven active pilots and targeting 10 by the end of this year, says cofounder Guadalupe Murga. Elaine Watson
DeHaat’s FreshTrop reinforces farmer trust through ‘Aabhar Yojana’ - Featuring DeHaat!
Peptides are everywhere. Here’s what you need to know MIT Technology Review Cash and brands: the two missing ingredients for regenerative agriculture to scale? Ag Navigator Coffee prices to stay high as volatility lingers, Lavazza says Bloomberg UK farmers embrace regenerative methods after heatwave shock Financial Times The business case for organic agriculture, and why nonprofits must lead Forbes 2026 Global AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2025 Developing Markets AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2025 Global AgriFoodTech Investment Report 10 years in agrifoodtech: an 83-page e-zine Climate Capital: Financing Adaptation Pathways for Smallholder Farmers Future Fields (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) Faeth Therapeutics (remote) Grant & Project Management Intern – Naples 3Bee (Hybrid - Naples, Campania, Italy) [MOC HOA] Aquaculture Technical Support Specialist, Lab Tepbac (Hamlet 2, Moc Hoa Commune, Tay Ninh) Agronomist – Digital Agronomy & Farmer Validation (all genders) Klim (Berlin, Germany) ♥️ our newsletter? Forward to a friend or subscribe here |
AgFunderNews
AgFunderNews reports on the evolution of the global food and agriculture system. By going beyond the headlines, we analyze the people, companies and technologies aiming to improve human and planetary health. Publishing daily, our team of award-winning journalists delivers deeper insight on the growing foodtech, agtech and climate tech industries. A multimedia publication, AgFunderNews is a division of AgFunder, one of the world’s most active agrifoodtech venture capital firms.
Express interest in investing in Fund V. AgFunder is a top 100 VC, according to TIME and Statista. Is your business ready for AI analytics? Find out more here. This week, Elaine caught up with David Protein founder Peter Rahal after his $250m Series B and took a deep dive into ag robotics at Reservoir Farms to learn how startups are starting to build more flexible 'bots, more quickly. Elsewhere, Jenn quizzed PepsiCo on how to support the next generation of farmers. Plus: David Protein: Medici...
Express interest in investing in Fund V. AgFunder is a top 100 VC, according to TIME and Statista. Is your business ready for AI analytics? Find out more here. This week, UPSIDE Foods terminated its $50 million bid for Believer Meats' US cultivated meat facility but says it “remains interested” in the site. Elsewhere, TerraBlaster—a startup using tech first deployed on the Mars rover to determine levels of key nutrients in the soil—raised a $12.5 million seed round as it gears up for...
Express interest in investing in Fund V. AgFunder is a top 100 VC, according to TIME and Statista. Is your business ready for AI analytics? Find out more here. This week: Single-cell protein has attracted growing interest as an efficient way to produce protein, but many startups have struggled to scale. dsm-firmenich is betting that an optimized yeast strain, low-cost feedstocks, and superior yield and productivity can close the gap. Elsewhere, gene editing is rapidly expanding beyond row...