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.
Believer Meats auction upset, Breedr bags $27m, TerraBlaster nets $12.5m, CropX continues buying spree, Deere & Reservoir $10m partnership, natural capital, green ammonia breakthrough, Keystone Coop
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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 commercial operations in 2027.
And finally… Australian startup Facet Amtech raised new funds to scale tech it claims can simultaneously split hydrogen from water and reduce nitrogen from air, combining them to form ammonia. This could lower the cost and carbon footprint of nitrogen fertilizer. Have a great week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine According to the receiver, UPSIDE terminated its asset purchase agreement in mid-August. No other qualifying bids have been received. Elaine Watson Livestock management app Breedr plans expansion after $27m raise led by Partech’s impact arm The Series B investment comes on the heels of record lows in cattle herd sizes and rising beef prices for producers and consumers. Jennifer Marston TerraBlaster raises $12.5m for real time NPK soil mapping at tractor speed "We are quickly moving to a future where real-time measurements enable precise soil fertilization," says cofounder and CEO Jorge Heraud. Elaine Watson CropX acquires NIR spectroscopy firm SCIO in biggest deal yet, eyes profitability in 2027 CropX is approaching an ARR of $20 million, says CEO Tomer Tzach, who is eyeing profitability in 2027. Elaine Watson Facet Amtech bets on multifunctional catalyst to disrupt ammonia production If the tech performs at scale, Facet believes it could undercut grey ammonia on cost without relying on carbon pricing. Elaine Watson Exclusive: Plantd converts a construction waste problem into revenue with new biochar line The company moves a step closer to a fully closed-loop manufacturing process for its alt-construction materials. Jennifer Marston Natural capital gaining ‘increasing recognition’ from more institutional investors: report Two in five institutional asset owners expect to make their first natural capital allocation within five years. Jennifer Marston Can smarter surveillance help poultry farms catch bird flu earlier? Tech can help firms "move past reactive disease management to adopt a proactive, risk-informed approach," says AgriNerds. Elaine Watson The 20,000-farmer-strong Keystone Cooperative will bring "the real-world, practical side of the farmer" to the venture-building process. Jennifer Marston Plus: MAASH secures new funding for mycoprotein. Jennifer Marston dsm-firmenich takes Protopia yeast protein to industrial scale, targets fishmeal and whey Protopia could generate a novel revenue stream for Indian ethanol producers who are sitting on significant underutilized capacity. Elaine Watson Pairwise sees ‘dramatic uptick’ in CRISPR licensing as gene editing moves beyond row crops "You don’t have to get multiple licenses. We’re offering one-stop shopping," says COO Ian Miller. Elaine Watson "The signals from a field day are invaluable in vetting teams, and too many investors miss them." By guest contributors Connie Bowen and Hannah Johnson
Solinftec to Launch Ag Robotics’ First Amazon Parts Store as U.S. Solix Acreage Grows 15-Fold - Featuring Solinftec! EIN Presswire
US to temporarily relieve ground beef tariffs in bid to lower prices Food Dive Farmers struggle to get basic services from depleted agriculture dept The New York Times Climate change is devastating the ‘cherry capital of the world’ Civil Eats Why ghost kitchens aren’t dead for some brands Restaurant Dive Robotics funding for 2026 reaches almost £190m as Cambridge leads the way UKTN Feds reduce Colorado river allocations to states that rely on irrigation water Civil Eats 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 Research and Development Department (Team Leader Candidate) IntegriCulture inc. (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) (New Business) Senior Key Account Executive (all genders) Klim (Berlin, Germany) Key Account Manager (Modern Trade) Eratani (Jakarta, Indonesia) Telecallers – Punjabi & Hindi Varaha (Remote) Junior Database Analyst | Home Office Solinftec (Remote) Research Scientist – Product Development & Innovation Chinova Bioworks (Fredericton, NB) ♥️ 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: 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...
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: Offbeast unveiled new tech to make hybrid whole cut meats, and long-range forecasting firm ClimateAi ceased operations, two years after ag intelligence platform Gro Intelligence called it quits. Elsewhere, we delve into FDA's long-awaited proposal to close the so-called GRAS loophole, which experts say is less onerous than...