AgFunderNews reports on the evolution of the global food and agriculture system. By going beyond the headlines, we analyse the people, companies and technologies aiming to improve human and planetary health. Publishing daily news, 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 Inc, one of the world’s most active agrifoodtech venture capital firms.
CORRECTION: The Mars 'roadblock' to axing synthetic dyes, learning from Anthropic's Project Vend, inside Little Leaf Farms' greenhouse success
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"Any logical approach to growing a plant would include the sun." So said Little Leaf Farms' founder and CEO Paul Sellew this week in conversation with AgFunderNews, where we discussed everything from greenhouses versus vertical farming to why Little Leaf will continue to ship greens in plastic clamshells—and why that might even be "sustainable." Elsewhere, M&A was active: Vancouver, BC–based Miraterra acquired soil biology startup and (AgFunder portco) Trace Genomics, and chemicals manufacturer ICL scooped up ag biologicals startup Lavie Bio's tech. Our Africa correspondent, John Njiraini, examined how ag marketplace Complete Farmer is helping smallholders generate profits, and AgFunder principal Sofia Ramirez delved into what is and isn't working right now for AI autonomy in food. Onwards. Louisa, Elaine, and Jenn And big thanks to this week's sponsor Globalstar, which is hosting a webinar about advancing agtech with satellite connectivity next month. ❤️ AgFunder and agrifoodtech? The waitlist for AgFunder's Fund V opens soon Miraterra acquires soil DNA startup Trace Genomics: ‘Independent growth wasn’t sustainable’ Trace Genomics said its focus shifted "to finding the right home" for its soil-measurement technology amid market headwinds. Jennifer Marston ICL acquires Lavie Bio's technology platform, its bank of microbes, and its current commercial offerings from Evogene. Jennifer Marston Fresh funding in hand, Complete Farmer eyes expansion of its ag marketplace across Africa Ghana-based Complete Farmer says it has one mission: to transform the livelihoods of farmers by making agriculture profitable. John Njiraini Plus: Indian agtech Eeki raises capital & Micropep gets a new CEO. Jennifer Marston "The greenhouse industry was here beforehand, it's here now, and it'll be here in the future," says Little Leaf Farms' founder Paul Sellew. Jennifer Marston Anthropic’s Project Vend proves AI autonomy is still a ways off—but now’s the time to experiment The results of Anthropic's recent AI experiment aren't a warning to stop; they're a reason to move forward with eyes wide open. Sofia Ramirez The realities of agrifoodtech investment in 2025: ‘Venture capital is not about being patient’ Those seeking agrifoodtech investment dollars must learn to de-risk their offerings while moving three to four times faster than before. Jennifer Marston Webinar: Advancing AgTech with Satellite Connectivity How does satellite connectivity bridge the digital divide in remote areas, enabling data transmission from even the most rugged environments? Join Globalstar, Spotter, and AgFunder at 10am EST on August 20 for an exclusive look at how satellite connectivity can assist with livestock and remote asset tracking, environmental sensing, smart irrigation, and logistics management with a special case study in Central Asia equine management. Find out more and register here! With Terrana Biosciences, Moderna founder Flagship can apply its RNA knowledge to agricultural use cases like pest and disease resistance. Jennifer Marston Food manufacturer Griffith Foods plans to grow its regenerative agriculture footprint to more than 30,000 acres this year. Jennifer Marston Deep tech in regenerative agriculture: essential ally or unnecessary intrusion? For deep tech to truly serve regenerative agriculture, its algorithms must be fed with data that reflects the complexity of natural systems. By Louisa Burwood-Taylor and guest contributor Koen van Seijen Vinod Khosla on how the anti-green agenda could help climate tech The Economist Unilever's food sustainability chief on proving regen ag works Food Navigator Big Food’s snack binge unravels as Americans ditch sweet treats Financial Times Kennedy’s Battle Against Food Dyes Hits a Roadblock: M&M’s NY Times Inside Our Fundraise: Lessons from a Climate VC ESG Today Nanodots enable RNA biopesticides for crops Fresh Plaza London-based Ferovinum downs €468M to expand drinks industry funding platform globally Tech Funding News Is this extreme intermittent fasting the key to a long life? The ‘real magic begins around the 36-hour mark’ between meals, says biochemists Featuring Mimio Health! NY Post RNA crop protection joins the fight against pesticide-resistant bugs Featuring Greenlight Biosciences! Tech Brew AI robots fill in for weed killers and farm hands Featuring Agien! Community Newspaper Group Malaysia’s Largest Coffee Chain Launches Vegan Menu in Partnership With Green Rebel Featuring Green Rebel! Vegconomist 2025 Developing Markets AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2025 Global AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2024 Asia Pacific AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2024 Africa AgriFoodTech Investment Report 10 years in agrifoodtech: our exclusive 83-page e-zine! 2024 India AgriFoodTech Investment Report Climate Capital: Financing Adaptation Pathways for Smallholder Farmers Fermentation Process Engineer Kula Bio (Natick, MA) Modern Synthesis (London, UK) MycoWorks (Barcelona, Spain) Software Engineer (Data team) phagos (Suresnes, France) Junior Office & People Admin Klim (Berlin, Germany) Hoxton Farms (United Kingdom) GreenLight Biosciences (Rochester, New York, USA) Aerobotics (Cape Town, South Africa) ♥️ 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 analyse the people, companies and technologies aiming to improve human and planetary health. Publishing daily news, 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 Inc, one of the world’s most active agrifoodtech venture capital firms.
It's been another big week for ag robotics, with fresh funds for autonomous mushroom harvester 4AG Robotics and TRIC Robotics, which has a fleet of 'bots armed with UV-C light and bug vacuums roaming California's strawberry fields. On a more depressing note, UK-based vertical farmer Vertical Future was put up for sale on an insolvency marketplace, while Belgian startup FlyBlast, which engineers black soldier flies to produce high-value proteins, filed for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, with new data...
The big news this week? Two high-profile alt protein startups have called it quits, with Planetarians blaming a "mismatch between the capital intensity required to scale breakthrough manufacturing innovation and the current investor appetite for foodtech" and NovoNutrients blaming the "shifting investment climate.” Both hope their tech finds a new home, however. Planetarians founder Aleh Manchuliantsau insists that "We’re specifically seeking acquirers who will actively utilize and develop...
Everyone has a pet theory about what's gone wrong for alt meat. It's too processed, too expensive, too different from meat... or not different enough. But we may be missing the elephant in the room, claims ex-TiNDLE exec Andre Menezes. “The fundamental issue is that there is no real underlying consumer demand to shift away from meat. If the price is right and consumers like the product, they don’t care if they are destroying the Earth.” So what does this mean for TiNDLE and the broader alt...