Corteva’s data future, $150m for Ecorobotix, $60m for Wild Bioscience, open-source moment for cultivated meat, GLP-1 reckoning

A flurry of funding activity in Europe this week: Swiss precision spraying firm Ecorobotix bagged $150m, while UK-based Wild Bioscience reeled in $60m to scale its AI-driven, climate-smart crop tech. Meanwhile, Italy’s Maia Ventures launched a $64m fund focused for food & ag startups.

Elsewhere, food policy experts were left reeling after the Trump administration axed the team collecting dietary intake data for NHANES, a move the CSPI slammed as "bewildering" and Prof. Marion Nestle blasted as an "unconscionable loss."

It was a mixed week for alt proteins. South Africa’s Inseco shuttered operations after a series of setbacks, while Tender Food raised fresh capital to expand its spinning tech beyond alt meat, and the GFI turned SCiFi Foods’ demise into an industry win. Meanwhile, Beyond Meat's stock slumped to an all-time low after it finalized its debt exchange deal.

Finally, Louisa Burwood-Taylor unpacked what Corteva’s upcoming split could mean for its AI and data assets, while Elaine Watson explored how the rise of GLP-1 drugs might reshape the food industry.

Have a great week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine...

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Ecorobotix doubles down on AI for precision spraying after $150m raise

The new funding will primarily support acceleration of Ecorobotix' Plant-by-Plant AI software that enables precision spraying of crops. Jennifer MarstonExclusive: Open-source moment for cultivated meat as GFI releases SCiFi Foods’ cell lines to academia

Developing new cell lines takes time and money, two things the cultivated meat space sorely lacks, says The Good Food Institute. Elaine Watson

South African insect ag co Inseco calls it quits amid power cuts, pivots: ‘We ran out of time’

Inseco was hit by “recurring 4-hour power outages that went on for several months,” says cofounder and CEO Simon Hazell. Elaine Watson

Reservoir to bring more deep tech talent to agtech with new investment vehicle

Agtech incubator Reservoir hopes to strengthen the bridge between Silicon Valley deep tech and California’s agtech sector with the launch of a new fund, Reservoir VC. Jennifer Marston

Alpine Bio debuts ‘insanely soluble’ soy protein isolate and iron-rich lactoferrin made in soybeans - AgFunder portfolio co!

Alpine Bio has developed a highly soluble fractionated soy protein isolate with “whey-like characteristics" from non-GMO soy flour. Elaine Watson

Provivi sees major expansion of pheromone-based crop protection via corporate partnerships

The firm has brought down costs such that pheromone-based protection is now a viable option for row crops, says its CEO. Jennifer Marston

Italy's Maia Ventures launches $64m agrifood fund backed by EIF and others

The fund is fully operational and has already made six investments. Jennifer Marston

Drone maker DJI appeals court ruling: We’re not a ‘Chinese military company’

The ruling is the latest in a series of setbacks for DJI, which has been fending off multiple attempts to restrict its US activities as lawmakers have sought to characterize it as a national security threat. Elaine Watson

Tender Food rebrands as Lasso, expands novel spinning tech beyond alt-meat

Lasso is now looking to take the spinning tech beyond the alt meat sector into novel protein- and fiber-packed products with unique textures from fruit snacks to pet food. Elaine Watson

The Week in AgriFoodTech: Wild Bioscience raises $60m, Starship lands $50m, new EU agrifood grants

Plus: crop protection platform Ascribe Bioscience raises $12 million. Jennifer Marston

🎥 Food formulation and precision nutrition in the Ozempic era: ‘There’s an entire secondary market that can come from any breakthrough technology’

GLP-1 drugs are accelerating interest in protein to address the loss of lean muscle mass that can accompany rapid weight loss. Elaine Watson

Corteva’s planned separation raises questions about AI and data split

As the ag giant prepares to separate, questions remain about what happens to years of integrated digital and AI infrastructure investment. Louisa Burwood-Taylor

Rockstart’s Mark Durno on agrifoodtech’s next chapter: ‘Quality deals with defensible valuations’

"If pension funds and institutional funds who have got long term perspectives are not invested in early stage now, there will be no growth stage companies," says Durno. Elaine Watson

🎥 Collaborate or die: Hacking the next generation of healthy foods at MISTA

The MAHA movement is stimulating more conversations about food and human health, but planetary health is not top of shoppers’ priority lists, says Lisa Curtis at Kuli Kuli: “Nobody goes to the store and thinks: What’s the most impactful thing I can buy?” Elaine Watson

Guest article: Why California’s approach to ag autonomy could set global safety and scalability standards

Making autonomy a reality for growers requires partnership between technology innovators, equipment manufacturers, growers, and regulators. By guest contributor Tim Bucher

Agrifoodtech funding down 32% in Q3 vs Q2, but propped up by livestock management deals

Farm management and precision ag software startups led agrifoodtech funding in Q3 2025, thanks largely to a few big deals, including the $100m raise from virtual fencing startup Halter. Jennifer Marston

Evolv launches peptide that engages GLP-1 receptors as new ‘biomimetics’ category emerges

Evolv has launched a dietary supplement featuring baker’s yeast that has been engineered to produce a peptide that engages GLP-1 and GIP receptors. Elaine Watson

Debt deal buys Beyond Meat time, but there’s ‘no strategy to get out of the hole,’ says alt protein investor

Beyond Meat "has a negative net worth, declining sales, and no strategy to get out of the hole," said one alt protein investor. "It’s hard to see how they turn it around at this stage." Elaine Watson