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.
CropX’s “M&A machine,” Polybee’s physical AI agents, BigHaat's $1bn ambitions, IntegriCulture is profitable, and a novel approach to egg replacement
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This week, we caught up with “M&A machine” CropX, which is positioning itself as a “consolidator of choice." Elsewhere, Polybee raised capital to scale pollination and yield-forecasting tech delivered via a fleet of tiny drones; CryoBio netted new funds for its novel frost-protection tech; and BigHaat raised $10m to scale its digital-first agri ecosystem. - Profitable picks & shovels: Cell ag provider IntegriCulture is in the black - Carbon removal merger: Enhanced rock weathering companies join forces - What’s that weed? Carbon Robotics unpacks its Large Plant Model - Lactoferrin: PFerrinX tunes iron saturation as market differentiator And finally… what’s the most cost-effective egg replacer? The Bland Co enters the fray armed with new tech to functionalize plant proteins. Have a fantastic week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine. P.S. If you’re an investor in the food & ag space, please take a few minutes to complete our investor survey, which will feature prominently in our upcoming global agrifoodtech investment report. And a big thanks to this week's sponsor: CropX and the case for consolidation in agtech: ‘We are an M&A machine’ Agtech is fragmented, capital-constrained, and littered with point solutions, says CropX, which pitches itself as the "consolidator of choice." Elaine Watson Terradot acquires Eion to build global enhanced rock weathering carbon removal platform - AgFunder portfolio co! Combining Terradot and Eion brings a “more delivery-ready platform” as ERW moves from pilots to large-scale implementation. Elaine Watson Polybee raises $4.3m to automate yield forecasting and pollination with ‘physical AI agents’ "Polybee's ROI is real and repeatable. It's like nothing I've seen before in my 30 years of growing produce," says PM Fresh CEO. Elaine Watson BigHaat unveils global expansion plan, $1bn annual revenue goal as it edges towards profitability BigHaat now sits “among a small group of agtech platforms globally that combine reach, depth of interaction, and transaction capability." Elaine Watson Cell ag ‘picks & shovels’ pioneer IntegriCulture turns a profit- AgFunder portfolio co! IntegriCulture is generating revenue from selling high-value ingredients to the cosmetics market and CRO services to a range of clients. Elaine Watson Frontier AI heads to the farm with Carbon Robotics’ Large Plant Model Carbon Robotics' neural net for agriculture could be more advanced than self-driving cars, says founder Paul Mikesell. Jennifer Marston “The iron saturation level of lactoferrin is a defining factor that dictates the protein’s specific function in the body," says PFerrinX. Elaine Watson The Bland Company raises $2.7m to functionalize plant proteins from ag side streams The startup can transform ag side streams into highly functional proteins that can replace eggs without requiring novel equipment. Elaine Watson Antifreeze for orchards? CryoBio nets $1.3m to develop novel approach to frost protection Tools to tackle frost are “stuck in the past century," says CryoBio, which has a novel solution inspired by antifreeze proteins in animals. Elaine Watson Whole Foods widens the road to regenerative certification with SCI standard The Soil Climate Initiative is the fifth regenerative agriculture certification to land on the shelves of Whole Foods. Jennifer Marston AgriFood Signals: Dicamba reinstated, Bayer gets Stryax green light, SP Ventures closes $50m Plus: Peter McGuinness joins Bel North America. Jennifer Marston Guest article: Food production is the foundation of healthy diets. The system has not yet caught up The food system is designed around throughput, efficiency and short-term margins, not long-term resilience, health and environmental outcomes. By guest contributor Ali Morpeth AgFunderNews exclusive: Sign up (for free) to review and optionally invest in elite agtech venture deals like theseAgFunderNews and Alumni Ventures (AV) are teaming up to give our readers special access to join the AV AgTech Syndicate (for free). Earn $100 in credit to the AV Swag Store, full of high-quality apparel, when you complete sign up.
Must be an accredited investor to join. Join the AV AgTech Syndicate (for free) “If anything, there is more tech innovation in this sector than ever before," says Dave Pierson. Elaine Watson Azaneo bets electroportation can outpace herbicides on weed control - AgFunder portfolio co! Electroportation can kill weeds without using enormous amounts of heat and energy. Jennifer Marston According to the judge, the plaintiffs have not made the case that David’s conduct harmed competition in a relevant market. Elaine Watson DeepSight takes augmented reality to the factory floor Watching a training video is easy. Remembering what to do when you’re standing in front of a machine is harder. Elaine Watson
Opinion | Almost all food is industrial food. That’s a good thing. The New York Times Good news: We saved the bees. Bad news: We saved the wrong ones. The Washington Post Substack Where did Impossible go wrong and what should it do now? The Spoon Colostrum supplement sales are booming, but the science is thin Bloomberg Capital flows in agricultural carbon markets and regenerative agriculture iGrow News UK to cut climate finance to poor countries by a fifth despite promising more help The Guardian
Unique line of plant health products breaks new ground for growers - Featuring Kula Bio! Growing Produce Green Rebel Foods raises $12.5m to expand plant-based meats - Featuring Green Rebel! Asia Business Outlook 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 Senior partnerships manager (trait licensing) Resurrect Bio (London, UK) KeyBank (US) Chartered accountant (fresher) Varaha (Gurgaon, India) Impact & partnerships manager Fashol (Bangladesh/remote) Phagos (Le Mans, France) Atinary (Boston, Mass, US) Protein purification process development specialist Future Fields (Edmonton, Canada) 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, we caught up with “M&A machine” CropX, which is positioning itself as a “consolidator of choice." Elsewhere, Polybee raised capital to scale pollination and yield-forecasting tech delivered via a fleet of tiny drones; CryoBio netted new funds for its novel frost-protection tech; and BigHaat raised $10m to scale its...
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: We catch up with Syngenta Group Ventures MD David Pierson to discuss where exits might come from in 2026, where AI/ML tools that can make a real impact in ag, what raises red flags for him in a pitch, and what he’s learned over the years: “Be very choosy and then practice patience.” Elsewhere, Peter McGuinness steps down at...
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… a convergence of capital, regulatory innovation, and food security concerns is creating a unique opportunity for agrifoodtech in the Middle East and North Africa, say Jenn Marston and Louisa Burwood-Taylor. Elsewhere, with the US ag spray drone landscape set for a shakeup as DJI is pushed out, Elaine Watson catches up with...