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.
Cultivated meat deep dive, Liberation Bioindustries site paused as firm seeks fresh fund, insect ag 'contagion,' monetizing ecology
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This week: It’s fair to say that cultivated meat is now well past its honeymoon period after a string of high-profile failures. But is there light at the end of the tunnel, or is one of agrifoodtech’s biggest moonshots destined for the dustbin of history before it’s even out of the starting blocks? Elsewhere, Liberation Bioindustries has paused construction at its US biomanufacturing facility as it seeks fresh capital to get over the finish line. Plus:
And finally… Goterra's voluntary administration has prompted a flurry of post-mortems that are contributing to a “contagion” that is destroying confidence in the whole sector, claims founder Olympia Yarger. Have a fantastic week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine And a big thanks to this week's sponsor: Cultivated meat deep dive: After the crash, who’s still standing? Cultivated meat is well past its honeymoon period after a string of high-profile failures. But is there light at the end of the tunnel? Elaine Watson The project is too capital intensive for classic VC but not yet generating revenues required for traditional project finance, says the firm. Elaine Watson Goterra administrator seeks buyer as founder warns of insect ag sector ‘contagion’ Goterra had long-term offtake agreements, but lacked the capital required to convert contracted demand into realized revenue, says its CEO. Elaine Watson The bioeconomy runs on sugar. Solarferm wants to run it on gas If the bioeconomy is to scale, it needs a cheaper, more consistent source of fermentable sugars, says New Zealand startup Solarferm. Elaine Watson 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 Inside new company Landseed’s goal to ‘create a financial market’ for conservation projects Landseed aims to make the full value of nature "visible, verifiable and financially useful." Jennifer Marston Why smarter water management is critical for farmer returns Engage Crop Solutions' recent US expansion gives growers a new tool for extracting more value out of water applied to their crops. Sponsored post Meet the leaders shaping the future of food Connect with the people shaping what’s next in food – from research and product development to investment and commercialization – at IFT FIRST, where ideas evolve into scalable, real-world solutions. Find out more and register here. Amyris CEO on the post-bankruptcy re-boot: ‘We’re a drastically different company’ Two years after emerging from bankruptcy, Amyris is not yet profitable, but has slashed its burn rate, says CEO Kathy Fortmann. Elaine Watson French alt meat whole cut specialist SWAP Food ceases operations The market slowdown, company financial structure, and weak investor sentiment "were hurdles we could not overcome," says CEO. Elaine Watson AI is everywhere in CPG R&D. But is it moving the needle? Turing Labs surveys the biggest players "The industry doesn't lack concepts or ideas. It needs a new operating model to win in the market," says Manmit Shrimali. Elaine Watson
Mondelēz International to develop high-protein snacks with Alpine Bio’s whey alternative - Featuring Alpine Bio! Pulse 2.0 Tropic acquires leading global plant propagation business Rahan Meristem - Featuring Tropic! Fresh Fruit Portal
For cash-strapped farmers, deal to end Iran fighting comes too late Washington Post Why have alt meats struggled where kerosene, cars, and insulin succeeded? Substack The Atlantic Farm production costs will hit record highs in 2027, USDA says AgDaily FMC boss says the company could be sold by July Inquirer I build robots that restore ecosystems. here’s why ai is being used for the opposite Inc NEW! 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 Eratani (West-, East-, and Central Java, South Sulawesi, Indonesia) Plantation specialist/horticulturalist, Bangladesh Varaha (remote) People operations specialist Klim (Berlin, Germany) IoT hardware engineer and lab manager 3Bee (Lurate Caccivio, Como, Italy) Aquaculture technical support specialist Tepbac (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) Poultry sales and technical rep phagos (remote) ♥️ 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: 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...
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 ZBiotics founder Zack Abbott on the latest in GM probiotics and Jenn spoke to Stenon as the firm secured $20.5m to measure plant-available nitrogen directly in the field. Elsewhere, farmers, startups, and others weighed in on the good, bad, and "hollow" aspects of the newly signed executive order to...
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: Green ammonia startup Faraday Earth reckons its system could put it within striking distance of fossil fuel-derived gray ammonia, the backbone of most nitrogen-based fertilizers. Elsewhere, mixed fortunes in the whole cut alt meat space: French startup SWAP Food called it quits but Israel's Chunk Foods is eyeing...