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.
Meati’s assets acquired for a steal, AgFunder's thesis, Spearhead Bio tackles CRISPR’s key challenges, Robigo Bio nets new funds, Formo gears up for US debut, Culta on speed breeding, plant cell culture
Express interest in investing in Fund V. AgFunder is a top 100 VC, according to TIME and Statista. Read about our thesis here.
This week: Plant cell culture startup Ayana Bio and India’s Zenfold Sustainable Technologies have snapped up equipment from defunct alt protein firm Meati Foods giving the pair 300,000-L of fermentation capacity for just $75k. Elsewhere, Spearhead Bio bagged funds to advance a gene engineering platform designed to address one of CRISPR’s key challenges, and Robigo Bio secured fresh capital to accelerate the commercial launch of its crop biologicals. Plus:
And finally… How does AgFunder approach the market? By looking for technologies tackling the fundamental constraints holding agrifood back. AgFunder’s investment team lays out its thesis. Have a great week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine These constraints are holding agrifood back. AgFunder is investing to solve them By backing constraints instead of applications, AgFunder bets on frontier and deeptech earlier than it may appear in agrifood, making it a target market rather than an afterthought. AgFunder "The opportunity to acquire this fermentation equipment, at this cost, is a game changer for Ayana Bio," says CEO Frank Jaksch. Elaine Watson Exclusive: Spearhead Bio lands oversubscribed seed round for faster, more precise gene editing tech The tech can save seed breeders "years of development time and millions of dollars in crop improvement," claims the firm. Jennifer Marston Formo is preparing to scale production to a couple of tons a month with co-manufacturers next year as it prepares to make its US debut. Elaine Watson Robigo Bio eyes commercialization for its ag biologicals with Leaps by Bayer investment The company claims its products can match or outperform synthetic chemistries. Jennifer Marston Can Culta take Japan’s premium fruit model global? Culta claims to be “building the world’s fastest AI-based non-GMO and non-gene-edited crop breeding platform.” Elaine Watson PhytoFoundry targets cosmetics with plant cell culture platform shaped by past lessons "It might sound crazy to get back into game but through the journey at Green Bioactives I found out what needs to be done to succeed.” Elaine Watson No, imaging won’t help farmers control plant disease Farmers need a way to detect the “invisible” indicators of disease before symptoms are visible, so they can optimize treatments. By guest contributors Kevin Fries, PhD and Christopher Seifert, PhD Digital ag platform xFarm expands to sugarcane, biofuels with Sibium Analytics acquisition The deal is part of xFarm's long-term strategy to build what it calls "the data layer of global agriculture." Jennifer Marston Plus: Vylor confirms "breakthrough" wheat. Jennifer Marston From 2030 commitments to credible farm-level proof As 2030 targets approach, companies need more than records of practices adopted. Doktar empowers companies to connect corporate sustainability goals with field-level evidence, combining agronomy, farmer engagement and digital MRV to turn interventions into measurable, traceable outcomes. In ovo sexing hits 40% penetration in the EU. What will it take to crack the US? Can in ovo sexing gain meaningful traction in the US and other markets where there is no legislative pressure to act? Elaine Watson NoFence’s new herd management platform points to virtual fencing’s next chapter NoFence's cattle management platform includes offers ranchers a continuous, automated picture of what's happening on the land. Jennifer Marston 🎥 Carbon Robotics: $100m+ revenue, new machine and a path to IPO We caught up with Carbon Robotics founder Paul Mikesell to discuss the economics of laser weeding and the firm's path toward an IPO. Elaine Watson
CommonGround acquired by Farmers National Company to help landowners and farmers navigate a changing agricultural economy - Featuring CommonGround! Morningstar
Farm costs, debts have surged since the 2018 farm bill Ag Daily Silicon Valley finally moved onto the farm. Sixty years of failure suggest why that matters The Foundation for American Innovation Can Big Food make good on promises of regenerative agriculture? Civil Eats Moonshot capitalism: AI rewrites the venture capital playbook Financial Times Committee advances farm bill with McConnell's vote Spectrum News Trump’s beef plans keep cattle experts concerned 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 Production planning and inventory control Eratani (Indramayu, Indonesia) Solinftec (Canada) Varaha (Gurgaon, India) Klim (Berlin, Germany) Semiconductor process technician Uviquity (Raleigh Durham, Chapel Hill Area, North Carolina, US) Atinary Technologies (Boston, Mass, US) Facilities and maintenance technician Future Fields (Edmonton, Canada) ♥️ 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: If lack of fit-for-purpose manufacturing capacity was a critical bottleneck for next-gen precision fermented ingredients, why is Liberation Bio struggling to raise the funds to get its Indiana facility over the finish line? Elsewhere, robotics hit the headlines as Kodama raised $7m to scale physical AI for forestry,...
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: With AI and digital tools more prevalent than ever in ag, it's critical to take action on cybersecurity threats already here, says Jenn. Elsewhere, 10 months after the FCC’s bombshell decision to ban sales of new models of foreign made drones in the US, the US ag spray drone market is “very much in flux," experts tell...
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: What went wrong at Kenyan ag marketplace Twiga? Poor execution, high operating costs, or a flawed business model? Elsewhere, with the rise of GLP-1s, will food companies begin to compete on a “nutrition per calorie” basis? Plus: Regen organic: Can it make crops ‘measurably more nutritious?' Ag robotics: Picker's Dr...