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.
Regenerative organic certification, founder-investor misalignment, cracking the livestock methane reduction code, microbial nitrogen traction
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The big news this week: Is a slow-release bolus the best way to slash methane emissions in pasture raised cattle? Armed with fresh capital, New Zealand-based Ruminant BioTech is gearing up for launch in 2026. Also... - Regenerative organic certification: Does the food industry really need it? - Monetizing methane: Landfill + manure lagoons = fertilizer - Biostimulants: Where is the market going next? And finally, Biotope’s Annick Verween shares what makes a great founder, why building a capital stack is critical, and how startups can navigate the “horrible” funding environment. Happy Thanksgiving! Louisa, Jenn and Elaine. Can a slow-release bolus crack methane reduction for pasture raised cattle? Ruminant BioTech nets $9.5m for product with "high mitigation potential and a long duration that’s easy to adopt at the farm." Elaine Watson Waste methane to fertilizer: Windfall Bio trial shows yield bump “Landfill owners can make more money from their gas and farmers have a cheaper, better, local source of fertilizer," says the firm. Elaine Watson Signs of maturity for biostimulants as market hits $4.7bn: DunhamTrimmer Despite inflation, supply-chain turbulence, and regulatory shifts, biostimulants have shown remarkable resilience. Jennifer Marston AgriFood Signals: Just Climate lands $375m, another mega-raise for eGrocer Picnic Plus: Beyond Meat hit with $39m verdict in Dunkin’ ad trial. Jennifer Marston Why the 'regenerative organic' certification exists—and why the food system needs it A lack of consistent standards leaves room for loose interpretations—and outright greenwashing. Jennifer Marston Can microbes supply half a crop’s nitrogen? Pivot Bio thinks so Farmers using Pivot Bio's microbes can cut fertilizer use by 20-25%, a figure it reckons could rise to 40-50% in five years. Elaine Watson As for the overall funding landscape, says Verween, “I’m a little bit afraid that we haven't hit rock bottom yet.” Elaine Watson
💰 Food companies are reframing net-zero around resilience Businesses know they need to think long‑term if they are to guarantee the predictable supply of ingredients. Nick Hughes 🥼 ‘Protein from air’ co Calysta winds down pilot plants, R&D labs in US and UK The firm has evolved from a startup/R&D co to a manufacturing company, says CEO Alan Shaw. Elaine Watson 🍲 Which technologies will actually help fight at-home food waste? Food waste generation in the holidays is an amplified version of consumer behavior the rest of the year. Jennifer Marston Introducing the Nutritional Value Score: A new frontier in nutrition Substack Trump cuts tariffs on Brazilian ag exports Agri-Pulse People who stop using Mounjaro suffer reversal of health benefits, says study The Guardian Investor dispute brings insect farming start-up before the High Court The Currency RIP ‘climate-smart’ ag. ‘Stewardship’ is here Agri-Pulse Inside DeHaat’s INR 3,000 Cr scale and its long road to profitability - Featuring DeHaat! Inc42 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 SQL database developer analyst Solinftec (remote) General manager, SADC region Aerobotics (Cape Town/Western Cape, South Africa/hybrid) Social media and design intern Phagos (Suresnes, France) GreenLight Biosciences (Rochester, New York, US) Eratani (Jakarta, Indonesia) Associate IT support specialist Eclipse Foundation (remote) Varaha (Gujarat, India) Resurrect Bio (London, UK) ♥️ 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… What happens when a market built on foreign tech is told it must go domestic, almost overnight? Elaine Watson explores what’s next for the US ag drone sector. Elsewhere, as world leaders assemble in Davos at a time many are backsliding on ESG, Jenn Marston asks: What is planetary health, and why does it matter for the global...
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 big news this week… A flurry of carbon removal megadeals from Microsoft, which teamed up with Indigo for soil carbon removal, Varaha for biochar, and Rubicon Carbon for forestry. Elsewhere… a cash injection for biopesticide startup SenseUP, which is tackling the twin challenges of cost and stability in RNAi-based crop protection....
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. The big news this week: New US Dietary Guidelines recommend a near-doubling of the current protein RDA and debut a redesigned food pyramid emphasizing animal-based sources. It's prompted a flurry of debate over how this squares with advice to limit saturated fat. "Highly processed" foods, meanwhile, are off the menu. What this means in...