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- by Elaine WatsonIndia has key advantages as a manufacturing base due to its cost structure, existing manufacturing ecosystem, equipment and supplier base, talent pool, and access to raw materials, says cofounder Akshay Mittal. The post StrainX Bioworks nets $13m to scale biomanufacturing platform: ‘India is going to be the fermentation capital of the world’ appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Ahmed Bin SulayemCompetitive advantage in the next generation of global meat trade belongs to those who solve technical and infrastructural challenges first. The post Guest article: Building the next generation of the global meat trade as a sovereign mandate appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Jennifer MarstonThe two companies hope to make livestock tech 'resemble other critical infrastructure systems' that prioritize data. The post URUS acquires AgriWebb to make livestock tech ‘resemble other critical infrastructure systems’ appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Richard BellisLeaders in food-system applications of AI say the past year has brought whiplash-inducing transformations across the value chain, with plenty still to come. They just disagree somewhat about the pace. The post AI food leaders see sweeping disruptions—at different speeds appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Jennifer MarstonPlus: Steakholder Foods plans US launch. The post AgriFood Signals: More Microsoft carbon deals, a $200m greenhouse in Mexico, rubber from dandelions appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine WatsonDeveloping an optimized production takes time and money, two things most startups lack. Saku Biosciences is on a mission to dramatically speed up and improve this process. The post Saku Biosciences bets on tiny “PicoShells” to solve a big biomanufacturing problem appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Jennifer Marston"Regenerative" does not mean "pesticide-free," according to a new report from Friends of the Earth United States. The post Regenerative is a bridge to organic production, not a substitute for it, says Friends of the Earth appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine WatsonTriple Bio is preparing to move from in-vitro rumen simulations into live-animal studies later this year. The post Exclusive: Triple Bio emerges from stealth with lipid tech designed to boost milk yields and curb methane appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine WatsonNext gen wireless free-floating biosensors could help biomanufacturing firms optimize fermentation and save money, says Capra Biosciences. The post Could ‘chickpea-sized’ biosensors make biomanufacturing more cost competitive? appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- The cracks in chemical farming are getting hard to ignore. These startups are providing alternativesby Jennifer MarstonDeeptech startups are bringing a range of solutions to help, from multiplex gene editing to AI-powered robotic systems. The post The cracks in chemical farming are getting hard to ignore. These startups are providing alternatives appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine WatsonAt many grain elevators, trucks simply arrive and line up, says Grainflow founder Bryan Wattie. “There is no appointment system and no slot reservation." The post GrainFlow targets grain elevator gridlock with AI scheduling system appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine WatsonVirus like particles could pave the way for next-gen RNAi biopesticides with broader applications and lower costs, claims Renaissance Bioscience. The post Renaissance Bioscience unveils yeast-derived VLP platform for next-gen RNAi biopesticides appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Jennifer MarstonVertical farming company Oishii this week announced the first close of a $150 million Series … The post On the heels of fresh funding, Oishii has ‘crossed the chasm’ of unit economics in vertical farming appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Shail KhiyaraThere are more people who want to farm than the current system can absorb. Remove the knowledge barrier and the equation changes. The post Farming knowledge is dying but AI can save it appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine Watson“We believe it is the beginning of a much larger shift for growers across California and beyond," says Castoro Cellars cofounder Niels Udsen. The post Castoro Cellars deploys Saga Robotics’ UV-C bots across 600 organic acres appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Jennifer MarstonPlus: A World Bank-hosted fund opens grant money to bolster food security. The post AgriFood Signals: S2G Investments bags $1bn, Oishii makes first close of Series C, Corteva picks crop protection HQ appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine Watson“While the plant-based meat category declined overall in Spain in 2025, we are reversing the trend and gaining momentum within the market," says cofounder Bernat Añaños. The post Heura Foods hits positive EBITDA in Q1: ‘a turning point for the European plant-based sector’ appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine Watson“Today’s fertilizer price challenges did not begin with the recent conflict in Iran," Eddie Melton at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation told lawmakers. The post US Senate fertilizer hearing: Farmers ‘can’t take much more’ as prices surge appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Elaine WatsonFollowing a joint development agreement with Corteva, Resurrect Bio is seeking to engage more seed companies and breeders as partners. The post Resurrect Bio expands Series A to $10.3m to scale tech helping plants to defend themselves appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Jennifer MarstonSAI created its Regenerating Together program to make global regenerative agriculture standards adaptable at the local level. The post Global frameworks for regenerative agriculture still need local context, says SAI appeared first on AgFunderNews.
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Politico Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The agricultural sector faces uncertainty as Trump’s funding freeze disrupts efforts to transition farms to regenerative practices, leaving farmers in financial distress. Meanwhile, the food and beverage industry sees a contrasting success story with Olipop, a prebiotic soda brand, now valued at $1.85 billion after raising $50 million in its latest funding round. In other news, we’ve wrapped the first season of our podcast in partnership […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Fast Company Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In recent developments, the FDA has modernized its 30-year-old definition of “healthy” for packaged foods, requiring products to include specific amounts from food groups like fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein, while also setting limits on added sugars. This update aims to provide clearer guidance for consumers seeking nutritious options. Meanwhile, despite an increase in global climate finance from 2017 to 2022, funding for the […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: New York Times Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. A growing spotlight is being cast on the role of ultraprocessed foods in America’s health crisis, as public scrutiny intensifies and legal actions emerge. In Pennsylvania, a teenager has filed an unprecedented lawsuit against major industry players like Coca-Cola and Nestlé, alleging their marketing of “addictive” ultraprocessed products is making children ill. Meanwhile, new research indicates that nearly three-quarters of adults in the United […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: New York Times Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In recent high-profile food industry legal decisions, a US federal judge has blocked the proposed $25 billion merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons following the Federal Trade Commission’s push to prevent potential negative impacts on consumers and workers. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a UK court has ruled against Oatly and other plant-based dairy alternatives using the term “milk” on their product labels. The […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Table.Media Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The Atlantic examines how a 1980s federal policy shift spurred the rise of food deserts, leaving communities with limited access to affordable, healthy options. Meanwhile, Politico highlights tensions in the Trump administration as the president’s Agriculture Secretary pick signals a preference for industry priorities over Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. In other news, we’ve wrapped the first season of our podcast in […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Green Queen Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that regenerative business pioneer Carol Sanford has begun her transition out of this world.For those who don’t know Carol, she is a visionary leader, teacher, and author who revolutionized the way we think about business, leadership, and sustainability. As a pioneer of regenerative business practices, she dedicated her life to empowering individuals and organizations to create meaningful change […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Consumed Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The food landscape is at a pivotal moment, with contrasting visions shaping its future. The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, spearheaded by RFK Jr. under Trump’s endorsement, seeks to tackle harmful chemicals, processed foods, and corporate influence in food systems, facing significant industry and political hurdles. Meanwhile, Wonder’s $650 million acquisition of Grubhub signals a technological shift in dining, aiming to create a “super app […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Green Queen Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. A second Trump administration raises concerns about increased deregulation, weakened climate policies, and restrictions on climate-friendly foods, potentially impacting food tech and public health protections. Amid these political shifts, companies like SuperMeat continue advancing sustainable alternatives; SuperMeat’s 100% cultivated chicken has achieved price parity with premium poultry at $11.79 per pound. In other news, we’ve wrapped the first season of our podcast in partnership with […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Snaxshot Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The food industry faces contrasting challenges, from high-profile failures in tech-driven agriculture to policy pressures under a potential Trump administration. Bowery Farming, once valued at $2.3 billion, joins Smallhold in folding despite massive investment, reflecting volatility in the ag-tech sector. Meanwhile, Errol Schweizer’s analysis in The Checkout highlights potential economic and labor strains, including mass deportations and Project 2025’s impacts on workers, underscoring how policies and […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Forbes Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The Boar’s Head deli meat empire is facing significant turmoil as it grapples with multiple crises, including a fatal listeria outbreak, the shutdown of a key plant, and internal conflicts between its founding families. These challenges have cast uncertainty over the billion-dollar brand’s future. Meanwhile, restaurants across the country are navigating their own struggles, as climate change causes supply disruptions and ingredient shortages. Restaurateurs are adapting […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Smoketown Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. Smoketown’s “Unlocking Demand for Regenerative” offers a crowdsourced blueprint to boost consumer demand for regenerative agriculture. Meanwhile, governments are beginning to address the hidden environmental costs of food production. Traditionally, these costs aren’t reflected in food prices, but experimental policies aim to expose the broader environmental damage caused by what we eat, encouraging more sustainable choices for the future. In other news, we’ve wrapped the first […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Smallhold Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. Smallhold’s rise and fall highlights the challenges of scaling tech-driven food ventures, despite VC backing, as it emerges from bankruptcy a shadow of its former self. Bain emphasizes the need for new, faster financing models to build resilient, climate-smart food systems. In other news, we’ve wrapped the first season of our podcast in partnership with AgFunder: New Food Order, a nuanced investigation into the business of […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Green Queen Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The UK has become the first European country to approve lab-grown meat, starting with Meatly, a cultivated chicken pet food product. Meanwhile, innovation in the global food and beverage industry has dramatically declined, with only 35% of new CPG launches in 2024 being genuinely new products, marking the lowest rate of innovation since Mintel began tracking in 1996. In other news, we’ve wrapped the first […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Food Navigator Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to — including the ongoing scramble among emerging brands to secure the best online slots on major e-commerce platforms, where digital shelf placement now drives the same competitive urgency that physical slotting fees once commanded at brick-and-mortar retailers. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In the first half of 2024, agrifoodtech startups experienced a 12.5% year-on-year drop in funding, securing $7 billion across 427 deals. Concurrently, the alt-meat industry is seeing waning […]
- by Phoebe TranImage Credit: Green Queen Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. Denmark is set to introduce the world’s first carbon tax on agriculture later this year, with each cow costing $100 per year, as part of its efforts to meet climate goals. In the United States, a group of lawmakers has reintroduced the REAL Meat Act, aiming to ban federal funding for the cultivated meat industry. These policy moves signal significant shifts in both environmental and […]
- by Michael WolfWhen most people talk about food waste, they’re usually referring to the food we throw into the garbage or food waste bin, whether that’s a wilting head of lettuce or […]
- by Michael WolfHave an idea for a food app but don’t know where to start? Now’s your chance to finally get moving on how to build that app, leveraging AI to bring […]
- by Michael WolfIf you know any folks in their 20s who live on their own, chances are they use low-cost and simple-to-use countertop cooking appliances to whip up dinner. For my son, […]
- by Michael WolfWhen Jake Berber started thinking seriously about the future of coffee, he wasn’t trying to convince people to stop drinking it. He was trying to figure out what happens when […]
- by Michael WolfFood robotics startup Appetronix has acquired fellow Canadian food automation company Cibotica, adding robotic makeline technology to its growing portfolio of autonomous restaurant systems. Appetronix CEO Nipun Sharma told The […]
- by Michael WolfWhen I first met Rajat Bhageria 8 years ago, he quietly let me know that he was also building a food robot company. And for the next half decade, that’s […]
- by Michael WolfHere at The Spoon, we’ve been following pretty much every robot restaurant concept for the past decade, and have watched dozens of company ideas and hundreds of millions of dollars […]
- by Michael WolfEver since Kevin Kelly and Gary Wolf coined the term quantified self nearly two decades ago, a whole industry has grown up around personal activity trackers to count our steps, […]
- by Michael WolfFor much of the past two decades, recipe blogs have been a burgeoning space for independent culinary creators to share their ideas, build a community, and sometimes even make serious […]
- by Michael WolfBack in 2023, when Oobli started pushing out its line of sweet teas and chocolates to gain attention for its precision-fermented sweetener, being at the intersection of protein and a […]
- by Michael WolfLast week, grocery AI startup Afresh announced it is expanding beyond its original focus on the fresh food aisles to manage inventory, ordering, and replenishment across the entire store. The […]
- by Michael WolfWe spend a lot of time talking and writing about how AI will transform food, but often the lens is shaped by those building companies and products in major economies […]
- by Michael WolfAnother smart oven company is saying goodbye. Brava, which makes countertop ovens that cook with light, announced today it would be shutting down. In a post shared on its Facebook […]
- by Michael WolfAt both IFA last fall and this year’s CES in Las Vegas, there was one big trend everyone seemed to be talking about: the rise of humanoid robots from science […]
- by Michael WolfFood companies trying to understand how consumers feel about a new product have relied on surveys, focus groups, and sensory panels for decades. But according to Mario Ubiali, founder and […]
- by Michael WolfNo matter who you talk to in the world of food or ag innovation, if you ask whether they know Rob Trice, chances are the answer will be yes. That’s […]
- by Michael WolfIf you’ve ever stopped for food in a one-exit town along the freeway, there’s a good chance your choices primarily consisted of chips, beef jerky, and days-old sandwiches. But what […]
- by Michael WolfFor most people, the smart home is about convenience: lights that turn on automatically, thermostats that learn schedules, and voice assistants that respond to simple commands. But over the last […]
- by Michael WolfJay Lee and Springhouse want to help us figure out what’s for dinner. Not only that, but they want to do so by keeping an up-to-date inventory of what’s in […]
- by Michael WolfAlmost a decade ago, back in the early days of the Smart Kitchen Summit (SKS) — the event I created about the future of cooking and food — Ashley Colpaart […]
