The big news this week? Two high-profile alt protein startups have called it quits, with Planetarians blaming a "mismatch between the capital intensity required to scale breakthrough manufacturing innovation and the current investor appetite for foodtech" and NovoNutrients blaming the "shifting investment climate.” Both hope their tech finds a new home, however. Planetarians founder Aleh Manchuliantsau insists that "We’re specifically seeking acquirers who will actively utilize and develop...
8 days ago • 6 min read
Everyone has a pet theory about what's gone wrong for alt meat. It's too processed, too expensive, too different from meat... or not different enough. But we may be missing the elephant in the room, claims ex-TiNDLE exec Andre Menezes. “The fundamental issue is that there is no real underlying consumer demand to shift away from meat. If the price is right and consumers like the product, they don’t care if they are destroying the Earth.” So what does this mean for TiNDLE and the broader alt...
15 days ago • 5 min read
"Any logical approach to growing a plant would include the sun." So said Little Leaf Farms' founder and CEO Paul Sellew this week in conversation with AgFunderNews, where we discussed everything from greenhouses versus vertical farming to why Little Leaf will continue to ship greens in plastic clamshells—and why that might even be "sustainable." Elsewhere, M&A was active: Vancouver, BC–based Miraterra acquired soil biology startup and (AgFunder portco) Trace Genomics, and chemicals...
22 days ago • 3 min read
"Any logical approach to growing a plant would include the sun." So said Little Leaf Farms' founder and CEO Paul Sellew this week in conversation with AgFunderNews, where we discussed everything from greenhouses versus vertical farming to why Little Leaf will continue to ship greens in plastic clamshells—and why that might even be "sustainable." Elsewhere, M&A was active: Vancouver, BC–based Miraterra acquired soil biology startup (and AgFunder portco) Trace Genomics, and chemicals...
23 days ago • 3 min read
The bad-but-predictable news: Agrifoodtech VC funding is down yet again, according to preliminary data just in from AFN parent company AgFunder. The good news? "These are typical bottom signals, indicating real opportunities," say investors we spoke to this week. So take heart, startups. Just be sure to focus on capital efficiency while you're at it. One field still getting both attention and money is life sciences, and this week, Moderna founder Flagship Pioneering unveiled its latest...
30 days ago • 3 min read
It's been an action-packed week in agrifoodtech, with a giant raise from New Zealand-based livestock management startup Halter, two high profile legal disputes spanning laser weeding and novel fats generating lively debate on social media, and new data on ag biologicals from the Salinas Biologicals Summit. Elsewhere, Shiru invited brands to harness its AI-powered protein discovery platform to ride the GLP-1 wave, Arkeon's CEO revealed why the founders threw in the towel, Koppie emerged from...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
The big news this week: Yasir Abdul, the exec behind ‘As seen on TV’ infomercial company InvenTel, emerged as the mystery prospective buyer of struggling alt meat business Meati. There was also a setback for plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit vs David Protein, as the judge said the plaintiffs had "not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits." Elsewhere, Revo Foods and Juicy Marbles pooled resources to launch mycoprotein-based 'Kinda Cod,' Rival Foods raised $11.6m to scale shear...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
The big news this week: Defendants in a high-profile lawsuit alleging David Protein acquired alt-fat maker Epogee to “exclude competitors and create an artificial monopoly” have hit back in court papers filed today. “What plaintiffs are trying to dress up as an antitrust... suit is nothing but a case of bad business planning” says David. "They brought it on themselves." Elsewhere, Israeli startup Lembas emerged from stealth promising to help Big Food ride the GLP-1 wave and Amplifye debuted...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
The big news this week: Just days after announcing a whopping $75m Series A round and acquiring a supplier of one of its key ingredients (novel fat EPG), protein bar brand David has been hit with a lawsuit from brands using EPG who say they can no longer secure supplies. Meanwhile, Arkeon, one of a flurry of startups in the gas fermentation space making 'protein from air,' has filed for insolvency. Elsewhere, Wildtype secured a green light from the FDA to sell its cultivated salmon and a new...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read