Technology

[ad_1] Livestock technology is gaining momentum both in terms of investor interest and the types of technologies being developed. From precision biologics to replace antibiotics to AI-powered tools to help get the headcount right to computer vision to do daily health checkups, startups are tackling some of the industry’s biggest pain points. For consumers, welfare […]

[ad_1] The US still dominates investment in the agri-foodtech space, with 44% of all fundings last year taking place in the country. But while deal numbers and investment value actually decreased Stateside compared to 2018, other geographies picked up the slack – with one non-US startup banking 2019’s biggest funding across the sector. According to […]

[ad_1] Pathogens, as is clear to anyone tracking the outbreak of Covid-19 on humans or African Swine Fever on pigs, can inflict disastrously global impacts on public health, as well as wreaking havoc on vital food supply chains. To date, preventing disease outbreaks among livestock has largely involved a “prophylactic” mix of vaccines, antibiotics or […]

[ad_1] When you think about putting a film around something in the food space, you most likely think about  packaging or perhaps one of the growing number of shelf life enhancement startups that coat produce in a special material to stop them going bad. Last year, for example, Sufresca raised a $500,000 seed round for […]

[ad_1] Editor’s Note: Dr Belinda Clarke is director of UK-based Agri-TechE (formerly known as Agri-Tech East), Europe’s largest independent membership business connecting farmers and growers with researchers, technologists, entrepreneurs and investors using innovation to enhance the economic growth, agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability of the agri-food value chain. Prior to her current role, Belinda was […]

[ad_1] Small farmers in Brazil have a new option when it comes to procuring farm inputs thanks to InstaAgro, an online direct sales platform for agricultural inputs, machinery, and parts. Led by family office Rolesis Holdings, the startup has raised $600k in seed funding, receiving its first tranche of $300,000 in 2019 and the second […]

[ad_1] Chemical fungicides are a tried and tested way to get rid of fungal outbreaks like powdery mildew and botrytis; but many of these are coming under scrutiny from consumers and regulators. So Biotalys is working to produce biological alternatives by mimicking the immune response of certain animals, such as llamas. The post Biotalys increases […]

[ad_1] Venture capital investment across all industries dropped in 2019 — around 16%, according to the VenturePulse report — against a backdrop of global uncertainty related to the US-China trade war, Brexit, and a weakening Chinese economy. It was the same for agri-foodtech but not to the same extent, with total funding coming in just 4.8% lower […]

[ad_1] GrainChain, a software platform that develops blockchain and IoT tools for the ag industry, raised $5 million from Overstock.com’s blockchain accelerator, Medici Ventures. This follows its initial investment of $2.5 million in the Texas-based startup in December 2018.  The value of blockchain in food supply chains and agriculture is estimated to be $60.8 million […]

[ad_1] Editor’s Note: Scott Nichols is the founder and principal of Food’s Future. Food’s Future’s mission is to accelerate the expansion of responsible aquaculture. At Food’s Future, Scott works to create a food future filled with a plentiful supply of healthful and delicious fish. He does this by assisting businesses that create aquaculture feeds, raise […]

[ad_1] Israel-based biological crop protection technology startup WeedOUT recently announced the first close of a Series A round led by Syngenta Ventures to tackle weeds that are resistant to chemical herbicides such as glyphosate. If effective, this product could be revolutionary for the bio-crop protection space; it’s understood that efficacy in biological alternatives to herbicides […]

[ad_1] The German chemicals and life science giant Bayer has opened its new automated greenhouse facility in Marana, Arizona. The facility is the first of its kind for the company and the most technically advanced, the company says in a press release sent to AFN. Costing roughly $100 million for a company that has had […]

[ad_1] You may have heard a growing number of agri-foodtech startups talk about how they’re “harnessing nature” to create new products and technologies. It could be they’ve discovered a soil microbe that can help crops grow under tough conditions or uptake nitrogen with more efficacy, or they’ve genetically designed a microbe to secrete a particular […]

[ad_1] Editors Note: Rob Leclerc is a founding partner of AgFunder, where he co-leads the investment team.  It’s hard to know how to respond to the spread of COVID-19. The virus is creating uncertainty across the world, impacting societies and businesses with varying degrees of severity.  I’ve seen a lot of bad advice in the […]

[ad_1] If you are a startup innovating in the horticulture space, there is a new guy on the block named Phil that you really ought to meet. Major horticulture company Priva recently debuted the Priva Horticulture Innovation Lab or Phil for short. Founded in 1959, the Dutch building controls company is one of the biggest […]