Whole Foods Archives | Food+Tech Connect https://foodtechconnect.com News, trends & community for food and food tech startups. Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:45:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 Trademark Bullies, Predicting the Next 43 Years in Food & Ag + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2024/04/16/trademark-bullies-predicting-the-next-43-years-in-food-ag-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2024/04/16/trademark-bullies-predicting-the-next-43-years-in-food-ag-more/#respond Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:45:53 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=35617 Image 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. In recent news, the internet’s uproar over David Chang’s legal actions towards brands has highlighted a prevailing sentiment against the commercialization of culture. Despite efforts to capitalize on trends, like his Momofuku chili crunch, public opinion remains unimpressed. Meanwhile, in the world of retail, investors and marketers are turning their attention to the produce aisle, as fruits and vegetables become the latest target for branding initiatives, signaling a shift in focus within the agriculture industry. 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 tackling our climate and social crises through food and agriculture. Read all about why we launched the podcast, and be sure to subscribe and share! Our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources to produce. Make a one time or monthly contribution to help us keep it going. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every bit helps and shows us that you value our work.    1. “Momo-fuk-u” Takes It Back – Snaxshot It was incredible to see the internet collectively roast David Chang when The Guardian broke the news about him sending cease and desists to brands. No matter how hard they try to commercialize culture, the public consensus seems to be their chili crunch is mid anyways.   2. Cool Comes to the Humble Produce Aisle – WSJ Fruits and vegetables are the latest section of the supermarket to get a branding push as investors and marketers target the agriculture industry.   3. Perfect Day Sued By Manufacturing Partner for Fraud and Breach of Contract. Olon Claims $112M in Unpaid Bills, $32M in Damages – AFN Perfect Day has been sued by contract manufacturing partner Olon for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment.   4. Food Inflation Risks Are Brewing Across the Supermarket Again – Bloomberg As cocoa steals the spotlight with its red-hot rally, prices of other major crops are also ticking up — reviving the risk of food inflation that has remained stubbornly high in parts of the world.   5. On “Trademark Bullies” – Jing Theory Emerging food brands by founders of color challenge market norms. Jing shares her thoughts and hopes on operating from a place of empathy, rather than division.   6. Netherlands: Mosa Meat Secures €40M in Funding to Expand Production and Speed Up Launch of Cultivated Meat – Green Queen The company will use the funds to further scale up its production processes, following the May 2023 opening of what it claims is currently the world’s largest cultivated meat facility in Maastricht, Netherlands.   7. Zooming in on European Startups in the FoodTech 500 (Part 1) – Forward Fooding AgriFoodTech funding in Europe may have decreased, but Europe’s total share of global investments has increased; going from 23% in 2021 to 36% in 2023.   8. Why Regenerative Farming Needs Organic Certification-and Vice Versa – Forbes A fast growing food trend is combining the popularity of organic certification with the social and climate benefits of regenerative agriculture.   8. Harvesting Crops, or Harvesting Insurance? How the USDA’s Crop Insurance Policy Is Preventing a Regenerative Transition – Regenerative Food Systems Investment The restrictive nature of current crop insurance programs presents an opportunity for the development of regenerative agriculture insurance, incentivizing sustainable farming practices while mitigating risks for producers.  

The post Trademark Bullies, Predicting the Next 43 Years in Food & Ag + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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Image 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.

In recent news, the internet’s uproar over David Chang’s legal actions towards brands has highlighted a prevailing sentiment against the commercialization of culture. Despite efforts to capitalize on trends, like his Momofuku chili crunch, public opinion remains unimpressed. Meanwhile, in the world of retail, investors and marketers are turning their attention to the produce aisle, as fruits and vegetables become the latest target for branding initiatives, signaling a shift in focus within the agriculture industry.

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 tackling our climate and social crises through food and agriculture. Read all about why we launched the podcast, and be sure to subscribe and share!

Our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources to produce. Make a one time or monthly contribution to help us keep it going. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. 

 

1. “Momo-fuk-u” Takes It Back – Snaxshot

It was incredible to see the internet collectively roast David Chang when The Guardian broke the news about him sending cease and desists to brands. No matter how hard they try to commercialize culture, the public consensus seems to be their chili crunch is mid anyways.

 

2. Cool Comes to the Humble Produce Aisle – WSJ

Fruits and vegetables are the latest section of the supermarket to get a branding push as investors and marketers target the agriculture industry.

 

3. Perfect Day Sued By Manufacturing Partner for Fraud and Breach of Contract. Olon Claims $112M in Unpaid Bills, $32M in Damages – AFN

Perfect Day has been sued by contract manufacturing partner Olon for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment.

 

4. Food Inflation Risks Are Brewing Across the Supermarket Again – Bloomberg

As cocoa steals the spotlight with its red-hot rally, prices of other major crops are also ticking up — reviving the risk of food inflation that has remained stubbornly high in parts of the world.

 

5. On “Trademark Bullies” – Jing Theory

Emerging food brands by founders of color challenge market norms. Jing shares her thoughts and hopes on operating from a place of empathy, rather than division.

 

6. Netherlands: Mosa Meat Secures €40M in Funding to Expand Production and Speed Up Launch of Cultivated Meat – Green Queen

The company will use the funds to further scale up its production processes, following the May 2023 opening of what it claims is currently the world’s largest cultivated meat facility in Maastricht, Netherlands.

 

7. Zooming in on European Startups in the FoodTech 500 (Part 1) – Forward Fooding

AgriFoodTech funding in Europe may have decreased, but Europe’s total share of global investments has increased; going from 23% in 2021 to 36% in 2023.

 

8. Why Regenerative Farming Needs Organic Certification-and Vice Versa – Forbes

A fast growing food trend is combining the popularity of organic certification with the social and climate benefits of regenerative agriculture.

 

8. Harvesting Crops, or Harvesting Insurance? How the USDA’s Crop Insurance Policy Is Preventing a Regenerative Transition – Regenerative Food Systems Investment

The restrictive nature of current crop insurance programs presents an opportunity for the development of regenerative agriculture insurance, incentivizing sustainable farming practices while mitigating risks for producers.

 

The post Trademark Bullies, Predicting the Next 43 Years in Food & Ag + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2024/04/16/trademark-bullies-predicting-the-next-43-years-in-food-ag-more/feed/ 0 The Struggle to Scale Cultivated Meat, New Way to Measure the Climate Impact of Food + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2023/04/24/the-struggle-to-scale-cultivated-meat-new-way-to-measure-the-climate-impact-of-food-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2023/04/24/the-struggle-to-scale-cultivated-meat-new-way-to-measure-the-climate-impact-of-food-more/#respond Mon, 24 Apr 2023 20:56:32 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=35370 Image Credit: Wall Street Journal 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 Wall Street Journal took an inside look into the struggle to scale cultivated meat following the FDA’s approval of Upside Meat’s cultivated chicken. The Economist has introduced a new way to measure the climate impact of food using its ‘banana index,’ which compares popular foodstuffs on weight, calories, and protein to the banana, a fruit of middling climate impact and nutritional value. 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 tackling our climate and social crises through food and agriculture. Read all about why we launched the podcast, and be sure to subscribe and share! Our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources to produce. Make a one time or monthly contribution to help us keep it going. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every bit helps and shows us that you value our work.    1. Inside the Struggle to Make Lab-Grown Meat – WSJ Companies in the emerging field have long been able to grow small amounts of meat from cells, but producing greater volumes at low cost is proving much more difficult.   2. A Different Way to Measure the Climate Impact of Food – The Economist To make the relative carbon impact of foods easier to digest, The Economist proposes a banana index, which compares popular foodstuffs on weight, calories and protein to the banana, a fruit of middling climate impact and nutritional value.   3. How the World Is Spending $1.1T on Climate Technology – Bloomberg Decarbonized food, futuristic materials and next-generation fuels are now portfolio targets for venture capitalists.   4. Whole Foods Plans Corporate Job Cuts, Shuffles Structure – WSJ The grocer is planning to cut several hundred corporate jobs, as it reorganizes its structure to simplify operations.   5. New Data Shows US Food Waste Is Getting Worse – Bloomberg The US is generating more surplus food than it was five years ago, both in total and per capita.   6. Upside Foods Announces Cultivated Chicken Sandwiches, Sausage and Dumplings As It Waits for Regulatory Approval – Green Queen The startup has announced a new range of cultivated ground meat products and a breakthrough in chicken cell lines.   7. Israel: Aleph Farms Launches Cultivated Petit Steak Under Its New ‘Aleph Cuts’ Label – Green Queen The Petit Steak, grown from non-modified cells of a premium Angus cow, is expected to launch in Singapore and Israel later this year pending regulatory approval.   8. As Amazon Looks to Invest in Other Grocery Formats, the Future of Whole Foods Remains Unclear – ModernRetail In its 2022 annual shareholder letter, Amazon hinted at its plans to invest in a mass grocery store model – but, suggested that its Whole Foods chain does not serve that need.   9. Circular Food Systems Are the Answer: Findings From the First Major Study on Their Potential – Green Queen A new study suggests that we don’t need to wait for techno-based solutions to make our food systems more sustainable.   10. New York Bill Would Mandate Reusable Food Takeout Boxes. The Logistics Could Be Messy. – WSJ Some establishments in the city would be required to offer reusable, returnable food packaging and utensils under proposed legislation. They would also have to figure out how to get them back.

The post The Struggle to Scale Cultivated Meat, New Way to Measure the Climate Impact of Food + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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Image Credit: Wall Street Journal

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 Wall Street Journal took an inside look into the struggle to scale cultivated meat following the FDA’s approval of Upside Meat’s cultivated chicken. The Economist has introduced a new way to measure the climate impact of food using its ‘banana index,’ which compares popular foodstuffs on weight, calories, and protein to the banana, a fruit of middling climate impact and nutritional value.

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 tackling our climate and social crises through food and agriculture. Read all about why we launched the podcast, and be sure to subscribe and share!

Our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources to produce. Make a one time or monthly contribution to help us keep it going. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. 

 

1. Inside the Struggle to Make Lab-Grown Meat – WSJ

Companies in the emerging field have long been able to grow small amounts of meat from cells, but producing greater volumes at low cost is proving much more difficult.

 

2. A Different Way to Measure the Climate Impact of Food – The Economist

To make the relative carbon impact of foods easier to digest, The Economist proposes a banana index, which compares popular foodstuffs on weight, calories and protein to the banana, a fruit of middling climate impact and nutritional value.

 

3. How the World Is Spending $1.1T on Climate Technology – Bloomberg

Decarbonized food, futuristic materials and next-generation fuels are now portfolio targets for venture capitalists.

 

4. Whole Foods Plans Corporate Job Cuts, Shuffles Structure – WSJ

The grocer is planning to cut several hundred corporate jobs, as it reorganizes its structure to simplify operations.

 

5. New Data Shows US Food Waste Is Getting Worse – Bloomberg

The US is generating more surplus food than it was five years ago, both in total and per capita.

 

6. Upside Foods Announces Cultivated Chicken Sandwiches, Sausage and Dumplings As It Waits for Regulatory Approval – Green Queen

The startup has announced a new range of cultivated ground meat products and a breakthrough in chicken cell lines.

 

7. Israel: Aleph Farms Launches Cultivated Petit Steak Under Its New ‘Aleph Cuts’ Label – Green Queen

The Petit Steak, grown from non-modified cells of a premium Angus cow, is expected to launch in Singapore and Israel later this year pending regulatory approval.

 

8. As Amazon Looks to Invest in Other Grocery Formats, the Future of Whole Foods Remains Unclear – ModernRetail

In its 2022 annual shareholder letter, Amazon hinted at its plans to invest in a mass grocery store model – but, suggested that its Whole Foods chain does not serve that need.

 

9. Circular Food Systems Are the Answer: Findings From the First Major Study on Their Potential – Green Queen

A new study suggests that we don’t need to wait for techno-based solutions to make our food systems more sustainable.

 

10. New York Bill Would Mandate Reusable Food Takeout Boxes. The Logistics Could Be Messy. – WSJ

Some establishments in the city would be required to offer reusable, returnable food packaging and utensils under proposed legislation. They would also have to figure out how to get them back.

The post The Struggle to Scale Cultivated Meat, New Way to Measure the Climate Impact of Food + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2023/04/24/the-struggle-to-scale-cultivated-meat-new-way-to-measure-the-climate-impact-of-food-more/feed/ 0 Amazon Opens First Physical Grocery Store, $20B in Losses Expected for Meat Industry in 2020 + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/08/27/amazon-opens-first-physical-grocery-store-20b-in-losses-expected-for-meat-industry-in-2020-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/08/27/amazon-opens-first-physical-grocery-store-20b-in-losses-expected-for-meat-industry-in-2020-more/#respond Thu, 27 Aug 2020 20:52:38 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33521 Source: What Now Los Angeles 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. Amazon has opened its first brick-and-mortar grocery store called Fresh in Woodland Hills, California. The supermarket combines elements of micro-fulfillment, contactless features, a curated assortment of premium and conventional products, and highly personalized service into one store. As Covid-19 upends the industrial meat supply chain, the industry is estimated to face losses of more than $20b in 2020. Meanwhile, demand for vegan meat has soared, with sales up by 264% in the 9weeks ended May 2. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat were slammed in an open letter from Lightlife Foods this week, positioning itself as a “real food company,” with products “developed in a kitchen, not a lab.” Last but not least, wildfires across Northern California continue to devastate farms, with little containment in sight. We need your support as well. Producing our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources, and we need to change our business model to keep it going. To date, we’ve funded our work through our events, sponsorships and consulting, which are all on hold due to the pandemic. If you find our newsletter to be a valuable resource, we hope you will consider making a one time or monthly contribution, so we can keep the newsletter going and free for those who can not afford a subscription fee. Whether it’s $5 or $500 every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. Not able to contribute right now? You can help by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues.    Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.   1. Inside Amazon’s New Fresh Grocery Banner – Progressive Grocer Amazon has opened its first stand-alone supermarket banner in Woodland Hills, California, called Fresh.   2. Our Meatless Future: How The $2.7T Global Meat Market Gets Disrupted – CB Insights As Covid-19 spreads across the globe, the meat supply chain is estimated to face losses of more than $20b in 2020. Meanwhile, demand for vegan meat soared, with sales up by 264% in the 9weeks ended May 2.   3. Wildfires Across Northern California Devastate Farmers and Farmland – Civil Eats Dozens of lightning-sparked wildfires have hit some of the Bay Area’s most beloved farming communities, destroying farm structures and razing crops, with little containment in sight.   4. Impossible Foods Hits Back at ‘Disingenuous, Desperate Disinformation Campaign’ As Lightlife Attacks ‘Hyperprocessed’ Ingredients – Food Navigator In an open letter, Lightlife Foods has attempted to distinguish itself from ‘food tech’ rivals in the plant-based meat arena by positioning itself as a “real food company,” with products “developed in a kitchen, not a lab.”   5. Amazon Go’s Cashierless Tech May Come to Whole Foods As Soon As Next Year – The Verge Amazon may start implementing the tech in Whole Foods sometime during the second quarter of 2021.   6. Behind the Cancellation of James Beard Awards, Worries About Chefs’ Behavior and No Black Winners – New York Times The decision to put the honors, the Oscars of American restaurants, on hiatus came amid concerns about a lack of diversity and allegations against some nominees.   7. Craft Spirits Revenue Plunges $700M As Pandemic Curtails On-Premise Operations – Food Dive Craft distillers lost 41% of their sales due to the pandemic. In addition, 4.6m people that make up nearly 31% of the industry’s employee base have been furloughed.   8. How the UK Restarted Its Restaurant Industry: Paying Half the Bill – New York Times For the month of August, the government has been paying for a 50% discount on all meals eaten in restaurants, pubs or cafes, up to $13 per person. In the first three weeks, 64m meals cost the government $441m.   9. Heat, Smoke and Covid Are Battering the Workers Who Feed America – New York Times Climate change is piling on to the hazards already faced by California farm laborers, some of the country’s poorest, most neglected workers.   10. DoorDash Is Planning a Traditional IPO in Fourth Quarter – Bloomberg The company is taking steps to go public in November or December.   11. Drizly Raises $50M As E-Commerce Alcohol Delivery Surges – Food Dive Avenir led the round. The alcohol delivery platform said it has grown more than 350% compared to 2019. Funding will be used for both Drizly and Lantern, its cannabis commerce platform.   12. Asian E-Grocer Weee Charts Ongoing Expansion with $35M in Funding – Grocery Dive The round was led by DST Global, bringing total amount raised to $100m. Funding will be used to support the grocer’s ongoing expansion efforts and recruitment process as it continues to grow.   13. Vegan Leather Industry Will be Worth $89.6B by 2025 – Vegconomist Soaring demand for vegan leather includes mounting concerns over the impact of traditional leather on the environment and ascending demand for animal-free products. The Asia Pacific is projected to continue leading the market demand.   14. Food & Ag Anti-Racism Resources + Black Food & Farm Businesses to Support Check out our list of resources to learn about systemic racism in the food and agriculture industries. We also highlight Black food and farm businesses and organizations to support.     Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!  

The post Amazon Opens First Physical Grocery Store, $20B in Losses Expected for Meat Industry in 2020 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Source: What Now Los Angeles

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.

Amazon has opened its first brick-and-mortar grocery store called Fresh in Woodland Hills, California. The supermarket combines elements of micro-fulfillment, contactless features, a curated assortment of premium and conventional products, and highly personalized service into one store.

As Covid-19 upends the industrial meat supply chain, the industry is estimated to face losses of more than $20b in 2020. Meanwhile, demand for vegan meat has soared, with sales up by 264% in the 9weeks ended May 2. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat were slammed in an open letter from Lightlife Foods this week, positioning itself as a “real food company,” with products “developed in a kitchen, not a lab.”

Last but not least, wildfires across Northern California continue to devastate farms, with little containment in sight.

We need your support as well. Producing our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources, and we need to change our business model to keep it going. To date, we’ve funded our work through our events, sponsorships and consulting, which are all on hold due to the pandemic. If you find our newsletter to be a valuable resource, we hope you will consider making a one time or monthly contribution, so we can keep the newsletter going and free for those who can not afford a subscription fee. Whether it’s $5 or $500 every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. Not able to contribute right now? You can help by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues. 

 

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

 

1. Inside Amazon’s New Fresh Grocery Banner – Progressive Grocer

Amazon has opened its first stand-alone supermarket banner in Woodland Hills, California, called Fresh.

 

2. Our Meatless Future: How The $2.7T Global Meat Market Gets Disrupted – CB Insights

As Covid-19 spreads across the globe, the meat supply chain is estimated to face losses of more than $20b in 2020. Meanwhile, demand for vegan meat soared, with sales up by 264% in the 9weeks ended May 2.

 

3. Wildfires Across Northern California Devastate Farmers and Farmland – Civil Eats

Dozens of lightning-sparked wildfires have hit some of the Bay Area’s most beloved farming communities, destroying farm structures and razing crops, with little containment in sight.

 

4. Impossible Foods Hits Back at ‘Disingenuous, Desperate Disinformation Campaign’ As Lightlife Attacks ‘Hyperprocessed’ Ingredients – Food Navigator

In an open letter, Lightlife Foods has attempted to distinguish itself from ‘food tech’ rivals in the plant-based meat arena by positioning itself as a “real food company,” with products “developed in a kitchen, not a lab.”

 

5. Amazon Go’s Cashierless Tech May Come to Whole Foods As Soon As Next Year – The Verge

Amazon may start implementing the tech in Whole Foods sometime during the second quarter of 2021.

 

6. Behind the Cancellation of James Beard Awards, Worries About Chefs’ Behavior and No Black Winners – New York Times

The decision to put the honors, the Oscars of American restaurants, on hiatus came amid concerns about a lack of diversity and allegations against some nominees.

 

7. Craft Spirits Revenue Plunges $700M As Pandemic Curtails On-Premise Operations – Food Dive

Craft distillers lost 41% of their sales due to the pandemic. In addition, 4.6m people that make up nearly 31% of the industry’s employee base have been furloughed.

 

8. How the UK Restarted Its Restaurant Industry: Paying Half the Bill – New York Times

For the month of August, the government has been paying for a 50% discount on all meals eaten in restaurants, pubs or cafes, up to $13 per person. In the first three weeks, 64m meals cost the government $441m.

 

9. Heat, Smoke and Covid Are Battering the Workers Who Feed America – New York Times

Climate change is piling on to the hazards already faced by California farm laborers, some of the country’s poorest, most neglected workers.

 

10. DoorDash Is Planning a Traditional IPO in Fourth Quarter – Bloomberg

The company is taking steps to go public in November or December.

 

11. Drizly Raises $50M As E-Commerce Alcohol Delivery Surges – Food Dive

Avenir led the round. The alcohol delivery platform said it has grown more than 350% compared to 2019. Funding will be used for both Drizly and Lantern, its cannabis commerce platform.

 

12. Asian E-Grocer Weee Charts Ongoing Expansion with $35M in Funding – Grocery Dive

The round was led by DST Global, bringing total amount raised to $100m. Funding will be used to support the grocer’s ongoing expansion efforts and recruitment process as it continues to grow.

 

13. Vegan Leather Industry Will be Worth $89.6B by 2025 – Vegconomist

Soaring demand for vegan leather includes mounting concerns over the impact of traditional leather on the environment and ascending demand for animal-free products. The Asia Pacific is projected to continue leading the market demand.

 

14. Food & Ag Anti-Racism Resources + Black Food & Farm Businesses to Support

Check out our list of resources to learn about systemic racism in the food and agriculture industries. We also highlight Black food and farm businesses and organizations to support.

 

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

 

The post Amazon Opens First Physical Grocery Store, $20B in Losses Expected for Meat Industry in 2020 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/08/27/amazon-opens-first-physical-grocery-store-20b-in-losses-expected-for-meat-industry-in-2020-more/feed/ 0 Sweetgreen, Shake Shack & Ruth’s Chris Return PPP Loans, More Meat Processing Plants Shuttered + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/04/23/sweetgreen-shake-shack-ruths-chris-return-ppp-loans-more-meat-processing-plants-shuttered-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/04/23/sweetgreen-shake-shack-ruths-chris-return-ppp-loans-more-meat-processing-plants-shuttered-more/#respond Thu, 23 Apr 2020 19:43:27 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33231 Image Source: Wall Street Journal 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 failure of the Paycheck Protection Program when independent restaurants and bars learned that they had been passed over as funds went to large chains. Facing criticism, Shake Shack and Sweetgreen both announced that they would be returning their $10 million loans. Meat packers and big box retailers are continuing to experience an increase in positive coronavirus cases and deaths. In response, Tyson has suspended operations of its largest plant in Waterloo, Iowa. Several grocery stores have converted to online shopping to protect their employees. Eight states have deemed recreational cannabis essential during Covid-19 shutdowns. Industry executives believe federal legalization of cannabis would provide economic stimulus through tax revenue and job creation during the recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has put more than 10 million independent restaurant workers at risk of losing their jobs for good. Across sectors, businesses are being forced to pivot their business models as consumers go on lockdown and change their buying habits. This round-up features many of the ways the pandemic is impacting all parts of the food industry. In an effort to do our part and support the community we love so dearly, we have compiled a list of resources and organizations that are providing support to those in need. We are also offering free job postings to anyone who is looking to employ people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.   Resources: We have compiled a database of resources for those in the food industry impacted by the pandemic here. Please add your own resources as well. Jobs: We need to band together to support everyone across the food system who has lost their job due to the pandemic. Use code “coronavirusfoodjobs” to post remote or remote-friendly food jobs on our job board for free.   We need your support as well. Producing our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources, and we need to change our business model to keep it going. To date, we’ve funded our work through our events, sponsorships and consulting, which are all on hold due to the pandemic. If you find our newsletter to be a valuable resource, we hope you will consider making a one time or monthly contribution, so we can keep the newsletter going and free for those who can not afford a subscription fee. Whether it’s $5 or $500 every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. Not able to contribute right now? You can help by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues.    Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.   1. US Cannabis CEOs Say Coronavirus Crisis Will Speed Up Legalization: ‘We Have Been Deemed Essential’ – CNBC Cannabis CEOs say federal legalization of cannabis would provide economic stimulus through tax revenue and job creation during the Covid-19 recovery. Eight states deemed recreational cannabis essential during Covid-19 shutdowns.   2. Sweetgreen Returns $10M Loan Meant to Help Small Businesses Survive the Coronavirus Pandemic – Business Insider Kura Sushi, the largest conveyor belt sushi chain in the US, also announced that it would return its nearly $6m loan.   3. Facing Criticism, Shake Shack Returns $10M Small Business Loan – Eater Shake Shack’s move to return the funds was met with skepticism, as some questioned why the loan was available to to the chain in the first place.   4. Ruth’s Chris to Repay Federal Small-Business Loan – Wall Street Journal Steakhouse chain says it will return $20 million in coronavirus relief funds after The Treasury Department asked publicly traded companies to repay loans they received this month from a program intended to aid small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.   5. COVID-19 | Reopening Critical Path for Independent Restaurants + Bars A comprehensive critical path laying out foundational tasks to assist restaurants with reopening their doors.   6. Four Georgia Poultry Workers Dead from Coronavirus – ABC News Tyson Foods has declined to say how many of its workers have tested positive for Covid-19.   7. Tyson’s Largest Pork Plant Suspends Operations Due to Coronavirus Outbreak – Forbes The plant’s 2,800 employees will continue to be paid, though the company acknowledged that the closure of its plant in Waterloo, Iowa will affect its supply chain of farmers, truckers, distributors and customers.   8. A Portland Whole Foods Employee Has Died of Coronavirus – Eater Meanwhile, another Portland Whole Foods employee has tested positive for the virus at the Hollywood location.   9. How the Federal $19B Coronavirus Relief Fund Can Help Farmers and Food Producers – Food Dive The financial support will include $16b in direct payments to farmers and ranchers: $9.6b to livestock, $3.9b to row crop producers, $2.1b to specialty crop producers and $500m for other crops.   10. Help Is On the Way, Restaurants Are Told. But Will It Work? – New York Times Owners of many small, independent restaurants were passed over by a federal loan program. Now they fear that a new round may not solve their problems.   11. ‘Instead of Coronavirus, the Hunger Will Kill Us.’ A Global Food Crisis Looms. – New York Times The world has never faced a hunger emergency like this. It could double the number of people facing acute hunger to 265m by the end of this year.   12. Majority of Grocery Workers Lack Access to Paid Sick Leave – Grocery Dive The expansion of paid sick leave for employers with more than 500 employees has left 85% of essential employees in the grocery, pharmacy and general merchandise industries without mandatory access to Covid-19 related sick leave benefits.   13. I Harvest Your Food. Why Isn’t My Health ‘Essential’? – New York Times All workers, regardless of immigration status, deserve emergency income and health care. For those of us still on the job, we need enforceable health and safety protections […]

The post Sweetgreen, Shake Shack & Ruth’s Chris Return PPP Loans, More Meat Processing Plants Shuttered + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Image Source: Wall Street Journal

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 failure of the Paycheck Protection Program when independent restaurants and bars learned that they had been passed over as funds went to large chains. Facing criticism, Shake Shack and Sweetgreen both announced that they would be returning their $10 million loans.

Meat packers and big box retailers are continuing to experience an increase in positive coronavirus cases and deaths. In response, Tyson has suspended operations of its largest plant in Waterloo, Iowa. Several grocery stores have converted to online shopping to protect their employees.

Eight states have deemed recreational cannabis essential during Covid-19 shutdowns. Industry executives believe federal legalization of cannabis would provide economic stimulus through tax revenue and job creation during the recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put more than 10 million independent restaurant workers at risk of losing their jobs for good. Across sectors, businesses are being forced to pivot their business models as consumers go on lockdown and change their buying habits. This round-up features many of the ways the pandemic is impacting all parts of the food industry.

In an effort to do our part and support the community we love so dearly, we have compiled a list of resources and organizations that are providing support to those in need. We are also offering free job postings to anyone who is looking to employ people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

  • Resources: We have compiled a database of resources for those in the food industry impacted by the pandemic here. Please add your own resources as well.
  • Jobs: We need to band together to support everyone across the food system who has lost their job due to the pandemic. Use code “coronavirusfoodjobs” to post remote or remote-friendly food jobs on our job board for free.

 

We need your support as well. Producing our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources, and we need to change our business model to keep it going. To date, we’ve funded our work through our events, sponsorships and consulting, which are all on hold due to the pandemic. If you find our newsletter to be a valuable resource, we hope you will consider making a one time or monthly contribution, so we can keep the newsletter going and free for those who can not afford a subscription fee. Whether it’s $5 or $500 every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. Not able to contribute right now? You can help by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues. 

 

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

 

1. US Cannabis CEOs Say Coronavirus Crisis Will Speed Up Legalization: ‘We Have Been Deemed Essential’ – CNBC

Cannabis CEOs say federal legalization of cannabis would provide economic stimulus through tax revenue and job creation during the Covid-19 recovery. Eight states deemed recreational cannabis essential during Covid-19 shutdowns.

 

2. Sweetgreen Returns $10M Loan Meant to Help Small Businesses Survive the Coronavirus Pandemic – Business Insider

Kura Sushi, the largest conveyor belt sushi chain in the US, also announced that it would return its nearly $6m loan.

 

3. Facing Criticism, Shake Shack Returns $10M Small Business Loan – Eater

Shake Shack’s move to return the funds was met with skepticism, as some questioned why the loan was available to to the chain in the first place.

 

4. Ruth’s Chris to Repay Federal Small-Business Loan – Wall Street Journal

Steakhouse chain says it will return $20 million in coronavirus relief funds after The Treasury Department asked publicly traded companies to repay loans they received this month from a program intended to aid small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

5. COVID-19 | Reopening Critical Path for Independent Restaurants + Bars

A comprehensive critical path laying out foundational tasks to assist restaurants with reopening their doors.

 

6. Four Georgia Poultry Workers Dead from Coronavirus – ABC News

Tyson Foods has declined to say how many of its workers have tested positive for Covid-19.

 

7. Tyson’s Largest Pork Plant Suspends Operations Due to Coronavirus Outbreak – Forbes

The plant’s 2,800 employees will continue to be paid, though the company acknowledged that the closure of its plant in Waterloo, Iowa will affect its supply chain of farmers, truckers, distributors and customers.

 

8. A Portland Whole Foods Employee Has Died of Coronavirus – Eater

Meanwhile, another Portland Whole Foods employee has tested positive for the virus at the Hollywood location.

 

9. How the Federal $19B Coronavirus Relief Fund Can Help Farmers and Food Producers – Food Dive

The financial support will include $16b in direct payments to farmers and ranchers: $9.6b to livestock, $3.9b to row crop producers, $2.1b to specialty crop producers and $500m for other crops.

 

10. Help Is On the Way, Restaurants Are Told. But Will It Work? – New York Times

Owners of many small, independent restaurants were passed over by a federal loan program. Now they fear that a new round may not solve their problems.

 

11. ‘Instead of Coronavirus, the Hunger Will Kill Us.’ A Global Food Crisis Looms. – New York Times

The world has never faced a hunger emergency like this. It could double the number of people facing acute hunger to 265m by the end of this year.

 

12. Majority of Grocery Workers Lack Access to Paid Sick Leave – Grocery Dive

The expansion of paid sick leave for employers with more than 500 employees has left 85% of essential employees in the grocery, pharmacy and general merchandise industries without mandatory access to Covid-19 related sick leave benefits.

 

13. I Harvest Your Food. Why Isn’t My Health ‘Essential’? – New York Times

All workers, regardless of immigration status, deserve emergency income and health care. For those of us still on the job, we need enforceable health and safety protections and hazard pay—not lower wages—to compensate us for the risks we are taking to protect our country’s food supply.

 

14. Chipotle to Pay $25M Criminal Fine for Food Poisoning – Bloomberg

The fast casual chain will pay a $25m criminal fine to resolve allegations by federal prosecutors that its food sickened more than 1,100 people across the US from 2015 to 2018.

 

15. Hunger Relief Will Come in the Form of the ‘Harvest Box’ – The Fern

The government will spend $300m a month to buy fresh produce, dairy and meat products that will be packaged into a box for food banks and other charities. Some $3b will be spent on purchases of surplus foods for donation.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

 

The post Sweetgreen, Shake Shack & Ruth’s Chris Return PPP Loans, More Meat Processing Plants Shuttered + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/04/23/sweetgreen-shake-shack-ruths-chris-return-ppp-loans-more-meat-processing-plants-shuttered-more/feed/ 0 Coronavirus Threatens World’s Food Supply, Online Grocery Order Volume Surges 193% + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-threatens-worlds-food-supply-online-grocery-order-volume-surges-193-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-threatens-worlds-food-supply-online-grocery-order-volume-surges-193-more/#respond Thu, 02 Apr 2020 18:27:12 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33187 Image Source: USA Today 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. Meat plants, farms, warehouses and packaging factories across the globe are reporting early positive cases of coronavirus that raise alarm over production disruptions. The infections speak to a growing threat to the world’s food supplies. Meanwhile, the pandemic could lead to a growth of online grocery sales over the long term. Nearly one-third of US households have used online grocery services over the past month. Workers at big retailers have voiced concerns over their safety. Whole Foods and Instacart employees launched nationwide protests this week demanding for more sick pay and protections for those working through the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has put more than 10 million independent restaurant workers at risk of losing their jobs for good. Across sectors, businesses are being forced to pivot their business models as consumers go on lockdown and change their buying habits. This round-up features many of the ways the pandemic is impacting all parts of the food industry. In an effort to do our part and support the community we love so dearly, we have compiled a list of resources and organizations that are providing support to those in need. We are also offering free job postings to anyone who is looking to employ people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.   Resources: We have compiled a database of resources for those in the food industry impacted by the pandemic here. Please add your own resources as well. Jobs: We need to band together to support everyone across the food system who has lost their job due to the pandemic. Use code “coronavirusfoodjobs” to post remote or remote-friendly food jobs on our job board for free.   We need your support as well. Producing our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources, and we need to change our business model to keep it going. To date, we’ve funded our work through our events, sponsorships and consulting, which are all on hold due to the pandemic. If you find our newsletter to be a valuable resource, we hope you will consider making a one time or monthly contribution, so we can keep the newsletter going and free for those who can not afford a subscription fee. Whether it’s $5 or $500 every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. Not able to contribute right now? You can help by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues.    Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.   1. The Workers Who Supply the World’s Food Are Starting to Get Sick – Bloomberg In all likelihood, the number of cases will keep going up at meat plants, farms, warehouses and packaging factories across the globe. The infections speak to a growing threat to the world’s food supplies.   2. Nearly One Third of US Households Shopped for Groceries Online in the Past Month, Report Says – Grocery Dive Forty million, 31% of US households, have used online grocery services like home delivery and pickup over the past month. This is more than double the amount of monthly users since August 2019.   3. Whole Foods Workers Launch Sickout Protest. How Many Isn’t Clear – Bloomberg They’re demanding more sick pay and protections for grocery store employees working through the pandemic.   4. Home Cooks Trapped by Coronavirus Are Flocking to Meal Kits – Eater Blue Apron and HelloFresh have seen surges in demand and investor interest over the last few weeks, as home cooks avoid grocery stores.   5. If the Stimulus Package Fails Independent Restaurants, It Fails America – Eater The deal isn’t good enough for small business owners or millions of service workers. There’s some hope to be found in the newly established loan program, but it’s not enough.   6. US Visa Confusion in Mexico Keeps Out Agriculture Workers – Reuters Restricted visa services, quickly evolving regulations and increased border controls risk wider labor shortages in the US produce industry that may leave grocery stores scrambling for fruits and vegetables.   7. Instacart’s Gig Workers Are Planning a Massive, Nationwide Strike – Vice Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the grocery delivery company has refused to offer its 175,000 gig workers basic protections like hazard pay, hand sanitizer and paid leave for those with pre-existing health conditions.   8. Amazon Picks Southern California for Second Grocery-Concept Site – Bloomberg The unnamed chain is distinct from the company’s Whole Foods business and cashierless convenience stores.   9. DoorDash Now Delivers from Over 1.8K Convenient Stores Nationwide – TechCrunch DoorDash is expanding beyond food to deliver household essentials from convenient stores across the US.   10. Panic Buying Strains the World’s Food Banks – Bloomberg As the numbers of unemployed and needy rise, many more people are seeking food relief.   11. Amid Difficult COVID-19 News from Around the World, There’s Hope in the Food System – Food Tank Organizations across the food system are rushing to the defense of restaurants, service workers and people who are food insecure. Food Tank is keeping a running list of 40+ groups you can support with money, donated food or volunteer time no matter where you live.   12. The Moment for Food Sovereignty Is Now – Civil Eats Many gardeners are beginning to see food production as a collective effort—one that has the potential to respond to historical inequities and re-frame yesterday’s Victory Garden in the vein of today’s food justice movements.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!  

The post Coronavirus Threatens World’s Food Supply, Online Grocery Order Volume Surges 193% + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Image Source: USA Today

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.

Meat plants, farms, warehouses and packaging factories across the globe are reporting early positive cases of coronavirus that raise alarm over production disruptions. The infections speak to a growing threat to the world’s food supplies.

Meanwhile, the pandemic could lead to a growth of online grocery sales over the long term. Nearly one-third of US households have used online grocery services over the past month. Workers at big retailers have voiced concerns over their safety. Whole Foods and Instacart employees launched nationwide protests this week demanding for more sick pay and protections for those working through the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put more than 10 million independent restaurant workers at risk of losing their jobs for good. Across sectors, businesses are being forced to pivot their business models as consumers go on lockdown and change their buying habits. This round-up features many of the ways the pandemic is impacting all parts of the food industry.

In an effort to do our part and support the community we love so dearly, we have compiled a list of resources and organizations that are providing support to those in need. We are also offering free job postings to anyone who is looking to employ people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

  • Resources: We have compiled a database of resources for those in the food industry impacted by the pandemic here. Please add your own resources as well.
  • Jobs: We need to band together to support everyone across the food system who has lost their job due to the pandemic. Use code “coronavirusfoodjobs” to post remote or remote-friendly food jobs on our job board for free.

 

We need your support as well. Producing our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources, and we need to change our business model to keep it going. To date, we’ve funded our work through our events, sponsorships and consulting, which are all on hold due to the pandemic. If you find our newsletter to be a valuable resource, we hope you will consider making a one time or monthly contribution, so we can keep the newsletter going and free for those who can not afford a subscription fee. Whether it’s $5 or $500 every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. Not able to contribute right now? You can help by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues. 

 

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

 

1. The Workers Who Supply the World’s Food Are Starting to Get Sick – Bloomberg

In all likelihood, the number of cases will keep going up at meat plants, farms, warehouses and packaging factories across the globe. The infections speak to a growing threat to the world’s food supplies.

 

2. Nearly One Third of US Households Shopped for Groceries Online in the Past Month, Report Says – Grocery Dive

Forty million, 31% of US households, have used online grocery services like home delivery and pickup over the past month. This is more than double the amount of monthly users since August 2019.

 

3. Whole Foods Workers Launch Sickout Protest. How Many Isn’t Clear – Bloomberg

They’re demanding more sick pay and protections for grocery store employees working through the pandemic.

 

4. Home Cooks Trapped by Coronavirus Are Flocking to Meal Kits – Eater

Blue Apron and HelloFresh have seen surges in demand and investor interest over the last few weeks, as home cooks avoid grocery stores.

 

5. If the Stimulus Package Fails Independent Restaurants, It Fails America – Eater

The deal isn’t good enough for small business owners or millions of service workers. There’s some hope to be found in the newly established loan program, but it’s not enough.

 

6. US Visa Confusion in Mexico Keeps Out Agriculture Workers – Reuters

Restricted visa services, quickly evolving regulations and increased border controls risk wider labor shortages in the US produce industry that may leave grocery stores scrambling for fruits and vegetables.

 

7. Instacart’s Gig Workers Are Planning a Massive, Nationwide Strike – Vice

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the grocery delivery company has refused to offer its 175,000 gig workers basic protections like hazard pay, hand sanitizer and paid leave for those with pre-existing health conditions.

 

8. Amazon Picks Southern California for Second Grocery-Concept Site – Bloomberg

The unnamed chain is distinct from the company’s Whole Foods business and cashierless convenience stores.

 

9. DoorDash Now Delivers from Over 1.8K Convenient Stores Nationwide – TechCrunch

DoorDash is expanding beyond food to deliver household essentials from convenient stores across the US.

 

10. Panic Buying Strains the World’s Food Banks – Bloomberg

As the numbers of unemployed and needy rise, many more people are seeking food relief.

 

11. Amid Difficult COVID-19 News from Around the World, There’s Hope in the Food System – Food Tank

Organizations across the food system are rushing to the defense of restaurants, service workers and people who are food insecure. Food Tank is keeping a running list of 40+ groups you can support with money, donated food or volunteer time no matter where you live.

 

12. The Moment for Food Sovereignty Is Now – Civil Eats

Many gardeners are beginning to see food production as a collective effort—one that has the potential to respond to historical inequities and re-frame yesterday’s Victory Garden in the vein of today’s food justice movements.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

 

The post Coronavirus Threatens World’s Food Supply, Online Grocery Order Volume Surges 193% + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-threatens-worlds-food-supply-online-grocery-order-volume-surges-193-more/feed/ 0 Quest Acquired for $1B, Whole Foods CEO on Plant-Based Meat + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/08/26/quest-acquired-for-1b-whole-foods-ceo-on-plant-based-meat-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/08/26/quest-acquired-for-1b-whole-foods-ceo-on-plant-based-meat-more/#comments Tue, 27 Aug 2019 00:03:28 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=32785 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.   Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.   1. Atkins Owner to Acquire Protein-Food Maker Quest for $1B – Food Dive Simply Good Foods Company, the maker of meal kits, breads, pizzas, frozen foods, shakes, bars and other products under the Atkins brand, is buying Quest Nutrition for $1 billion. The pairing of Atkins and Quest will result in a nutritional snacking company with combined net sales of more than $800 million annually, the companies said. 2. Target is Launching Grocery Brand Good & Gather in Bid to Boost Its Food Business – CNBC The brand will include more than 2,000 items ranging from organic snacks to fresh salad mixes and frozen meals. Target expects Good & Gather to be a multibillion-dollar brand by the end of 2020.   3. Whole Foods CEO on Plant-Based Meat Boom: Good For The Environment But Not For Your Health – CNBC “I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods,” says John Mackey.   4. Plant-Based Eggs Are Starting to Compete With the Real Thing – Quartz JUST announced 2,100 Kroger-owned stores will sell its plant-based liquid eggs. According to IRI, the vegan liquid eggs are the second-best performing in the category.   5. The Banana is One Step Closer to Disappearing – National Geographic A fungus that devastates banana plants has now arrived in Latin America, the Colombian government confirms.   6. How to Help the Amazon Rainforest: 9 Things You Can Do During the Fires and Beyond – Fast Company 7. The Barbaric History of Sugar in America – The New York Times  How sugar became the “white gold” that fueled slavery — and an industry that continues to exploit black lives to this day.   8. Diet Brand Whole30 Opens its First Delivery-Only Restaurant in Chicago – Eater The company is partnering with restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You and GrubHub to launch the delivery only restaurants that offers items that adhere to the diet.   9. In The Largest Prosecution of Organic Fraud in U.S. History, Iowa Grain Seller Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison – The New Food Economy After being sentenced, Randy Constant was found dead, apparently by suicide.   10. Rebranded Ginkgo Spinout & Ingredients Innovator Motif FoodWorks Raises $27.5M, Hones in on Animal-Free – AgFunder General Atlantic lead the round with participation from CPT Capital. Motif FoodWorks will use Ginkgo’s fermentation technology to provide food companies with ingredients for alternative protein product lines in the plant-based and meat alternatives space.   11. The Rise of the Pea: How an Unassuming Legume Emerged as a Frontrunner in the Race to Replace Meat and Dairy – TIME A look at how and why peas have become so popular   12. This Startup Created Compostable Plastic Wrap That’s Made From Shellfish Shells – Fast Company The plastic films CuanTec makes out of shellfish shells that are left over from seafood production is naturally antimicrobial and lets people keep using plastic wrap without worrying about plastic.   13. McDonald’s Just Launched Its First New Type of Restaurant Since the Drive-Thru — Here’s What It’s Like to Eat There – Business Insider McDonald’s recently launched its first “McDonald’s to Go” restaurant in London. It has no seating areas and serves only takeout.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!  

The post Quest Acquired for $1B, Whole Foods CEO on Plant-Based Meat + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

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.

 

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

 

1. Atkins Owner to Acquire Protein-Food Maker Quest for $1B – Food Dive

Simply Good Foods Company, the maker of meal kits, breads, pizzas, frozen foods, shakes, bars and other products under the Atkins brand, is buying Quest Nutrition for $1 billion. The pairing of Atkins and Quest will result in a nutritional snacking company with combined net sales of more than $800 million annually, the companies said.

2. Target is Launching Grocery Brand Good & Gather in Bid to Boost Its Food Business – CNBC

The brand will include more than 2,000 items ranging from organic snacks to fresh salad mixes and frozen meals. Target expects Good & Gather to be a multibillion-dollar brand by the end of 2020.

 

3. Whole Foods CEO on Plant-Based Meat Boom: Good For The Environment But Not For Your Health – CNBC

“I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods,” says John Mackey.

 

4. Plant-Based Eggs Are Starting to Compete With the Real Thing – Quartz

JUST announced 2,100 Kroger-owned stores will sell its plant-based liquid eggs. According to IRI, the vegan liquid eggs are the second-best performing in the category.

 

5. The Banana is One Step Closer to Disappearing – National Geographic

A fungus that devastates banana plants has now arrived in Latin America, the Colombian government confirms.

 

6. How to Help the Amazon Rainforest: 9 Things You Can Do During the Fires and Beyond – Fast Company

7. The Barbaric History of Sugar in America – The New York Times 

How sugar became the “white gold” that fueled slavery — and an industry that continues to exploit black lives to this day.

 

8. Diet Brand Whole30 Opens its First Delivery-Only Restaurant in Chicago – Eater

The company is partnering with restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You and GrubHub to launch the delivery only restaurants that offers items that adhere to the diet.

 

9. In The Largest Prosecution of Organic Fraud in U.S. History, Iowa Grain Seller Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison – The New Food Economy

After being sentenced, Randy Constant was found dead, apparently by suicide.

 

10. Rebranded Ginkgo Spinout & Ingredients Innovator Motif FoodWorks Raises $27.5M, Hones in on Animal-Free – AgFunder

General Atlantic lead the round with participation from CPT Capital. Motif FoodWorks will use Ginkgo’s fermentation technology to provide food companies with ingredients for alternative protein product lines in the plant-based and meat alternatives space.

 

11. The Rise of the Pea: How an Unassuming Legume Emerged as a Frontrunner in the Race to Replace Meat and Dairy – TIME

A look at how and why peas have become so popular

 

12. This Startup Created Compostable Plastic Wrap That’s Made From Shellfish Shells – Fast Company

The plastic films CuanTec makes out of shellfish shells that are left over from seafood production is naturally antimicrobial and lets people keep using plastic wrap without worrying about plastic.

 

13. McDonald’s Just Launched Its First New Type of Restaurant Since the Drive-Thru — Here’s What It’s Like to Eat There – Business Insider

McDonald’s recently launched its first “McDonald’s to Go” restaurant in London. It has no seating areas and serves only takeout.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

 

The post Quest Acquired for $1B, Whole Foods CEO on Plant-Based Meat + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/08/26/quest-acquired-for-1b-whole-foods-ceo-on-plant-based-meat-more/feed/ 1 Insect Protein to Reach $8B, Dirty Lemon Creator to Spend $100M on New Beverages + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/06/27/insect-protein-to-reach-8b-dirty-lemon-creator-to-spend-100m-on-new-beverages-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/06/27/insect-protein-to-reach-8b-dirty-lemon-creator-to-spend-100m-on-new-beverages-more/#respond Thu, 27 Jun 2019 18:23:49 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=32647 Image: Business Insider 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. We launched our 2018 U.S. Food & Beverage Startup Investment Report today, which finds that $1.45 billion dollars was invested across 200 reported deals in 2018. Read the full report here. News about alternative proteins continues to take center stage – this week, Barclays announced a report stating insect protein is expected to become an $8 billion business by 2030. McDonald’s Israel is now piloting Nestle’s vegan patties in Tel Aviv. UK brand Meatless Farm has established an exclusive partnership with Whole Foods as it expands into the U.S. In CPG news, Dirty Lemon’s parent Iris Nova has announced plans to spend $100 million on launching and investing in beverage brands. Danone has launched a coalition dedicated to promoting regenerative agriculture called Farming for Generations. And lastly, Trump’s USDA has refused to publicize dozens of government-funded studies that warn of the effects of climate change. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. Eating Insects Will Soon Go Mainstream As Bug Protein Is Set to Explode into an $8B Business – Business Insider The insect protein market could be worth $8b by 2030, up from less than $1b in 2019. Restaurants and supermarkets are already serving up edible insects, making the category increasingly attractive to food industry giants.   2. Dirty Lemon Parent Iris Nova Will Fund and Distribute Third-Party Beverages – TechCrunch The Coca-Cola-backed startup that creates Dirty Lemon beverages plans to spend $100m over the next three to five years. The money will go towards launching new beverage brands and investing in beverages created by other companies.   3. Danone Leads Coalition of AgriFood Leaders to Transition Dairy Farming to Regenerative Practices – AgFunder Farming for Generations aims to make the global dairy industry more sustainable by helping dairy farmers transition to regenerative agriculture practices.   4. Future Positive Capital’s Vision for the Future of Farming and Food – AgFunder Armed with $57m, Future Positive Capital intends to place more bets on wonky tech ideas that have the potential to drive systems change while reaping profits in long-established markets, like food and agriculture.   5. 2018 U.S. Food & Beverage Startup Investment Report Over $1.45B was invested across 247 deals in 2018, according to the research in our second annual investment report produced in partnership with Ryan Willams.  Check out the report for a deep dive into the investor and investment trends. We also share a complete list of deals and acquisitions.   6. McDonalds in Israel to Start Selling Nestlé’s Meatless Incredible Burger – The Spoon McDonald’s Israel will start selling its own meatless burger featuring Nestlé’s Incredible patties. Called the Big Vegan, it will start off as a pilot in Tel Aviv.   7. Walmart Now Accepts SNAP for Online Grocery Orders at All 2,500+ Pickup Locations – TechCrunch The retailer is planning to accept the SNAP payment option at over 3,100 Walmart stores by the end of the year.   8. UK: Meatless Farm Breaks into Booming US Market with Whole Foods Deal – CNN The company has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Whole Foods to sell its products at US stores for six months starting this summer.   9. Agriculture Department Buries Studies Showing Dangers of Climate Change – Politico The Trump administration has stopped promoting government-funded research into how higher temperatures can damage crops and pose health risks.   10. Israel: Personalized Nutrition Co DayTwo Raises $31M – Globes The company has developed a microbiome human discovery platform that offers a glycemic control solution for people with type II diabetes. The round was led by aMoon and the Ofek fund. It plans to expand marketing into the US.   11. 400K Housholds Could Lose Food Stamps Under Trump Plan Expected Soon – The Washington Post Democrats are critical of potential guidelines that Republicans favor to tighten eligibility requirements.   12. 15 Inspiring Women Leading in the AgTech Sector – Foodtank Although women face barriers in this sector, a new generation of leaders is emerging to reshape the food system using their innovative technologies.   13. Private Label Could Be the New Online ‘Challenger Brand’ – Grocery Dive CPG private label sales now account for 3% of online dollar sales, up from 1.3% two years ago. Household and baby products are leading store brand e-commerce sales.   14. Kroger Is Testing 30-Minute Delivery – Grocery Dive Kroger Rush launched earlier this spring and is currently available to a limited number of customers who live within a three-mile radius of two stores near its Cincinnati headquarters. 15. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!  

The post Insect Protein to Reach $8B, Dirty Lemon Creator to Spend $100M on New Beverages + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Image: Business Insider

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.

We launched our 2018 U.S. Food & Beverage Startup Investment Report today, which finds that $1.45 billion dollars was invested across 200 reported deals in 2018. Read the full report here.

News about alternative proteins continues to take center stage – this week, Barclays announced a report stating insect protein is expected to become an $8 billion business by 2030. McDonald’s Israel is now piloting Nestle’s vegan patties in Tel Aviv. UK brand Meatless Farm has established an exclusive partnership with Whole Foods as it expands into the U.S.

In CPG news, Dirty Lemon’s parent Iris Nova has announced plans to spend $100 million on launching and investing in beverage brands. Danone has launched a coalition dedicated to promoting regenerative agriculture called Farming for Generations.

And lastly, Trump’s USDA has refused to publicize dozens of government-funded studies that warn of the effects of climate change.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. Eating Insects Will Soon Go Mainstream As Bug Protein Is Set to Explode into an $8B Business – Business Insider

The insect protein market could be worth $8b by 2030, up from less than $1b in 2019. Restaurants and supermarkets are already serving up edible insects, making the category increasingly attractive to food industry giants.

 

2. Dirty Lemon Parent Iris Nova Will Fund and Distribute Third-Party Beverages – TechCrunch

The Coca-Cola-backed startup that creates Dirty Lemon beverages plans to spend $100m over the next three to five years. The money will go towards launching new beverage brands and investing in beverages created by other companies.

 

3. Danone Leads Coalition of AgriFood Leaders to Transition Dairy Farming to Regenerative Practices – AgFunder

Farming for Generations aims to make the global dairy industry more sustainable by helping dairy farmers transition to regenerative agriculture practices.

 

4. Future Positive Capital’s Vision for the Future of Farming and Food – AgFunder

Armed with $57m, Future Positive Capital intends to place more bets on wonky tech ideas that have the potential to drive systems change while reaping profits in long-established markets, like food and agriculture.

 

5. 2018 U.S. Food & Beverage Startup Investment Report

Over $1.45B was invested across 247 deals in 2018, according to the research in our second annual investment report produced in partnership with Ryan Willams.  Check out the report for a deep dive into the investor and investment trends. We also share a complete list of deals and acquisitions.

 

6. McDonalds in Israel to Start Selling Nestlé’s Meatless Incredible Burger – The Spoon

McDonald’s Israel will start selling its own meatless burger featuring Nestlé’s Incredible patties. Called the Big Vegan, it will start off as a pilot in Tel Aviv.

 

7. Walmart Now Accepts SNAP for Online Grocery Orders at All 2,500+ Pickup Locations – TechCrunch

The retailer is planning to accept the SNAP payment option at over 3,100 Walmart stores by the end of the year.

 

8. UK: Meatless Farm Breaks into Booming US Market with Whole Foods Deal – CNN

The company has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Whole Foods to sell its products at US stores for six months starting this summer.

 

9. Agriculture Department Buries Studies Showing Dangers of Climate Change – Politico

The Trump administration has stopped promoting government-funded research into how higher temperatures can damage crops and pose health risks.

 

10. Israel: Personalized Nutrition Co DayTwo Raises $31M – Globes

The company has developed a microbiome human discovery platform that offers a glycemic control solution for people with type II diabetes. The round was led by aMoon and the Ofek fund. It plans to expand marketing into the US.

 

11. 400K Housholds Could Lose Food Stamps Under Trump Plan Expected Soon – The Washington Post

Democrats are critical of potential guidelines that Republicans favor to tighten eligibility requirements.

 

12. 15 Inspiring Women Leading in the AgTech Sector – Foodtank

Although women face barriers in this sector, a new generation of leaders is emerging to reshape the food system using their innovative technologies.

 

13. Private Label Could Be the New Online ‘Challenger Brand’ – Grocery Dive

CPG private label sales now account for 3% of online dollar sales, up from 1.3% two years ago. Household and baby products are leading store brand e-commerce sales.

 

14. Kroger Is Testing 30-Minute Delivery – Grocery Dive

Kroger Rush launched earlier this spring and is currently available to a limited number of customers who live within a three-mile radius of two stores near its Cincinnati headquarters.

15. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database

We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

 

The post Insect Protein to Reach $8B, Dirty Lemon Creator to Spend $100M on New Beverages + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/06/27/insect-protein-to-reach-8b-dirty-lemon-creator-to-spend-100m-on-new-beverages-more/feed/ 0 Impossible Foods Launches Sausage, US Organic Sales Reach $52.5B in 2018 + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/05/23/impossible-foods-launches-sausage-us-organic-sales-reach-52-5b-in-2018-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/05/23/impossible-foods-launches-sausage-us-organic-sales-reach-52-5b-in-2018-more/#respond Thu, 23 May 2019 19:21:04 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=32511 Image source: CNBC 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. Shortly after Beyond Meat’s stunning IPO, Impossible Foods took the stage with a $300 million investment from investors including celebrities and athletes, bringing it to a new valuation of $2 billion. The plant-based meat maker also announced its launch of the Impossible Sausage atop Little Ceasars’ Pizza. New reports have revealed that US organic sales rang up a record $52.5 billion in 2018, and that upcycled food waste is worth up to $46.7 billion. More wins have been made for the war against single-use plastic with news that Whole Foods is banning all plastic straws from its 500 stores. In addition, the Loop initiative by Terracycle has arrived in the US, bringing on Kroger and Walgreens as partners. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.  

The post Impossible Foods Launches Sausage, US Organic Sales Reach $52.5B in 2018 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Image source: CNBC

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.

Shortly after Beyond Meat’s stunning IPO, Impossible Foods took the stage with a $300 million investment from investors including celebrities and athletes, bringing it to a new valuation of $2 billion. The plant-based meat maker also announced its launch of the Impossible Sausage atop Little Ceasars’ Pizza.

New reports have revealed that US organic sales rang up a record $52.5 billion in 2018, and that upcycled food waste is worth up to $46.7 billion.

More wins have been made for the war against single-use plastic with news that Whole Foods is banning all plastic straws from its 500 stores. In addition, the Loop initiative by Terracycle has arrived in the US, bringing on Kroger and Walgreens as partners.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

 

_______________

 

1. Impossible Foods Dishes Up Its First Meatless Sausage Atop Little Caesars’ Pizza – Fortune

For the first time since introducing its meatless burger in 2016, Impossible Foods is launching a new product: The Impossible Sausage. It is making its debut as a topping on Little Caesars’ $12 Impossible Supreme Pizza.

 

2. US Organic Sales Ring Up Record $52.5B in 2018 – Natural Products Insider

Transparent and sustainable products from companies that embrace social activism, sales of organic food and non-food products shattered records and moved into mainstream markets in 2018, ringing up more than $50b in US sales.

 

3. UK: Amazon Leads $574M Investment for Food Delivery Company Deliveroo – CNBC

The food delivery app has raised up to $1.53b to date. The new investment would offer restaurants new opportunities to grow and expand their businesses.

 

4. From Trash to Treasure: Upcycled Food Waste Is Worth $46.7B – Food Dive

The beverage industry in both North America and Europe are poised to see the most lucrative growth from new diversion techniques and interest in rejected fruits. Bakery is the second ripest segment.

 

5. Ford Tests Delivery Robots That Could One Day Replace Human Workers – Forbes

Ford is teaming up with Agility Robotics to explore a brand-new frontier in the world of autonomy with Digit, a lightweight robot capable of lifting up to 40 pounds and folding itself up to fit in the back of a self-driving vehicle.

 

6. China’s Luckin Coffee Raises Up to $651M in Upsized US IPO – TechCrunch

Despite concern at its high losses and little chance of near-term profitability, Luckin seems to have been greeted positively by investors.

 

7. KIND Announces Move into Frozen Foods – NOSH

The brand is launching Frozen Creamy Almond Bars exclusively at Wal-Mart. It does not contain artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols or genetically engineered ingredients.

 

8. Whole Foods Will Ban Plastic Straws & Offer Smaller Produce Bags – CNN

The retailer will stop offering plastic straws across all 500 stores in the US, UK and Canada. It will instead offer paper straws beginning in July.

 

9. As Meal Kit Melee Stretches on, Sun Basket Whips Up $30M Series E – TechCrunch

The round, led by PivotNorth Capital, brings the company’s total raised to $125m. Its latest infusion of capital will be used to expand their offerings to include personalized breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

10. Meal Kit Maker Purple Carrot Sold to Japanese E-Grocer – Grocery Dive

The plant-based meal kit maker was acquired by Oisix ra daichi last month. The deal includes an upfront payment of $12.8m, and a potential for an additional $17m by 2021 if unspecified earnings goals are met.

 

11. DoorDash Takes Aim at Nearly $13B Valuation in New Funding Round – Wall Street Journal

The company’s ability to fundraise at a higher price signals investors’ confidence, despite Uber’s poor reception on Wall Street.

 

12. Clinc Raises $52M Series B As It Marches Toward IPO – TechCrunch

The company behind the conversational AI platform netted cash from Insight Partners, DFJ Growth, Drive Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners and others. Clinc plans to reach 140 employees by the end of 2019.

 

13. Instawork Raises $18M to Match Hospitality Workers with Employers – VentureBeat

Spark Capital, GV and Burst Capital led the round. The new funding will enable it to roll out in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Chicago this year.

 

14. Agrilyst Raises $8M Series A, Rebrands to Artemis, Sets Sights on Enterprise-Level Indoor Farms – AgFunder

Agrilyst – which has re-branded to Artemis – has closed Series A funding co-led by Astanor Ventures and Talis Capital. The round will be focused on helping the startup secure its foothold among large-scale growers.

 

15. Citrus Farmers Facing Deadly Bacteria Turn to Antibiotics, Alarming Health Officials – New York Times

In its decision to approve two drugs for orange and grapefruit trees, the EPA largely ignored objections from the CDC and the FDA, which fear that expanding their use in cash crops could fuel antibiotic resistance in humans.

 

16. Reusable Packages Are Coming to Walgreens and Kroger – CNN

The retailers have joined the Loop platform, a service that gives shoppers the opportunity to buy products in reusable packaging. It’s launching as a pilot program in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, DC.

 

17. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database

We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood

 

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

 

The post Impossible Foods Launches Sausage, US Organic Sales Reach $52.5B in 2018 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/05/23/impossible-foods-launches-sausage-us-organic-sales-reach-52-5b-in-2018-more/feed/ 0 Postmates Files for IPO, What the Green New Deal Means for Food, + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/02/14/what-the-green-new-deal-means-for-food-postmates-files-for-ipo-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/02/14/what-the-green-new-deal-means-for-food-postmates-files-for-ipo-more/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2019 21:25:48 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=32129 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. As part of biodiversity month here at Food+Tech Connect, we’ve launched an editorial series featuring interviews with over 45 CEOs, execs, farmers and investors. Join us on Tuesday, February 19th to hear from CEOs and COOs of Row 7, Alpha Food Labs, Kuli Kuli and Tender Greens as they take a deep dive into their supply chains and business strategies. There is a lot happening on the retail front. Autonomous delivery startup Nuro has closed a $940 million round led by Softbank to scale up its fleet of self-driving bots. Whole Foods has just raised its prices on hundreds of items due to inflation. Other retailers are beginning to follow suit. Postmates has officially filed for IPO, following Uber’s footsteps. In response, DoorDash is arming itself with more funding, with aims to raise $500 million to reach $6 billion in valuation. And finally, the long-awaited policy proposal for the Green New Deal from Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey has finally surfaced—and it aims to turn US agriculture into a positive force for climate change and social justice. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. Introducing Biodiversity: The Intersection of Taste & Sustainability We interviewed 45+ CEOs, execs, farmers and investors about the role biodiversity plays in our food industry. Read this week’s published responses from Arabella Advisors, MAD, Sweetgreen, Believe in Bambara and GODAN.   2. Food Biodiversity: Where Flavor & Sustainability Meet Join us to hear how game-changing startups are creating a more biodiverse food system at our February Food+Tech Meetup. CEOs and COOs from Row 7, Alpha Food Labs, Kuli Kuli and Tender Greens will do a deep dive into their business models and supply chains.   3. SoftBank’s Next Bet: $940M into Autonomous Delivery Startup Nuro – TechCrunch The investment will be used to expand its delivery service, add new partners, hire employees and scale up its fleet of self-driving bots. The company partnered in 2018 with Kroger to pilot a delivery service in Arizona.   4. Food Delivery Pioneer Postmates Files to Go Public – Bloomberg The company could be valued at more than $1.85b in its listing. It is working with JPMorgan and Bank of America on its IPO.   5. Amazon Slashed Prices at Whole Foods. Now They’re Climbing Back Up. – Wall Street Journal Whole Foods raised prices from 10 cents to several dollars as suppliers have boosted their prices in the face of growing costs. Retailers across the spectrum are starting to pass along similar price increases in response to the growing signs of inflation.   6. What the New Green Deal Means for the Food on Your Plate – Civil Eats The long-awaited policy proposal from Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey has finally surfaced—and it aims to turn US agriculture into a positive force for climate change and social justice.   7. A Structural Bias Harms Women-Led Enterprises and the Agrifood Issues They Are Working to Solve. We Want to Know What That Costs Us. – New Food Economy The New Food Economy, AgFunder and Karen Karp & Partners investigate the funding gaps for women founders across the food and agriculture sectors.   8. Delivery Startup DoorDash Reaches for Over $6B Valuation in New Funding – Wall Street Journal The company is arming itself with more private capital as rivals Uber and Postmates are planning IPOs.   9. Thiel-Backed Breakout Ventures Invests in Phylagen $14M Series A with Cultivian, AgFunder for Microbe-Based Traceability – AgFunder Funding will be used to expand Phylagen’s microbial forensics service and to grow its microbiome database.   10. Cork-Born Startup Raises Further $34M to Bring Cow-Free Milk to Market – Irish Times The round was led by Horizons Ventures, Temasek Holdings and ADM Capital. The company uses bioengineered yeast to produce real milk protein. It aims to go to market within a few years.   11. Honest Company Co-Founder Christopher Gavigan Has a New, Newly Funded, CBD Startup Called Prima – TechCrunch Lerer Hippeau led the $3.3m seed round, with participation from Greycroft and others. The company plans to sell cosmetic and edible products directly through its education-driven website. Ingestible products include soft gel and powder blends for immunity, sleep and energy.   12. Plummeting Insect Numbers ‘Threaten Collapse of Nature’ – The Guardian More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. At this rate, insects could vanish within a century.   13. This Startup Is Trader Joe’s Meets Costco, with a Splash of Brandless – Fast Company A $59 yearly membership on Public Goods gets you access to clean personal care products, ethically sourced household goods and organic food items at drastically low prices.   14. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood     Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Postmates Files for IPO, What the Green New Deal Means for Food, + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Image source: Bloomberg | Photographer: Al Drago

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.

As part of biodiversity month here at Food+Tech Connect, we’ve launched an editorial series featuring interviews with over 45 CEOs, execs, farmers and investors. Join us on Tuesday, February 19th to hear from CEOs and COOs of Row 7, Alpha Food Labs, Kuli Kuli and Tender Greens as they take a deep dive into their supply chains and business strategies.

There is a lot happening on the retail front. Autonomous delivery startup Nuro has closed a $940 million round led by Softbank to scale up its fleet of self-driving bots. Whole Foods has just raised its prices on hundreds of items due to inflation. Other retailers are beginning to follow suit.

Postmates has officially filed for IPO, following Uber’s footsteps. In response, DoorDash is arming itself with more funding, with aims to raise $500 million to reach $6 billion in valuation.

And finally, the long-awaited policy proposal for the Green New Deal from Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey has finally surfaced—and it aims to turn US agriculture into a positive force for climate change and social justice.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. Introducing Biodiversity: The Intersection of Taste & Sustainability

We interviewed 45+ CEOs, execs, farmers and investors about the role biodiversity plays in our food industry. Read this week’s published responses from Arabella Advisors, MAD, Sweetgreen, Believe in Bambara and GODAN.

 

2. Food Biodiversity: Where Flavor & Sustainability Meet

Join us to hear how game-changing startups are creating a more biodiverse food system at our February Food+Tech Meetup. CEOs and COOs from Row 7, Alpha Food Labs, Kuli Kuli and Tender Greens will do a deep dive into their business models and supply chains.

 

3. SoftBank’s Next Bet: $940M into Autonomous Delivery Startup Nuro – TechCrunch

The investment will be used to expand its delivery service, add new partners, hire employees and scale up its fleet of self-driving bots. The company partnered in 2018 with Kroger to pilot a delivery service in Arizona.

 

4. Food Delivery Pioneer Postmates Files to Go Public – Bloomberg

The company could be valued at more than $1.85b in its listing. It is working with JPMorgan and Bank of America on its IPO.

 

5. Amazon Slashed Prices at Whole Foods. Now They’re Climbing Back Up. – Wall Street Journal

Whole Foods raised prices from 10 cents to several dollars as suppliers have boosted their prices in the face of growing costs. Retailers across the spectrum are starting to pass along similar price increases in response to the growing signs of inflation.

 

6. What the New Green Deal Means for the Food on Your Plate – Civil Eats

The long-awaited policy proposal from Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey has finally surfaced—and it aims to turn US agriculture into a positive force for climate change and social justice.

 

7. A Structural Bias Harms Women-Led Enterprises and the Agrifood Issues They Are Working to Solve. We Want to Know What That Costs Us. – New Food Economy

The New Food Economy, AgFunder and Karen Karp & Partners investigate the funding gaps for women founders across the food and agriculture sectors.

 

8. Delivery Startup DoorDash Reaches for Over $6B Valuation in New Funding – Wall Street Journal

The company is arming itself with more private capital as rivals Uber and Postmates are planning IPOs.

 

9. Thiel-Backed Breakout Ventures Invests in Phylagen $14M Series A with Cultivian, AgFunder for Microbe-Based Traceability – AgFunder

Funding will be used to expand Phylagen’s microbial forensics service and to grow its microbiome database.

 

10. Cork-Born Startup Raises Further $34M to Bring Cow-Free Milk to Market – Irish Times

The round was led by Horizons Ventures, Temasek Holdings and ADM Capital. The company uses bioengineered yeast to produce real milk protein. It aims to go to market within a few years.

 

11. Honest Company Co-Founder Christopher Gavigan Has a New, Newly Funded, CBD Startup Called Prima – TechCrunch

Lerer Hippeau led the $3.3m seed round, with participation from Greycroft and others. The company plans to sell cosmetic and edible products directly through its education-driven website. Ingestible products include soft gel and powder blends for immunity, sleep and energy.

 

12. Plummeting Insect Numbers ‘Threaten Collapse of Nature’ – The Guardian

More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. At this rate, insects could vanish within a century.

 

13. This Startup Is Trader Joe’s Meets Costco, with a Splash of Brandless – Fast Company

A $59 yearly membership on Public Goods gets you access to clean personal care products, ethically sourced household goods and organic food items at drastically low prices.

 

14. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database

We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood

 

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Postmates Files for IPO, What the Green New Deal Means for Food, + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/02/14/what-the-green-new-deal-means-for-food-postmates-files-for-ipo-more/feed/ 1 Amazon Ends Whole Foods-Instacart Partnership, JUST to Bring Cultured Wagyu to Japan + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/12/13/amazon-ends-whole-foods-instacart-partnership-just-bring-cultured-wagyu-japan/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/12/13/amazon-ends-whole-foods-instacart-partnership-just-bring-cultured-wagyu-japan/#respond Thu, 13 Dec 2018 21:53:15 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=31279 Source: The Verge 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. Today, the five-year partnership between Whole Foods and Instacart officially ended. The first group of 1,415 Instacart workers will be pulled out of 76 Whole Foods locations in February. Plant-based and cultured meat startups are neck and neck with the latest steak-making technology. JUST is working on an affordable Wagyu beef, and Aleph Farms has developed the first steak grown in a lab. In other news, two-year-old agtech startup Bowery Farming has closed a $90 million round led by Google Ventures to expand its farms in the United States and internationally. Congress voted to pass the U.S. Farm Bill, officially legalizing hemp. Farmers and food makers are now preparing to meet a growing industry that is said to hit $22 billion by 2022. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. Amazon Has Officially Killed the Whole Foods-Instacart Partnership – Recode Instacart will begin pulling the first group of workers out of Whole Foods locations in February.   2. Uber CEO and Alphabet Invest in Urban Farming Startup – Bloomberg Bowery Farming has raised $90m to open new farms in the US and internationally. The round was led by Google Ventures with participation from Temasek, Uber’s CEO, Almanac Insights, First Round Capital, GGV Capital and General Catalyst.   3. Farm Bill to Help Hemp Grow into a Multibillion-Dollar Industry – The Fern Farmers and food makers will soon be able to legally grow, process and ship hemp across state lines and meet demand for a soaring market in products made with CBD. The industry could hit $22b by 2022.   4. Farm Bill Headed to Trump after Landslide house Approval – Politico The compromise bill was stripped of every controversial House GOP proposal on SNAP.   5. Waitr Acquires Bite Squad for $321M, Expanding Footprint to 500 Cities, 22 States – The Advocate The deal is its third and largest acquisition since being founded, and the first since it began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange.   6. Constellation Pours $100M into Female-Led Alcohol Brands – Food Dive As of now, the beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry is composed of about 80% male executives. Its first investments were made to Austin Cocktails and Vivify Beverages.   7. Nutella Maker Ferrero in Race to Buy Campbell’s International Business – Reuters The Italian group is working on a possible deal, which could amount to more than $2b.   8. The Growth of AI and the U.S. Food System A new report called Refresh: Food and Tech, from Soil to Supper, highlights more than 20 digital platforms and artificial intelligence algorithms being adopted across the U.S. food supply chain by farmers, distributors, grocers, retailers, and consumers.   9. Whole Foods Ranked Worst on Cancer-Linked Package Chemicals – Bloomberg In response, the company has removed all coated paper products in question and has started a search for new biodegradable packaging.   10. Online Liquor Store Drizly Just Landed $34.5M in Fresh Funding – TechCrunch Polaris Partners led the investment. The company now works with 1k liquor stores across the US and Canada.   11. Zymergen Raises $400M Series C in Largest Ever Upstream AgriFood Tech Deal in US – AgFunder Funding was led by SoftBank Vision Fund. The startup engineers microbes to replace environmentally-damaging inputs and harmful additives. It plans to invest in enhancing its platform to double capacity.   12. The Meat Growing in This San Francisco Lab Will Soon Be Available at Restaurants – Fast Company JUST is now producing real meat grown in bioreactors. Next up is affordable Wagyu beef.   13. From Grass-Fed to Lab-Grown: How Meat Is Evolving – Wall Street Journal Israeli-based Aleph Farms has created the world’s first steak grown in a lab. We get a taste.   14. Farm Bill Includes $125M for Food Waste Reduction – Food Dive The USDA will develop strategies for implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans in 10 states through 2023. It will also establish a food lost and waste reduction liaison.   15. Amazon Targets Airports for Checkout-Free Store Expansion – Reuters The retailer is evaluating top US airports for new locations.   16. Trump Administration Rolls Back Obama-Era Rules for School Lunches – New York Times The Department of Agriculture announced its plans to lower nutritional standards for grains, flavored milks and sodium in school cafeterias.   17. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood   18. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Amazon Ends Whole Foods-Instacart Partnership, JUST to Bring Cultured Wagyu to Japan + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
Source: The Verge

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.

Today, the five-year partnership between Whole Foods and Instacart officially ended. The first group of 1,415 Instacart workers will be pulled out of 76 Whole Foods locations in February.

Plant-based and cultured meat startups are neck and neck with the latest steak-making technology. JUST is working on an affordable Wagyu beef, and Aleph Farms has developed the first steak grown in a lab.

In other news, two-year-old agtech startup Bowery Farming has closed a $90 million round led by Google Ventures to expand its farms in the United States and internationally. Congress voted to pass the U.S. Farm Bill, officially legalizing hemp. Farmers and food makers are now preparing to meet a growing industry that is said to hit $22 billion by 2022.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. Amazon Has Officially Killed the Whole Foods-Instacart Partnership – Recode

Instacart will begin pulling the first group of workers out of Whole Foods locations in February.

 

2. Uber CEO and Alphabet Invest in Urban Farming Startup – Bloomberg

Bowery Farming has raised $90m to open new farms in the US and internationally. The round was led by Google Ventures with participation from Temasek, Uber’s CEO, Almanac Insights, First Round Capital, GGV Capital and General Catalyst.

 

3. Farm Bill to Help Hemp Grow into a Multibillion-Dollar Industry – The Fern

Farmers and food makers will soon be able to legally grow, process and ship hemp across state lines and meet demand for a soaring market in products made with CBD. The industry could hit $22b by 2022.

 

4. Farm Bill Headed to Trump after Landslide house Approval – Politico

The compromise bill was stripped of every controversial House GOP proposal on SNAP.

 

5. Waitr Acquires Bite Squad for $321M, Expanding Footprint to 500 Cities, 22 States – The Advocate

The deal is its third and largest acquisition since being founded, and the first since it began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

 

6. Constellation Pours $100M into Female-Led Alcohol Brands – Food Dive

As of now, the beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry is composed of about 80% male executives. Its first investments were made to Austin Cocktails and Vivify Beverages.

 

7. Nutella Maker Ferrero in Race to Buy Campbell’s International Business – Reuters

The Italian group is working on a possible deal, which could amount to more than $2b.

 

8. The Growth of AI and the U.S. Food System

A new report called Refresh: Food and Tech, from Soil to Supper, highlights more than 20 digital platforms and artificial intelligence algorithms being adopted across the U.S. food supply chain by farmers, distributors, grocers, retailers, and consumers.

 

9. Whole Foods Ranked Worst on Cancer-Linked Package Chemicals – Bloomberg

In response, the company has removed all coated paper products in question and has started a search for new biodegradable packaging.

 

10. Online Liquor Store Drizly Just Landed $34.5M in Fresh Funding – TechCrunch

Polaris Partners led the investment. The company now works with 1k liquor stores across the US and Canada.

 

11. Zymergen Raises $400M Series C in Largest Ever Upstream AgriFood Tech Deal in US – AgFunder

Funding was led by SoftBank Vision Fund. The startup engineers microbes to replace environmentally-damaging inputs and harmful additives. It plans to invest in enhancing its platform to double capacity.

 

12. The Meat Growing in This San Francisco Lab Will Soon Be Available at Restaurants – Fast Company

JUST is now producing real meat grown in bioreactors. Next up is affordable Wagyu beef.

 

13. From Grass-Fed to Lab-Grown: How Meat Is Evolving – Wall Street Journal

Israeli-based Aleph Farms has created the world’s first steak grown in a lab. We get a taste.

 

14. Farm Bill Includes $125M for Food Waste Reduction – Food Dive

The USDA will develop strategies for implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans in 10 states through 2023. It will also establish a food lost and waste reduction liaison.

 

15. Amazon Targets Airports for Checkout-Free Store Expansion – Reuters

The retailer is evaluating top US airports for new locations.

 

16. Trump Administration Rolls Back Obama-Era Rules for School Lunches – New York Times

The Department of Agriculture announced its plans to lower nutritional standards for grains, flavored milks and sodium in school cafeterias.

 

17. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database

We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood

 

18. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community

We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Amazon Ends Whole Foods-Instacart Partnership, JUST to Bring Cultured Wagyu to Japan + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/12/13/amazon-ends-whole-foods-instacart-partnership-just-bring-cultured-wagyu-japan/feed/ 0 Beyond Meat Files for IPO, Kraft Acquires Primal Kitchen for $200M + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/11/29/beyond-meat-files-ipo-kraft-acquires-primal-kitchen-200m/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/11/29/beyond-meat-files-ipo-kraft-acquires-primal-kitchen-200m/#comments Thu, 29 Nov 2018 20:30:58 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=31225 Source: Beyond Meat 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 plant-based and cultured meat space is making moves. The Bill Gates-backed plant-based meat maker, Beyond Meat, has filed for a U.S. IPO with an initial offering size of $100 million. Meanwhile, the FDA and USDA announced the regulatory future of cultured meat. In a move following the broader trend in Big Food consolidation, Kraft has acquired paleo food maker Primal Kitchen for $200 million. In other news, the New Food Economy published an expose on Epic Provisions’ origin story–how it took credit from a Native-owned business, built an empire on a foundation of misleading claims, promised ranchers investment that never materialized and left an industry struggling in its wake. Last week, Deliveroo raised $500 million to strengthen its hand for prospective negotiations with Uber. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. Bill Gates-Backed Vegan Burger Maker Beyond Meat Files for IPO – Bloomberg Beyond Meat filed with an initial offering size of $100 million, which is a placeholder that’s likely to change.   2. Kraft to Acquire Paleo Darling Primal Kitchen for $200M – Bloomberg Primal Kitchen has generated $50m in sales this year. The relatively small deal likely won’t satisfy investors, who have been waiting for Kraft to pursue a transformative acquisition in the wake of its failed attempt to buy Unilever in 2017.   3. Deliveroo’s Banker Boss Takes a $4B Uber Ride – Bloomberg The $500m funding round is not because Deliveroo needs the cash–it’s an effort to strengthen its hand for prospective negotiations with Uber, by increasing Deliveroo’s valuation from $2b to as much as $4b.   4. FDA and USDA Lay Out Their Shared Regulatory Plan for Cell-Cultured Meat – New Food Economy Cultured meat products will go through the FDA during its cellular growth process. The USDA will regulate the production and labeling of products.   5. Vegan Snack Market Value to Exceed $73B by 2028 – Livekindly The plant-based snack industry will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 8.7% from its current value of $31.8b. The growing trend for veganism and vegetarianism is leading the demand.   6. Fail Friday (on a Thursday) We’ve teamed up with ForceBrands to celebrate failure in all its glory at Fail Friday (on a Thursday). Join us to hear stories of failure and lessons learned from top food entrepreneurs.   7. Bison Bars Were Supposed to Restore Native Communities and Grass-Based Ranches. Then Came Epic Provisions. – New Food Economy Tanka, a Native-owned business, invented the commercial bison bar. But Epic took credit, built an empire on a foundation of misleading claims, promised ranchers investment that never materialized and left an industry struggling in its wake.   8. China’s Geek+ Raises $150M to Build Robots for Warehouses and Logistics – TechCrunch The Series B was led by Warburg Pincus. The company says its on track to grow its business five-fold and expand beyond China this coming year.   9. Cashierless Technology Startup Standard Cognition Raises $40M – Grocery Dive The round was led by Initialized Capital. The company plans to use the funds for rapid global expansion of its AI-powered autonomous checkout.   10. New Zealand: Female Entrepreneur Raises $10M to Create Vegan Bacon and Chicken from Peas – Livekindly Shama Lee has raised funding led by Blackbird Ventures to expand into Australia and beyond.   11. Africa’s AgTech Wave Gets $10M Richer As Twiga Foods Raises More Capital – TechCrunch International Finance Corporation led the investment. The startup plans to add processed food and fast-moving consumer goods to its product line-up.   12. Corvus Insurance Lands a Fresh $10M to Turn Sensor Data into Actionable Info for Its Food and Pharma Customers – TechCrunch Funding came from .406 Ventures and Hudson Structured, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures.   13. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood   14. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Beyond Meat Files for IPO, Kraft Acquires Primal Kitchen for $200M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
Source: Beyond Meat

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 plant-based and cultured meat space is making moves. The Bill Gates-backed plant-based meat maker, Beyond Meat, has filed for a U.S. IPO with an initial offering size of $100 million. Meanwhile, the FDA and USDA announced the regulatory future of cultured meat.

In a move following the broader trend in Big Food consolidation, Kraft has acquired paleo food maker Primal Kitchen for $200 million. In other news, the New Food Economy published an expose on Epic Provisions’ origin story–how it took credit from a Native-owned business, built an empire on a foundation of misleading claims, promised ranchers investment that never materialized and left an industry struggling in its wake.

Last week, Deliveroo raised $500 million to strengthen its hand for prospective negotiations with Uber.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. Bill Gates-Backed Vegan Burger Maker Beyond Meat Files for IPO – Bloomberg

Beyond Meat filed with an initial offering size of $100 million, which is a placeholder that’s likely to change.

 

2. Kraft to Acquire Paleo Darling Primal Kitchen for $200M – Bloomberg

Primal Kitchen has generated $50m in sales this year. The relatively small deal likely won’t satisfy investors, who have been waiting for Kraft to pursue a transformative acquisition in the wake of its failed attempt to buy Unilever in 2017.

 

3. Deliveroo’s Banker Boss Takes a $4B Uber Ride – Bloomberg

The $500m funding round is not because Deliveroo needs the cash–it’s an effort to strengthen its hand for prospective negotiations with Uber, by increasing Deliveroo’s valuation from $2b to as much as $4b.

 

4. FDA and USDA Lay Out Their Shared Regulatory Plan for Cell-Cultured Meat – New Food Economy

Cultured meat products will go through the FDA during its cellular growth process. The USDA will regulate the production and labeling of products.

 

5. Vegan Snack Market Value to Exceed $73B by 2028 – Livekindly

The plant-based snack industry will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 8.7% from its current value of $31.8b. The growing trend for veganism and vegetarianism is leading the demand.

 

6. Fail Friday (on a Thursday)

We’ve teamed up with ForceBrands to celebrate failure in all its glory at Fail Friday (on a Thursday). Join us to hear stories of failure and lessons learned from top food entrepreneurs.

 

7. Bison Bars Were Supposed to Restore Native Communities and Grass-Based Ranches. Then Came Epic Provisions. – New Food Economy

Tanka, a Native-owned business, invented the commercial bison bar. But Epic took credit, built an empire on a foundation of misleading claims, promised ranchers investment that never materialized and left an industry struggling in its wake.

 

8. China’s Geek+ Raises $150M to Build Robots for Warehouses and Logistics – TechCrunch

The Series B was led by Warburg Pincus. The company says its on track to grow its business five-fold and expand beyond China this coming year.

 

9. Cashierless Technology Startup Standard Cognition Raises $40M – Grocery Dive

The round was led by Initialized Capital. The company plans to use the funds for rapid global expansion of its AI-powered autonomous checkout.

 

10. New Zealand: Female Entrepreneur Raises $10M to Create Vegan Bacon and Chicken from Peas – Livekindly

Shama Lee has raised funding led by Blackbird Ventures to expand into Australia and beyond.

 

11. Africa’s AgTech Wave Gets $10M Richer As Twiga Foods Raises More Capital – TechCrunch

International Finance Corporation led the investment. The startup plans to add processed food and fast-moving consumer goods to its product line-up.

 

12. Corvus Insurance Lands a Fresh $10M to Turn Sensor Data into Actionable Info for Its Food and Pharma Customers – TechCrunch

Funding came from .406 Ventures and Hudson Structured, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures.

 

13. Women, Women of Color & Gender Non-Conforming Innovator Database

We created this open-source list to increase representation, support and investment in women, women of color & gender-nonconforming innovators in food. Join the list & help us spread the word using #womxninfood

 

14. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community

We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Beyond Meat Files for IPO, Kraft Acquires Primal Kitchen for $200M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/11/29/beyond-meat-files-ipo-kraft-acquires-primal-kitchen-200m/feed/ 2 Whole Foods Workers Call to Unionize, Farmer’s Fridge Raises $30M + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/09/06/whole-foods-workers-call-unionize-farmers-fridge-raises-30m/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/09/06/whole-foods-workers-call-unionize-farmers-fridge-raises-30m/#respond Thu, 06 Sep 2018 21:02:55 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=30931 Source: Yahoo! Finance 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 group of Whole Foods employees sent out an email to workers at most of the 490 Whole Foods stores urging them to back their unionization drive, sparked by changes to corporate culture and diminished compensation under the ownership of Amazon. They are pushing Whole Foods and Amazon for better compensation, benefits and profit-sharing. Farmer’s Fridge has raised $30 million led by Innovation Endeavors to scale its salad vending machines, bringing its total raised to $40 million. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.   2. Whole Foods Workers Push to Unionize – Wall Street Journal Some Whole Foods employees want to unionize to address what they say are changes to corporate culture and diminished compensation under the ownership of Amazon. Workers want better compensation, benefits and profit-sharing.   3. Farmer’s Fridge Stocks up with $30M – The Spoon Funding was led by Innovation Endeavors, with participation from Finistere Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, and Danone Manifesto Ventures. New capital will be used to scale the business.   4. West~bourne’s Camilla Marcus on Her Failure to Launch [VIDEO] West~bourne founder Camilla Marcus joined us at our Fail Friday this past June to share her stories of failure and lessons learned.   5. Uber Freight Launches New Platform Just for Shippers – Supply Chain Dive  The digital platform is specifically targeted at shippers, enabling them to obtain instant pricing, tender a load, track their shipments and manage documents.   6. Walmart Partners with Delivery Logistics Platform Bringg on Last-Mile Grocery Delivery – TechCrunch After announcing the launch of its last-mile delivery pilot program, Spark Delivery, the retailer’s newest partnership with Bringg will allow it to offer Uber-like or Amazon-like level of visibility to its delivery operations.   7. Here’s Why Coca-Cola Is Buying Costa Coffee for $5.1B – Fortune While Costa does not compete in the US market, it is the UK’s leading coffee chain and operates several hundred outlets in China. Its parent company, Whitbread, also operates the Premier Inn hotel chain.   8. Sentera Raises $14M Series A from Syndicate of Leading Agtech Investors – AgFunder Funding was led by S2G Ventures, with participation from Continental Grain Company and Middleland Capital. The company will use the funds to bolster its distribution channels, focusing on its existing partnerships.   9. Canters Restaurant Royalty Raises $9.5M for Ordermark, a Takeout Order Management Service – TechCrunch Investors included Nosara Capital, with participation from Vertical Venture Partners, RiverPark Ventures, Techstars Ventures, and Matchstick Ventures. With the new capital the company is looking to expand into most of the major metropolitan areas in the US.   10. Picnik Raises $7.5M from KarpReilly – BevNET The move will grow both the brand’s CPG and cafe businesses.   11. Bear Flag Robotics Raises $3.5M Seed Round to Automate Common Tasks on the Farm – AgFunder True Ventures led the round, which will help Bear Flag grow its team with the most qualified robotics, machine vision and system engineers in Silicon Valley.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Whole Foods Workers Call to Unionize, Farmer’s Fridge Raises $30M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
Source: Yahoo! Finance

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 group of Whole Foods employees sent out an email to workers at most of the 490 Whole Foods stores urging them to back their unionization drive, sparked by changes to corporate culture and diminished compensation under the ownership of Amazon. They are pushing Whole Foods and Amazon for better compensation, benefits and profit-sharing.

Farmer’s Fridge has raised $30 million led by Innovation Endeavors to scale its salad vending machines, bringing its total raised to $40 million.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. Join the Alpha Food Labs Community

We’re rethinking the way food is made, starting with community. The Alpha Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.

 

2. Whole Foods Workers Push to Unionize – Wall Street Journal

Some Whole Foods employees want to unionize to address what they say are changes to corporate culture and diminished compensation under the ownership of Amazon. Workers want better compensation, benefits and profit-sharing.

 

3. Farmer’s Fridge Stocks up with $30M – The Spoon

Funding was led by Innovation Endeavors, with participation from Finistere Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, and Danone Manifesto Ventures. New capital will be used to scale the business.

 

4. West~bourne’s Camilla Marcus on Her Failure to Launch [VIDEO]

West~bourne founder Camilla Marcus joined us at our Fail Friday this past June to share her stories of failure and lessons learned.

 

5. Uber Freight Launches New Platform Just for Shippers – Supply Chain Dive 

The digital platform is specifically targeted at shippers, enabling them to obtain instant pricing, tender a load, track their shipments and manage documents.

 

6. Walmart Partners with Delivery Logistics Platform Bringg on Last-Mile Grocery Delivery – TechCrunch

After announcing the launch of its last-mile delivery pilot program, Spark Delivery, the retailer’s newest partnership with Bringg will allow it to offer Uber-like or Amazon-like level of visibility to its delivery operations.

 

7. Here’s Why Coca-Cola Is Buying Costa Coffee for $5.1B – Fortune

While Costa does not compete in the US market, it is the UK’s leading coffee chain and operates several hundred outlets in China. Its parent company, Whitbread, also operates the Premier Inn hotel chain.

 

8. Sentera Raises $14M Series A from Syndicate of Leading Agtech Investors – AgFunder

Funding was led by S2G Ventures, with participation from Continental Grain Company and Middleland Capital. The company will use the funds to bolster its distribution channels, focusing on its existing partnerships.

 

9. Canters Restaurant Royalty Raises $9.5M for Ordermark, a Takeout Order Management Service – TechCrunch

Investors included Nosara Capital, with participation from Vertical Venture Partners, RiverPark Ventures, Techstars Ventures, and Matchstick Ventures. With the new capital the company is looking to expand into most of the major metropolitan areas in the US.

 

10. Picnik Raises $7.5M from KarpReilly – BevNET

The move will grow both the brand’s CPG and cafe businesses.

 

11. Bear Flag Robotics Raises $3.5M Seed Round to Automate Common Tasks on the Farm – AgFunder

True Ventures led the round, which will help Bear Flag grow its team with the most qualified robotics, machine vision and system engineers in Silicon Valley.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Whole Foods Workers Call to Unionize, Farmer’s Fridge Raises $30M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/09/06/whole-foods-workers-call-unionize-farmers-fridge-raises-30m/feed/ 0 PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi Resigns, Albertsons & Greycroft Launch $50M VC Fund, Zume to Raise $750M + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/09/pepsicos-indra-nooyi-resigns-albertsons-greycroft-launch-50m-vc-fund-zume-to-raise-750m/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/09/pepsicos-indra-nooyi-resigns-albertsons-greycroft-launch-50m-vc-fund-zume-to-raise-750m/#respond Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:51:50 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=30806 Source: DNA India 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. After 12 years of leading PepsiCo towards healthier brand strategy, CEO Indra Nooyi is stepping down from her role and being replaced by President Ramon Laguarta. Albertsons has joined forces with Greycroft to launch a $50 million VC fund for grocery tech startups. As the demand for healthier and fresher food intersects with the desire of busy consumers for portion-sized grab-and-go items, the store perimeter is increasingly where it’s at for health-conscious snackers. And finally, SoftBank has plans to pour $750 million into Zume, the maker of robot pizzas. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. PepsiCo’s Nooyi to Exit, Thinning the Ranks of US Female CEOs – Bloomberg President Ramon Laguarta will take over the role in October, but Nooyi will remain as PepsiCo’s chairwoman until early 2019.   2. Albertsons and Greycroft Form Venture Fund for Grocery Tech Startups – The Spoon The partnership has formed a $50m fund to invest in emerging companies and technologies in the grocery sector.   3. SoftBank in Talks to Invest Up to $750M in Zume, the Startup That Sells Robot-Made Pizza – Bloomberg Zume owns a patent for delivery trucks capable of cooking food while it’s en route to customers. The investment shows SoftBank’s Vision Fund’s broader ambitions to attach itself to the food delivery businesses.   4. Fresh Snacking Makes the Perimeter Even More Central to Grocery Store Success – New Hope Network As the demand for healthier and fresher food intersects with the desire of busy consumers for portion-sized grab-and-go items, the store perimeter is increasingly where it’s at for health-conscious snackers.   5. Flagship’s Latest Venture Inari Raises $40m Series B to “Transform Plant Breeding” – AgFunder Inari has raised $40m in Series B funding from Acre Venture Partners and Alexandria Venture Investments. The company will use this funding to accelerate the business and add to its team of more than 80 scientists, statisticians, engineers and advisors.   6. Walmart and JD.com Invest $500M in a Chinese Online Delivery Company – CNBC JD Daojia delivers goods from local supermarkets and other partners via a location-based smartphone app and has about 20m monthly active users.   7. Albertsons and Rite Aid Cancel Merger Amid Shareholder Opposition – Food Dive Shareholders were set to vote on the acquisition today, but the deal was called off due to mounting opposition. For Albertsons, this marks yet another failed attempt at becoming a publicly traded company.   8. Alibaba Merging China Food Delivery Units to Counter Tencent-Backed Meituan – Reuters The Alibaba units to be merged include food delivery platform Ele.me and food and lifestyle services firm Koubei. Alibaba is looking to raise between $3b and $5b for the combined entity.   9. Robot Coffee Chain Cafe X Is Almost Done Raising $12M – Crunchbase Recent regulatory filings suggest that Cafe X is slurping down up to $12m in a Seed-1 led by Jason Calacanis and Craft Ventures.   10. Starbucks Drops Major Hint at Plans to Accept Bitcoin – TechCrunch ICE officially announced the creation of Bakkt to help trade and convert the best known cryptocurrency to government-backed legal tender. Starbucks referred to itself as the flagship retailer involved in the project.   11. Good Catch Reels in Investment – Project Nosh The plant-based seafood company announced the close of an $8.7m series A led by New Crop Capital with participation from PHW Group, Thrive Market and Fresh Direct. It plans to enter the retail market in the last quarter of 2018.   12. UK: RootWave Raises $2.5M for Herbicide Alternative – AgFunder The company has raised $1m in seed funding from angel investors and The Yield Lab, as well as a $1.5m grant from the EU’s Horizons 2020 initiative. It is planning to launch next year by integrating its technology into automated weeders attached to tractors.   13. AgFunder Invests in Foodtech Startup Chinova Bioworks’ $2M Round With DSM, Rhapsody – AgFunder Chinova Bioworks creates a customizable natural preservative using chitosan extracted from mushrooms. Funding will be used to scale production and build its team.   14. Focus Brands to Buy Jamba Juice for $200M – Nation’s Restaurant News Atlanta-based Focus Brands is the parent company to Carvel, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and Schlotzsky’s. Jamba Juice has more than 800 locations worldwide.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi Resigns, Albertsons & Greycroft Launch $50M VC Fund, Zume to Raise $750M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
Source: DNA India

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.

After 12 years of leading PepsiCo towards healthier brand strategy, CEO Indra Nooyi is stepping down from her role and being replaced by President Ramon Laguarta.

Albertsons has joined forces with Greycroft to launch a $50 million VC fund for grocery tech startups. As the demand for healthier and fresher food intersects with the desire of busy consumers for portion-sized grab-and-go items, the store perimeter is increasingly where it’s at for health-conscious snackers.

And finally, SoftBank has plans to pour $750 million into Zume, the maker of robot pizzas.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. PepsiCo’s Nooyi to Exit, Thinning the Ranks of US Female CEOs – Bloomberg

President Ramon Laguarta will take over the role in October, but Nooyi will remain as PepsiCo’s chairwoman until early 2019.

 

2. Albertsons and Greycroft Form Venture Fund for Grocery Tech Startups – The Spoon

The partnership has formed a $50m fund to invest in emerging companies and technologies in the grocery sector.

 

3. SoftBank in Talks to Invest Up to $750M in Zume, the Startup That Sells Robot-Made Pizza – Bloomberg

Zume owns a patent for delivery trucks capable of cooking food while it’s en route to customers. The investment shows SoftBank’s Vision Fund’s broader ambitions to attach itself to the food delivery businesses.

 

4. Fresh Snacking Makes the Perimeter Even More Central to Grocery Store Success – New Hope Network

As the demand for healthier and fresher food intersects with the desire of busy consumers for portion-sized grab-and-go items, the store perimeter is increasingly where it’s at for health-conscious snackers.

 

5. Flagship’s Latest Venture Inari Raises $40m Series B to “Transform Plant Breeding” – AgFunder

Inari has raised $40m in Series B funding from Acre Venture Partners and Alexandria Venture Investments. The company will use this funding to accelerate the business and add to its team of more than 80 scientists, statisticians, engineers and advisors.

 

6. Walmart and JD.com Invest $500M in a Chinese Online Delivery Company – CNBC

JD Daojia delivers goods from local supermarkets and other partners via a location-based smartphone app and has about 20m monthly active users.

 

7. Albertsons and Rite Aid Cancel Merger Amid Shareholder Opposition – Food Dive

Shareholders were set to vote on the acquisition today, but the deal was called off due to mounting opposition. For Albertsons, this marks yet another failed attempt at becoming a publicly traded company.

 

8. Alibaba Merging China Food Delivery Units to Counter Tencent-Backed Meituan – Reuters

The Alibaba units to be merged include food delivery platform Ele.me and food and lifestyle services firm Koubei. Alibaba is looking to raise between $3b and $5b for the combined entity.

 

9. Robot Coffee Chain Cafe X Is Almost Done Raising $12M – Crunchbase

Recent regulatory filings suggest that Cafe X is slurping down up to $12m in a Seed-1 led by Jason Calacanis and Craft Ventures.

 

10. Starbucks Drops Major Hint at Plans to Accept Bitcoin – TechCrunch

ICE officially announced the creation of Bakkt to help trade and convert the best known cryptocurrency to government-backed legal tender. Starbucks referred to itself as the flagship retailer involved in the project.

 

11. Good Catch Reels in Investment – Project Nosh

The plant-based seafood company announced the close of an $8.7m series A led by New Crop Capital with participation from PHW Group, Thrive Market and Fresh Direct. It plans to enter the retail market in the last quarter of 2018.

 

12. UK: RootWave Raises $2.5M for Herbicide Alternative – AgFunder

The company has raised $1m in seed funding from angel investors and The Yield Lab, as well as a $1.5m grant from the EU’s Horizons 2020 initiative. It is planning to launch next year by integrating its technology into automated weeders attached to tractors.

 

13. AgFunder Invests in Foodtech Startup Chinova Bioworks’ $2M Round With DSM, Rhapsody – AgFunder

Chinova Bioworks creates a customizable natural preservative using chitosan extracted from mushrooms. Funding will be used to scale production and build its team.

 

14. Focus Brands to Buy Jamba Juice for $200M – Nation’s Restaurant News

Atlanta-based Focus Brands is the parent company to Carvel, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and Schlotzsky’s. Jamba Juice has more than 800 locations worldwide.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi Resigns, Albertsons & Greycroft Launch $50M VC Fund, Zume to Raise $750M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/09/pepsicos-indra-nooyi-resigns-albertsons-greycroft-launch-50m-vc-fund-zume-to-raise-750m/feed/ 0 Nature’s Path Foods Leaves the Organic Trade Association, Dirty Lemon Launches CBD Drink + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/07/05/natures-path-foods-leaves-organic-trade-association-dirty-lemon-launches-cbd-drink/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/07/05/natures-path-foods-leaves-organic-trade-association-dirty-lemon-launches-cbd-drink/#respond Thu, 05 Jul 2018 19:50:14 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=30663 Source: 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. CPG companies are on the move. Califia Farms is expanding its plant-based empire with a $50 million investment. Nature’s Path has officially left the Organic Trade Association, concerned by support of the GMO labeling law and hydroponics. Dirty Lemon has hopped on the CBD train. Nestle is in talks to acquire Canadian pet food maker Champion Petfood for more than $2 billion. At Whole Foods, hundreds of layoffs have upset workers and led to calls for unionization. Under Amazon, Whole Foods has also drawn ire from its suppliers, especially small artisans that are hit especially hard by the higher fees and Prime discounts. Amazon has super-sized its second grab-and-go grocery store in Seattle, which is set to be 70% larger at 3,000 square feet. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________   1. Califia Farms Raises $50M+ to Expand Its Plant-Based Empire – Food Navigator Ambrosia Investments, Sun Pacific and Stripes Group led the investment. The capital will be used to expand its manufacturing facility and further develop go-to-market capabilities for commercializing recent launches.   2. Nature’s Path Foods Leaves the Organic Trade Association – Baking Business The move follows the company voicing concerns that the OTA has shifted its commitment away from organic products due to a misrepresentation of organic food companies, its support of a GMO labeling law and of hydroponics being allowed to fall under the organic certification label.   3. Dirty Lemon Just Hopped on the CBD Train with Its Latest Tropical-Inspired Elixir – Well + Good The elixir—which is fit to tackle anxiety, diffuse stress, decrease muscle and joint pain, calm acne and improve sleep quality—includes 20mg of full-spectrum cannabidiol. Dirty Lemon aims to launch a new flavor every month.   4. Nestlé in Talks to Buy Pet Food Maker for $2B – Wall Street Journal Nestlé SA is angling to take control of Canada’s Champion Petfood as it seeks out higher-growth businesses to help offset its struggling packaged foods operations.   5. Dean Foods Acquires Majority Share of Good Karma – Project Nosh Dean Foods, one of the largest dairy companies in the US, has increasingly looked to diversify its portfolio beyond cow’s milk products and position itself further into the natural food space. Financial terms were not disclosed.   6. Singapore: Warburg Pincus-Backed Trax Raises $125M Pre-IPO Funding – Bloomberg Funding was led by Boyu Capital. The IPO could take place in the next 18 to 24 months and the company is already in talks with both the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange. Trax is a startup serving the retail industry valued at $1b.   7. New Era at Amazon’s Whole Foods Grates on Some Suppliers, Employees – Wall Street Journal Suppliers fight fees, while workers push to unionize a year after the merger.   8. DroneDeploy Raises $25M to Help Drone Operators Capture and Analyze Aerial Data – VentureBeat Funding was led by the Invenergy Future Fund, with participation from Scale Venture Partners, Uncork Capital, Emergence Capital, AngelPad and AirTree. The company plans to invest heavily in AI.   9. Kimbal Musk Backs a Restaurant Chain That Charges Lower Prices in Poor Neighborhoods – CNBC Investors including Kimbal Musk, Acumen, Maria Shriver, TOMS Social Enterprise fund and Chipotle are pouring $5.3m into Everytable, a health-minded fast casual restaurant. Its newly raised funds should help it grow in and beyond Los Angeles.   10. Target, Walmart Automate More Store Tasks – Wall Street Journal Target is installing cash-counting machines, and Walmart is adding shelf-scanning robots. Both chains seek to free staff to help shoppers.   11. US Senate Votes to Legalize Hemp After Decades-Long Ban Under Marijuana Prohibition – Forbes Senators overwhelmingly approved legislation to legalize marijuana’s non-psychoactive cannabis cousin, hemp.   12. Email Reveals Who’s Really Paying for Amazon Prime’s New Discount at Whole Foods: Vendors – New Food Economy Any 10% discount on sale items offered to Prime customers will mandatorily be charged back to the vendor. This charge makes the hit that vendors already take on sale items even bigger.   13. Grocery Giants Tesco, Carrefour Team Up Amid Amazon Threat – Wall Street Journal Two of the world’s largest grocers will jointly source certain products at lower prices, raise quality and broaden their product offerings. The 3-year agreement will give the pair more scale in negotiations with global suppliers.   14. Amazon Will Supersize Its Second Grab-and-Go Grocery in Seattle – Fortune The new location will be 3,000 square feet, a 70% increase in size from the first store. The larger footprint may prevent the lines outside the checkout-free store.   Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Nature’s Path Foods Leaves the Organic Trade Association, Dirty Lemon Launches CBD Drink + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Source: 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.

CPG companies are on the move. Califia Farms is expanding its plant-based empire with a $50 million investment. Nature’s Path has officially left the Organic Trade Association, concerned by support of the GMO labeling law and hydroponics. Dirty Lemon has hopped on the CBD train. Nestle is in talks to acquire Canadian pet food maker Champion Petfood for more than $2 billion.

At Whole Foods, hundreds of layoffs have upset workers and led to calls for unionization. Under Amazon, Whole Foods has also drawn ire from its suppliers, especially small artisans that are hit especially hard by the higher fees and Prime discounts. Amazon has super-sized its second grab-and-go grocery store in Seattle, which is set to be 70% larger at 3,000 square feet.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

 

1. Califia Farms Raises $50M+ to Expand Its Plant-Based Empire – Food Navigator

Ambrosia Investments, Sun Pacific and Stripes Group led the investment. The capital will be used to expand its manufacturing facility and further develop go-to-market capabilities for commercializing recent launches.

 

2. Nature’s Path Foods Leaves the Organic Trade Association – Baking Business

The move follows the company voicing concerns that the OTA has shifted its commitment away from organic products due to a misrepresentation of organic food companies, its support of a GMO labeling law and of hydroponics being allowed to fall under the organic certification label.

 

3. Dirty Lemon Just Hopped on the CBD Train with Its Latest Tropical-Inspired Elixir – Well + Good

The elixir—which is fit to tackle anxiety, diffuse stress, decrease muscle and joint pain, calm acne and improve sleep quality—includes 20mg of full-spectrum cannabidiol. Dirty Lemon aims to launch a new flavor every month.

 

4. Nestlé in Talks to Buy Pet Food Maker for $2B – Wall Street Journal

Nestlé SA is angling to take control of Canada’s Champion Petfood as it seeks out higher-growth businesses to help offset its struggling packaged foods operations.

 

5. Dean Foods Acquires Majority Share of Good Karma – Project Nosh

Dean Foods, one of the largest dairy companies in the US, has increasingly looked to diversify its portfolio beyond cow’s milk products and position itself further into the natural food space. Financial terms were not disclosed.

 

6. Singapore: Warburg Pincus-Backed Trax Raises $125M Pre-IPO Funding – Bloomberg

Funding was led by Boyu Capital. The IPO could take place in the next 18 to 24 months and the company is already in talks with both the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange. Trax is a startup serving the retail industry valued at $1b.

 

7. New Era at Amazon’s Whole Foods Grates on Some Suppliers, Employees – Wall Street Journal

Suppliers fight fees, while workers push to unionize a year after the merger.

 

8. DroneDeploy Raises $25M to Help Drone Operators Capture and Analyze Aerial Data – VentureBeat

Funding was led by the Invenergy Future Fund, with participation from Scale Venture Partners, Uncork Capital, Emergence Capital, AngelPad and AirTree. The company plans to invest heavily in AI.

 

9. Kimbal Musk Backs a Restaurant Chain That Charges Lower Prices in Poor Neighborhoods – CNBC

Investors including Kimbal Musk, Acumen, Maria Shriver, TOMS Social Enterprise fund and Chipotle are pouring $5.3m into Everytable, a health-minded fast casual restaurant. Its newly raised funds should help it grow in and beyond Los Angeles.

 

10. Target, Walmart Automate More Store Tasks – Wall Street Journal

Target is installing cash-counting machines, and Walmart is adding shelf-scanning robots. Both chains seek to free staff to help shoppers.

 

11. US Senate Votes to Legalize Hemp After Decades-Long Ban Under Marijuana Prohibition – Forbes

Senators overwhelmingly approved legislation to legalize marijuana’s non-psychoactive cannabis cousin, hemp.

 

12. Email Reveals Who’s Really Paying for Amazon Prime’s New Discount at Whole Foods: Vendors – New Food Economy

Any 10% discount on sale items offered to Prime customers will mandatorily be charged back to the vendor. This charge makes the hit that vendors already take on sale items even bigger.

 

13. Grocery Giants Tesco, Carrefour Team Up Amid Amazon Threat – Wall Street Journal

Two of the world’s largest grocers will jointly source certain products at lower prices, raise quality and broaden their product offerings. The 3-year agreement will give the pair more scale in negotiations with global suppliers.

 

14. Amazon Will Supersize Its Second Grab-and-Go Grocery in Seattle – Fortune

The new location will be 3,000 square feet, a 70% increase in size from the first store. The larger footprint may prevent the lines outside the checkout-free store.

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Nature’s Path Foods Leaves the Organic Trade Association, Dirty Lemon Launches CBD Drink + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/07/05/natures-path-foods-leaves-organic-trade-association-dirty-lemon-launches-cbd-drink/feed/ 0 Remembering Anthony Bourdain, Sea to Table Accused of Mislabeling Fish + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/06/14/remembering-anthony-bourdain-sea-table-accused-mislabeling-fish/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/06/14/remembering-anthony-bourdain-sea-table-accused-mislabeling-fish/#respond Thu, 14 Jun 2018 20:13:27 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=30591 Image source: NBC News 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. Last week, Anthony Bourdain took his life. Anthony, thank you. For your insatiable curiosity. For taking us around the world with you to learn about culture, food, and humanity. For showing us how beautiful and delicious diversity is. For challenging us to buck norms and to think bigger. For shining a light on the untold stories of those who grow and cook our food. We will miss you. RIP. An extensive investigation by the Associated Press found that New York-based seafood distributor, Sea to Table has been marketing seafood as “local“ and “wild caught“ when some of its seafood was actually farmed or illegally caught out-of-season. In other news, specialty foods sales surged to $140.3 billion in 2017. The category is growing faster than all food sold at retail. Retailers continue to pair up with tech giants. This week, Google announced its foray into grocery e-commerce through its partnership with Carrefour in France. Microsoft is now working on cashier-less checkout technology in an aim against Amazon Go. Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here. _______________ 1. Anthony Bourdain, Renegade Chef Who Reported From the World’s Tables, Is Dead at 61 – New York Times Mr. Bourdain, who began his career as a chef, redefined the staid genres of food writing and food-tourism shows.   2. Fish Billed As Local Isn’t Always Local – AP News Sea to Table’s yellowfin tuna has been linked to migrant fishermen in foreign waters who describe labor abuses, poaching and the slaughter of sharks, whales and dolphins. The distributor has been offering species in other parts of the country that were illegal to catch, out of season and farmed.   3. Letter From Our Founder On Recent Press Story – Sea to Table The idea that we could be associated with an organization that engages in poor labor practices is outright horrifying to us. We would never knowingly purchase fish that doesn’t conform to our exacting standards, and are addressing these claims quickly and with a strong commitment to integrity and transparency.   4. Specialty Foods Sales Surge to Record $140.3B in 2017 – Food Dive Specialty food sales rose 11% between 2015 and 2017. The category is growing faster than all food sold at retail, jumping 12.9% compared to 1.4%.   5. Self-Driving Robot Delivery Startup Starship Technologies Raises $25M – TechCrunch Funding included Matrix Partners, Morpheus Ventures, Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn and others. Starship plans on deploying robots in neighborhoods, corporate and university campuses in both the US and Europe.   6. Microsoft Takes Aim at Amazon with Push for Checkout-Free Retail – Reuters Microsoft is developing systems that track what shoppers add to their carts. It has shown sample technology to retailers from around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration.   7. Chef’d Is Bringing Its Meal Kits to Walgreens, Duane Read – CNBC Chef’d will bring its meal kits to 30 Walgreens and Duane Reade stores in the New York area as part of a partnership with Smithfield Foods. This is one of the first instances of a meal kit company partnering with a drugstore chain.   8. Google Enters Deal With Carrefour to Sell Food Online in France – Bloomberg Alphabet Inc’s Google entered a deal with Carrefour to sell groceries online in France through its platforms including Home, Assistant and the Google shopping destination in France.   9. Ford’s ‘Self-Driving’ Vans Are Now Delivering Food in Miami – The Verge Ford has retrofitted a fleet of its Transit vans with touchpad-accessible lockers, from which Postmates customers with the right access code can retrieve their food. The pilot is underway with over 70 businesses participating.   10. Deliveroo Fattens Its Market Presence by Opening to Restaurants That Do Deliveries – TechCrunch Next month, the company will launch a new service called Marketplace+ in seven of its markets, onboarding restaurants that do their own food deliveries to its platform and offering them the ability to tap into Deliveroo’s network of riders.   11. Sfoglini Completes $2.5M Financing Round Led by Almanac Insights to Fuel Its Organic Pasta Empire – Food Navigator The partnership with David Barber’s investment fund will enable the company to scale from a small Brooklyn startup to a large-scale production facility.     Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Remembering Anthony Bourdain, Sea to Table Accused of Mislabeling Fish + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
Image source: NBC News

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.

Last week, Anthony Bourdain took his life. Anthony, thank you. For your insatiable curiosity. For taking us around the world with you to learn about culture, food, and humanity. For showing us how beautiful and delicious diversity is. For challenging us to buck norms and to think bigger. For shining a light on the untold stories of those who grow and cook our food. We will miss you. RIP.

An extensive investigation by the Associated Press found that New York-based seafood distributor, Sea to Table has been marketing seafood as “local“ and “wild caught“ when some of its seafood was actually farmed or illegally caught out-of-season.

In other news, specialty foods sales surged to $140.3 billion in 2017. The category is growing faster than all food sold at retail.

Retailers continue to pair up with tech giants. This week, Google announced its foray into grocery e-commerce through its partnership with Carrefour in France. Microsoft is now working on cashier-less checkout technology in an aim against Amazon Go.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

_______________

1. Anthony Bourdain, Renegade Chef Who Reported From the World’s Tables, Is Dead at 61 – New York Times

Mr. Bourdain, who began his career as a chef, redefined the staid genres of food writing and food-tourism shows.

 

2. Fish Billed As Local Isn’t Always Local – AP News

Sea to Table’s yellowfin tuna has been linked to migrant fishermen in foreign waters who describe labor abuses, poaching and the slaughter of sharks, whales and dolphins. The distributor has been offering species in other parts of the country that were illegal to catch, out of season and farmed.

 

3. Letter From Our Founder On Recent Press Story – Sea to Table

The idea that we could be associated with an organization that engages in poor labor practices is outright horrifying to us. We would never knowingly purchase fish that doesn’t conform to our exacting standards, and are addressing these claims quickly and with a strong commitment to integrity and transparency.

 

4. Specialty Foods Sales Surge to Record $140.3B in 2017 – Food Dive

Specialty food sales rose 11% between 2015 and 2017. The category is growing faster than all food sold at retail, jumping 12.9% compared to 1.4%.

 

5. Self-Driving Robot Delivery Startup Starship Technologies Raises $25M – TechCrunch

Funding included Matrix Partners, Morpheus Ventures, Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn and others. Starship plans on deploying robots in neighborhoods, corporate and university campuses in both the US and Europe.

 

6. Microsoft Takes Aim at Amazon with Push for Checkout-Free Retail – Reuters

Microsoft is developing systems that track what shoppers add to their carts. It has shown sample technology to retailers from around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration.

 

7. Chef’d Is Bringing Its Meal Kits to Walgreens, Duane Read – CNBC

Chef’d will bring its meal kits to 30 Walgreens and Duane Reade stores in the New York area as part of a partnership with Smithfield Foods. This is one of the first instances of a meal kit company partnering with a drugstore chain.

 

8. Google Enters Deal With Carrefour to Sell Food Online in France – Bloomberg

Alphabet Inc’s Google entered a deal with Carrefour to sell groceries online in France through its platforms including Home, Assistant and the Google shopping destination in France.

 

9. Ford’s ‘Self-Driving’ Vans Are Now Delivering Food in Miami – The Verge

Ford has retrofitted a fleet of its Transit vans with touchpad-accessible lockers, from which Postmates customers with the right access code can retrieve their food. The pilot is underway with over 70 businesses participating.

 

10. Deliveroo Fattens Its Market Presence by Opening to Restaurants That Do Deliveries – TechCrunch

Next month, the company will launch a new service called Marketplace+ in seven of its markets, onboarding restaurants that do their own food deliveries to its platform and offering them the ability to tap into Deliveroo’s network of riders.

 

11. Sfoglini Completes $2.5M Financing Round Led by Almanac Insights to Fuel Its Organic Pasta Empire – Food Navigator

The partnership with David Barber’s investment fund will enable the company to scale from a small Brooklyn startup to a large-scale production facility.

 

 

Our newsletter is the absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector, so sign up for it today and never miss the latest food tech and innovation news and trends, Already signed up? Share the love with your friends and colleagues!

The post Remembering Anthony Bourdain, Sea to Table Accused of Mislabeling Fish + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/06/14/remembering-anthony-bourdain-sea-table-accused-mislabeling-fish/feed/ 0