food waste Archives | Food+Tech Connect https://foodtechconnect.com News, trends & community for food and food tech startups. Mon, 27 Nov 2023 21:27:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 UK Approves First CRISPR Drug, EU’s Food Delivery Cartel + More  https://foodtechconnect.com/2023/11/27/uk-approves-first-crispr-drug-eus-food-delivery-cartel-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2023/11/27/uk-approves-first-crispr-drug-eus-food-delivery-cartel-more/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 21:27:14 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=35542 Image Credit: Fast Company Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In recent developments, the UK has granted approval for its inaugural CRISPR gene-editing drug, marking a groundbreaking step in the treatment of blood disorders. Anticipation is high as the US is expected to follow suit, potentially approving the innovative therapy later this year. Meanwhile, in the European Union, antitrust regulators have expanded their investigation into potential cartel activities within the food delivery sector. Recent raids have targeted two online food delivery companies headquartered in the EU, signaling a widening scope of concerns and a concerted effort to ensure fair competition in this rapidly evolving 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. The UK Approved Its First CRISPR Gene-Editing Drug—and the US Is Expected To Follow – Fast Company The treatment for blood disorders is widely anticipated to be approved in the US this year—and that’s just the beginning for gene editing in medicine.   2. EU Widens Scope of Food Delivery Cartel Concerns Probe – TechCrunch European Union antitrust regulators have carried out another series of raids on two online food delivery companies headquartered inside the bloc.   3. Foxtrot and Dom’s Announce Merger – Grocery Dive The Chicago-based upscale convenience store brand plans to combine with the local grocer that has a similar reputation for innovative foodservice and store designs.   4. Matsmart-Motatos Tackling Food Waste with €40M Investment Led By Circularity Capital – Tech.eu Matsmart tackles the issue of waste in the food supply chain by procuring and reselling overstock goods that traditional retailers can’t buy.   5. Reusable Packaging Could Cut Emissions from Plastics By Up to 69% – Reuters Under its most ambitious scenario, reuse schemes could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% to 69%, water usage by 45% to 70%, and material usage by 45% to 76%.   6. Scientists Are Racing to Protect Grass From Climate Change. Your Cheap Burger Is at Stake. – WSJ Heat waves and drought are threatening pasture on farms worldwide, prompting experiments to develop hardier crops.   7. Foodshot Global Takes On One of the World’s Most Underinvested Resources: Water – AgFunder The group plans to award up to $10m in equity capital to companies along with a ‘GroundBreaker Prize’ of around $500k in philanthropic capital to researchers, early-stage entrepreneurs or policy advocates.   8. TurtleTree Obtains Self-Affirmed GRAS Status for Its Precision Fermentation Lactoferrin Protein – Green Queen The company says it is the first precision fermentation company globally to obtain self-affirmed GRAS status for this ingredient.   9. How Mushroom-Based Products Have Evolved Into a Mainstream Grocery Category – ModernRetail Product intelligence firm Spins found in July that “super mushroom” food and beverage products saw $642m in sales, a 19.5% year-over-year growth.  

The post UK Approves First CRISPR Drug, EU’s Food Delivery Cartel + More  appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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Image Credit: Fast Company

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines.

In recent developments, the UK has granted approval for its inaugural CRISPR gene-editing drug, marking a groundbreaking step in the treatment of blood disorders. Anticipation is high as the US is expected to follow suit, potentially approving the innovative therapy later this year. Meanwhile, in the European Union, antitrust regulators have expanded their investigation into potential cartel activities within the food delivery sector. Recent raids have targeted two online food delivery companies headquartered in the EU, signaling a widening scope of concerns and a concerted effort to ensure fair competition in this rapidly evolving 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. The UK Approved Its First CRISPR Gene-Editing Drug—and the US Is Expected To Follow – Fast Company

The treatment for blood disorders is widely anticipated to be approved in the US this year—and that’s just the beginning for gene editing in medicine.

 

2. EU Widens Scope of Food Delivery Cartel Concerns Probe – TechCrunch

European Union antitrust regulators have carried out another series of raids on two online food delivery companies headquartered inside the bloc.

 

3. Foxtrot and Dom’s Announce Merger – Grocery Dive

The Chicago-based upscale convenience store brand plans to combine with the local grocer that has a similar reputation for innovative foodservice and store designs.

 

4. Matsmart-Motatos Tackling Food Waste with €40M Investment Led By Circularity Capital – Tech.eu

Matsmart tackles the issue of waste in the food supply chain by procuring and reselling overstock goods that traditional retailers can’t buy.

 

5. Reusable Packaging Could Cut Emissions from Plastics By Up to 69% – Reuters

Under its most ambitious scenario, reuse schemes could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% to 69%, water usage by 45% to 70%, and material usage by 45% to 76%.

 

6. Scientists Are Racing to Protect Grass From Climate Change. Your Cheap Burger Is at Stake. – WSJ

Heat waves and drought are threatening pasture on farms worldwide, prompting experiments to develop hardier crops.

 

7. Foodshot Global Takes On One of the World’s Most Underinvested Resources: Water – AgFunder

The group plans to award up to $10m in equity capital to companies along with a ‘GroundBreaker Prize’ of around $500k in philanthropic capital to researchers, early-stage entrepreneurs or policy advocates.

 

8. TurtleTree Obtains Self-Affirmed GRAS Status for Its Precision Fermentation Lactoferrin Protein – Green Queen

The company says it is the first precision fermentation company globally to obtain self-affirmed GRAS status for this ingredient.

 

9. How Mushroom-Based Products Have Evolved Into a Mainstream Grocery Category – ModernRetail

Product intelligence firm Spins found in July that “super mushroom” food and beverage products saw $642m in sales, a 19.5% year-over-year growth.

 

The post UK Approves First CRISPR Drug, EU’s Food Delivery Cartel + More  appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2023/11/27/uk-approves-first-crispr-drug-eus-food-delivery-cartel-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 The Slow Demise of Speedy Grocery, Latest Food & Climate Data + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2022/06/27/the-slow-demise-of-speedy-grocery-latest-food-climate-data-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2022/06/27/the-slow-demise-of-speedy-grocery-latest-food-climate-data-more/#respond Mon, 27 Jun 2022 20:57:19 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=35129 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 so-called “instant” grocery delivery sector has undergone some serious ups and downs this month. Widescale layoffs and restructuring as well as cooling investor sentiment have occurred at the same time companies continue to land mega-deals. This week, Indian food delivery giant Zomato said it would acquire quick-commerce startup Blinkit for $568 million, and DoorDash launched a new quick delivery service with grocery retailer Loblaw. On the other hand, many say this is still a very niche corner of the food industry with no mass market appeal or real path to profitability. In climate news, new data from a Google Fellow finds that areas of the US that produce the most food are also experiencing the worst temperature increases. 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. Zomato to Acquire Quick-Commerce Startup Blinkit for $568M – Bloomberg India-based food delivery giant Zomato can leverage the deal to strengthen its instant grocery ambitions. Blink will retain its own separate branding and app.   2. Here’s The Latest Data On Climate And Food And It’s Not Good – Forbes Agricultural areas are among the places in the US experiencing the highest temperature increases, according to new data from Google Fellow  R.V. Guha. Almonds, olive oil and specialty produce from California are especially impacted, along with citrus and salad greens.   3. Report: Speedy Grocery Is a ‘Highly Specific Niche’ – Forbes According to a new report, less than 2% of adults in the US will pay a premium fee for the so-called “instant” grocery delivery. As the report states, there is still no mass demand for such quick turnaround times for groceries.   4. Current Foods Grabs $18M for Plant-Based Seafood – Green Queen Formerly known as Kuleana, San Francisco’s Current Foods combines ingredients like bamboo, algae, and potatoes to create plant-based fish analogues. The seed funding will support the company’s retail launch for its vegan salmon product.   5. Jellatech Unveils Its First Animal-Free Cell-Based Collagen – Vegconomist The team says it has successfully developed a full-length, triple helical and functional collagen made from its own proprietary cell lines. The announcement comes as demand for collagen in foods, beverages, vaccines, and other products continues rising.   6.DoorDash Is Launching a Quick Delivery Service – Supermarket News Grocery retailer Loblaw is partnering with the delivery company to launch PC Express Rapid Delivery, a service that delivers groceries in 30 minutes or less. The service is also the launch of DoorDash’s Rapid Delivery program.   7. Starbucks and Restaurant Businesses Will Pay Employees to Travel for Abortions – Restaurant Business Starbucks, DoorDash, Grubhub and Yelp will cover employees’ travel expenses to get abortions and other medical procedures that have been banned in their home states. The companies announced their policies in the run-up to last week’s Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade.   8. What Would a New Model of Conservation Look Like? – Offshoot The world needs to shift from a spacial understanding of conservation to a rights-based understanding, where success is measured by more tenure rights for the Indigenous communities already stewarding and protecting the land.   9. Shell Plans to Power IndyCar With Food Waste in the Future – Forbes Shell will introduce 100% renewable race fuel made from food waste for Indianapolis 500 cars starting in 2023. The new fuel is a blend of second-generation ethanol made from sugarcane waste and ‘other biofuels.’   10. How Can Global Agrifood Build Resilience? Look to Ukraine – AFN The geopolitical situation in Ukraine has exacerbated the growing number of problems brought about by climate change. The rest of the world should take a cue from Ukraine’s farmers as the battle against climate change escalates.   11. Gorillas Expects to Be Profitable in 12 Months – Bloomberg The quick grocery startup has turned its focus to talks of profitability in the wake of a broader market downturn.   12. Chinova Bioworks lands $6M for Mushroom-Based Preservatives – Food Navigator The company is developing a clean-label preservative derived from mushrooms and will use the Series A fundraise to open a new production facility this fall.

The post The Slow Demise of Speedy Grocery, Latest Food & Climate Data + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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Image: Gorillas

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 so-called “instant” grocery delivery sector has undergone some serious ups and downs this month. Widescale layoffs and restructuring as well as cooling investor sentiment have occurred at the same time companies continue to land mega-deals.

This week, Indian food delivery giant Zomato said it would acquire quick-commerce startup Blinkit for $568 million, and DoorDash launched a new quick delivery service with grocery retailer Loblaw. On the other hand, many say this is still a very niche corner of the food industry with no mass market appeal or real path to profitability.

In climate news, new data from a Google Fellow finds that areas of the US that produce the most food are also experiencing the worst temperature increases.

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. Zomato to Acquire Quick-Commerce Startup Blinkit for $568M – Bloomberg

India-based food delivery giant Zomato can leverage the deal to strengthen its instant grocery ambitions. Blink will retain its own separate branding and app.

 

2. Here’s The Latest Data On Climate And Food And It’s Not Good – Forbes

Agricultural areas are among the places in the US experiencing the highest temperature increases, according to new data from Google Fellow  R.V. Guha. Almonds, olive oil and specialty produce from California are especially impacted, along with citrus and salad greens.

 

3. Report: Speedy Grocery Is a ‘Highly Specific Niche’ – Forbes

According to a new report, less than 2% of adults in the US will pay a premium fee for the so-called “instant” grocery delivery. As the report states, there is still no mass demand for such quick turnaround times for groceries.

 

4. Current Foods Grabs $18M for Plant-Based Seafood – Green Queen

Formerly known as Kuleana, San Francisco’s Current Foods combines ingredients like bamboo, algae, and potatoes to create plant-based fish analogues. The seed funding will support the company’s retail launch for its vegan salmon product.

 

5. Jellatech Unveils Its First Animal-Free Cell-Based Collagen – Vegconomist

The team says it has successfully developed a full-length, triple helical and functional collagen made from its own proprietary cell lines. The announcement comes as demand for collagen in foods, beverages, vaccines, and other products continues rising.

 

6.DoorDash Is Launching a Quick Delivery Service – Supermarket News

Grocery retailer Loblaw is partnering with the delivery company to launch PC Express Rapid Delivery, a service that delivers groceries in 30 minutes or less. The service is also the launch of DoorDash’s Rapid Delivery program.

 

7. Starbucks and Restaurant Businesses Will Pay Employees to Travel for Abortions – Restaurant Business

Starbucks, DoorDash, Grubhub and Yelp will cover employees’ travel expenses to get abortions and other medical procedures that have been banned in their home states. The companies announced their policies in the run-up to last week’s Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade.

 

8. What Would a New Model of Conservation Look Like? – Offshoot

The world needs to shift from a spacial understanding of conservation to a rights-based understanding, where success is measured by more tenure rights for the Indigenous communities already stewarding and protecting the land.

 

9. Shell Plans to Power IndyCar With Food Waste in the Future – Forbes

Shell will introduce 100% renewable race fuel made from food waste for Indianapolis 500 cars starting in 2023. The new fuel is a blend of second-generation ethanol made from sugarcane waste and ‘other biofuels.’

 

10. How Can Global Agrifood Build Resilience? Look to Ukraine – AFN

The geopolitical situation in Ukraine has exacerbated the growing number of problems brought about by climate change. The rest of the world should take a cue from Ukraine’s farmers as the battle against climate change escalates.

 

11. Gorillas Expects to Be Profitable in 12 Months – Bloomberg

The quick grocery startup has turned its focus to talks of profitability in the wake of a broader market downturn.

 

12. Chinova Bioworks lands $6M for Mushroom-Based Preservatives – Food Navigator

The company is developing a clean-label preservative derived from mushrooms and will use the Series A fundraise to open a new production facility this fall.

The post The Slow Demise of Speedy Grocery, Latest Food & Climate Data + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2022/06/27/the-slow-demise-of-speedy-grocery-latest-food-climate-data-more/feed/ 0 John Mackey and Whole Foods Invest in Cultured Meat Startup, Sweetgreen to IPO + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/05/13/john-mackey-and-whole-foods-invest-in-cultured-meat-startup-sweetgreen-to-ipo-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/05/13/john-mackey-and-whole-foods-invest-in-cultured-meat-startup-sweetgreen-to-ipo-more/#respond Thu, 13 May 2021 21:10:54 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=34048 Source: Emily Shur / Inc [Official] 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. Sweetgreen is preparing to IPO this year, following a $156 million investment round it closed in January that valued the company at $1.78 billion. The emerging MAGA faction of the political constituency, has given rise to a number of right-wing coffee shops across America that are all taking aim at Starbucks. Meanwhile, fast food brands are piloting reusable containers. In plant-based news, Whole Foods founder John Mackey has invested in Upside Foods, formerly Memphis Meats, and Oatly expects to raise as much as $1.65 billion in its IPO. Motif Foodworks has gained exclusive commercial rights to extrudable fat technology, which replicates animal fat, and prolamin technology, which allows plant-based cheese to melt and stretch like animal-derived dairy. OsomeFoods has developed the world’s first plant-based hard boiled egg. 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.    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. Salad Chain Sweetgreen Is Planning a US IPO This Year – Bloomberg The company raised $156m from Durable Capital Partners in January, valuing it at $1.78b. That followed a $150m funding round in 2019.   2. Right-Wing Coffee Companies Want to Make Coffee Great Again – Vox From Conservative Grounds in Florida to Covfefe Coffee in Maine, MAGA wants to come for Starbucks.   3. Whole Foods Founder Mackey Invests in Producer of Cultured Meat – Bloomberg Upside Foods, formerly Memphis Meats, received about $500k from Mackey in addition to an undisclosed sum from Whole Foods.   4. Fast Food Brands Look at Reusables to Attempt to Solve Container Waste – AdWeek Burger King, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Tim Hortons are all launching pilot programs.   5. Oatly Sees Valuation Possibly Over $10 Billion as US IPO Nears – Bloomberg Oatly expects to raise as much as $1.65b for itself and its investors in an IPO, potentially giving the maker of plant-based food and drink products a total valuation of over $10b.   6. Singapore Manufacturer OsomeFood Says It Has Created the World’s First Plant-Based Hard Boiled Egg – Green Queen OsomeFood’s product range is made from naturally occurring fungi that undergoes a fermentation process to create mycoprotein that carries the same essential amino acids that are present in meat products.   7. Germany: ‘Clean Meat As a Service’: Plug-and-Play Tech Turns Meat Producers into Cell-Based Pork Producers – Food Navigator Innocent Meat is making an automated meat production system for industrial meat producers, providing them with bioreactors, cell media and growth factors, and access to smart software.   8. Texas Lawmakers Approve Bill Banning ‘Meat’ and ‘Beef’ from Labels of Plant-Based Foods – The Hill The bill will also keep companies that produce food from insects, plants or cell cultures, not slaughtered animals, from using the label “meat,” “pork,” “poultry” or “beef.”   9. Oprah-Backed Apeel Wants to Help Grocers Peer Into Produce – Bloomberg Apeel has acquired ImpactVision, maker of hyperspectral imaging tech, for an undisclosed sum.   10. Target Is Launching a Line of Plant-Based Food – CNN Good & Gather includes more than 30 foods including vegan spreads, almondmilk creamer, oat milk, plant-based dips and meat and chicken alternatives.   11. Ginkgo Bioworks to Go Public at $15B Valuation As Ag SPAC Frenzy Continues – AFN Ginkgo Bioworks said it will use the capital raised to dramatically increase the scale of its cell-programming tech platform.   12. China Enacts Food Waste Law, Brings in Ban for Binge-Eating & Fines for Leftovers – AFN Consumers can now be fined up to $15.4k for binge-eating videos, and restaurants that consistently waste large amounts of food face fines of up to $7.7k.   13. Chipotle Is Sued by New York City Over Scheduling Practices – New York Times The city seeks $150m in relief for employees, accusing the fast-food giant of “complete disregard” of a law governing workweeks.   14. AquaBounty Sells Out First 5T of GE Fish with Harvests to Start in May – Undercurrent News The forthcoming harvests and sales will represent the end of a journey to market over three decades in the making.   15. Valmont Acquires Crop Analytics Startup Prospera for $300M – AFN With Prospera on board, Valmont now claims to be the world’s largest, vertically integrated artificial intelligence company in agriculture.   16. New Guard 2021 – Eater Meet the inspiring leaders using food to challenge conventions, empower their communities and make positive change.   17. Hunger Rates Plummet After Two Rounds of Stimulus – Politico Republicans have long sought to shrink government aid, but Democrats see the data as proof that the direct payments are working as intended.   18. Consumers Believe Cell-Based Protein Will Make Up 40% of Their Meat Intake – Green Queen Gen Zs were most open to trying cell-based meat, with 88% of respondents saying they would welcome them, while millennials followed closely behind at 76%.   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 John Mackey and Whole Foods Invest in Cultured Meat Startup, Sweetgreen to IPO + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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Source: Emily Shur / Inc [Official]

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.

Sweetgreen is preparing to IPO this year, following a $156 million investment round it closed in January that valued the company at $1.78 billion. The emerging MAGA faction of the political constituency, has given rise to a number of right-wing coffee shops across America that are all taking aim at Starbucks. Meanwhile, fast food brands are piloting reusable containers.

In plant-based news, Whole Foods founder John Mackey has invested in Upside Foods, formerly Memphis Meats, and Oatly expects to raise as much as $1.65 billion in its IPO. Motif Foodworks has gained exclusive commercial rights to extrudable fat technology, which replicates animal fat, and prolamin technology, which allows plant-based cheese to melt and stretch like animal-derived dairy. OsomeFoods has developed the world’s first plant-based hard boiled egg.

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. 

 

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. Salad Chain Sweetgreen Is Planning a US IPO This Year – Bloomberg

The company raised $156m from Durable Capital Partners in January, valuing it at $1.78b. That followed a $150m funding round in 2019.

 

2. Right-Wing Coffee Companies Want to Make Coffee Great Again – Vox

From Conservative Grounds in Florida to Covfefe Coffee in Maine, MAGA wants to come for Starbucks.

 

3. Whole Foods Founder Mackey Invests in Producer of Cultured Meat – Bloomberg

Upside Foods, formerly Memphis Meats, received about $500k from Mackey in addition to an undisclosed sum from Whole Foods.

 

4. Fast Food Brands Look at Reusables to Attempt to Solve Container Waste – AdWeek

Burger King, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Tim Hortons are all launching pilot programs.

 

5. Oatly Sees Valuation Possibly Over $10 Billion as US IPO Nears – Bloomberg

Oatly expects to raise as much as $1.65b for itself and its investors in an IPO, potentially giving the maker of plant-based food and drink products a total valuation of over $10b.

 

6. Singapore Manufacturer OsomeFood Says It Has Created the World’s First Plant-Based Hard Boiled Egg – Green Queen

OsomeFood’s product range is made from naturally occurring fungi that undergoes a fermentation process to create mycoprotein that carries the same essential amino acids that are present in meat products.

 

7. Germany: ‘Clean Meat As a Service’: Plug-and-Play Tech Turns Meat Producers into Cell-Based Pork Producers – Food Navigator

Innocent Meat is making an automated meat production system for industrial meat producers, providing them with bioreactors, cell media and growth factors, and access to smart software.

 

8. Texas Lawmakers Approve Bill Banning ‘Meat’ and ‘Beef’ from Labels of Plant-Based Foods – The Hill

The bill will also keep companies that produce food from insects, plants or cell cultures, not slaughtered animals, from using the label “meat,” “pork,” “poultry” or “beef.”

 

9. Oprah-Backed Apeel Wants to Help Grocers Peer Into Produce – Bloomberg

Apeel has acquired ImpactVision, maker of hyperspectral imaging tech, for an undisclosed sum.

 

10. Target Is Launching a Line of Plant-Based Food – CNN

Good & Gather includes more than 30 foods including vegan spreads, almondmilk creamer, oat milk, plant-based dips and meat and chicken alternatives.

 

11. Ginkgo Bioworks to Go Public at $15B Valuation As Ag SPAC Frenzy Continues – AFN

Ginkgo Bioworks said it will use the capital raised to dramatically increase the scale of its cell-programming tech platform.

 

12. China Enacts Food Waste Law, Brings in Ban for Binge-Eating & Fines for Leftovers – AFN

Consumers can now be fined up to $15.4k for binge-eating videos, and restaurants that consistently waste large amounts of food face fines of up to $7.7k.

 

13. Chipotle Is Sued by New York City Over Scheduling Practices – New York Times

The city seeks $150m in relief for employees, accusing the fast-food giant of “complete disregard” of a law governing workweeks.

 

14. AquaBounty Sells Out First 5T of GE Fish with Harvests to Start in May – Undercurrent News

The forthcoming harvests and sales will represent the end of a journey to market over three decades in the making.

 

15. Valmont Acquires Crop Analytics Startup Prospera for $300M – AFN

With Prospera on board, Valmont now claims to be the world’s largest, vertically integrated artificial intelligence company in agriculture.

 

16. New Guard 2021 – Eater

Meet the inspiring leaders using food to challenge conventions, empower their communities and make positive change.

 

17. Hunger Rates Plummet After Two Rounds of Stimulus – Politico

Republicans have long sought to shrink government aid, but Democrats see the data as proof that the direct payments are working as intended.

 

18. Consumers Believe Cell-Based Protein Will Make Up 40% of Their Meat Intake – Green Queen

Gen Zs were most open to trying cell-based meat, with 88% of respondents saying they would welcome them, while millennials followed closely behind at 76%.

 

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 John Mackey and Whole Foods Invest in Cultured Meat Startup, Sweetgreen to IPO + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/05/13/john-mackey-and-whole-foods-invest-in-cultured-meat-startup-sweetgreen-to-ipo-more/feed/ 0 VMG Partners Raise $850M, 1B Tons of Food Wasted in 2019 + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/03/11/vmg-partners-raise-850m-1b-tons-of-food-wasted-in-2019-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/03/11/vmg-partners-raise-850m-1b-tons-of-food-wasted-in-2019-more/#respond Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:38:19 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33930 Source: VMG Partners 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. VMG Partners has closed an $850 million fund to provide early-stage funding and support to burgeoning F&B brands. Deliveroo is planning a London stock market listing that could value it at a whopping $7 billion. Berlin-based urban farming startup Infarm has raised $100 million to grow its team and expand into new crops. Slovenia-based Juicy Marbles has debut the world’s first marbled filet mignon made entirely of plants. Last but not least, a new report reveals that 931 million tons of food went to waste in 2019, with more than half coming from individual households.   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.    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. VMG Partners Raises $850M for New Growth Fund – Food Dive The private equity firm has bet on a number of startups that grew into major brands, including Kind, Bare Snacks, Daily Harvest and Pirate Brands.   2. In One Year a Billion Tons of Food Got Wasted—Mostly at Home – Bloomberg Some 931m tons of food went to waste in 2019. Individual households were responsible for more than half of that, with the rest coming from retailers and the food service industry.   3. UK: Deliveroo to Deliver $7B Dual-Class London Listing – Reuters Deliveroo plans a London stock market listing that could value the firm at around $7b and mark the biggest new share issue in Britain in three years.   4. UNFI Branches Out into Bitcoin and a Local Marketplace – Grocery Dive UNFI has launched a bitcoin partnership with Coid Coin that places kiosks inside 4k grocery stores where shoppers can buy, sell and trade digital currency with cash.   5. Urban Farming Startup Infarm Raises Extra $100M to Expand – Bloomberg Funding will go towards strengthening its presence in existing markets, hiring more people and venturing into new crops including mushrooms, tomatoes and chillies. Financing came from existing investors on top of the $170m raised in September.   6. Slovenia: Juicy Marbles Debuts World’s First Plant-Based Marbled Filet Mignon Steak – Green Queen The plant-based filet mignon was developed using its patent-pending “reverse grinder” technology.   7. Independent Restaurants Lobbied Hard for Targeted Economic Relief. Now, They’re Finally Getting It – Washington Post The Independent Restaurant Coalition, formed during the pandemic, pushed Congress hard for the $28.6b revitalization fund.   8. Covid-19 Stimulus Bill to Provide $4B Debt in Relief for Black Farmers, Other Farmers of Color – The Counter The legislation would forgive loans held by producers who have been racially discriminated against by the federal government, a long-sought win for civil rights advocates.   9. Oatly Chooses UK to Open One of the Biggest Plant-Based Dairy Factories in the World in 2023 – Green Queen The facility is expected to be able to churn out 300m liters of oat milk annually, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy.   10. Who Knew High-Tech Farming of High-Priced Japanese Strawberries Could Be Worth $50M to Investors? – TechCrunch Funding came from SPARX’s Mirai Fund, Sony Innovation Fund and others. Oishii will use the capital to expand production to reach more domestic and international markets as well as expand into other cultivars.   11. Investors Get a Rise Out of Walmart’s Agreement to Stock More Beyond Meat – TechCrunch Beyond Meat shares soared today on the heels of an announcement that 900 Walmart stores will now be stocking its products.   12. 27 Inspiring Women Reshaping the Food System – Food Tank This International Women’s Day, Food Tank is celebrating 25 inspiring women working to close the gender gap in the food system.   13. 80+ Female FoodTech Founders, Leaders And Investors You Need To Know – FoodHack  Founders, leaders and innovators in the food tech space working on everything from cell-based meats to media outlets, microalgae drinks to upcycled beverages, functional foods to foodtech funding and more.   14. Cultivated Meat Can Cause Up to 93% Less Global Warming – New Food Magazine New studies show that cell-cultured meat may cause up to 92% less global warming, 93% less air polution and use up to 95% less land and 78% less water compared to conventional beef.   15. CDC: On-Site Restaurant Dining Leads to Increased Rate of Covid-19 Cases, Deaths – Restaurant Dive The study comes as Texas, Mississippi and Massachusetts reopen dine-in service at 100% capacity. The NRA called it “an ill-informed attack on the industry hardest-hit by the pandemic.”   16. Urban Farming Startup Infarm Raises Extra $100M to Expand – Bloomberg Funding will go towards strengthening its presence in existing markets, hiring more people and venturing into new crops including mushrooms, tomatoes and chillies. Financing came from existing investors on top of the $170m raised in September.     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 VMG Partners Raise $850M, 1B Tons of Food Wasted in 2019 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Source: VMG Partners

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.

VMG Partners has closed an $850 million fund to provide early-stage funding and support to burgeoning F&B brands. Deliveroo is planning a London stock market listing that could value it at a whopping $7 billion. Berlin-based urban farming startup Infarm has raised $100 million to grow its team and expand into new crops. Slovenia-based Juicy Marbles has debut the world’s first marbled filet mignon made entirely of plants.

Last but not least, a new report reveals that 931 million tons of food went to waste in 2019, with more than half coming from individual households.

 

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. 

 

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. VMG Partners Raises $850M for New Growth Fund – Food Dive

The private equity firm has bet on a number of startups that grew into major brands, including Kind, Bare Snacks, Daily Harvest and Pirate Brands.

 

2. In One Year a Billion Tons of Food Got Wasted—Mostly at Home – Bloomberg

Some 931m tons of food went to waste in 2019. Individual households were responsible for more than half of that, with the rest coming from retailers and the food service industry.

 

3. UK: Deliveroo to Deliver $7B Dual-Class London Listing – Reuters

Deliveroo plans a London stock market listing that could value the firm at around $7b and mark the biggest new share issue in Britain in three years.

 

4. UNFI Branches Out into Bitcoin and a Local Marketplace – Grocery Dive

UNFI has launched a bitcoin partnership with Coid Coin that places kiosks inside 4k grocery stores where shoppers can buy, sell and trade digital currency with cash.

 

5. Urban Farming Startup Infarm Raises Extra $100M to Expand – Bloomberg

Funding will go towards strengthening its presence in existing markets, hiring more people and venturing into new crops including mushrooms, tomatoes and chillies. Financing came from existing investors on top of the $170m raised in September.

 

6. Slovenia: Juicy Marbles Debuts World’s First Plant-Based Marbled Filet Mignon Steak – Green Queen

The plant-based filet mignon was developed using its patent-pending “reverse grinder” technology.

 

7. Independent Restaurants Lobbied Hard for Targeted Economic Relief. Now, They’re Finally Getting It – Washington Post

The Independent Restaurant Coalition, formed during the pandemic, pushed Congress hard for the $28.6b revitalization fund.

 

8. Covid-19 Stimulus Bill to Provide $4B Debt in Relief for Black Farmers, Other Farmers of Color – The Counter

The legislation would forgive loans held by producers who have been racially discriminated against by the federal government, a long-sought win for civil rights advocates.

 

9. Oatly Chooses UK to Open One of the Biggest Plant-Based Dairy Factories in the World in 2023 – Green Queen

The facility is expected to be able to churn out 300m liters of oat milk annually, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy.

 

10. Who Knew High-Tech Farming of High-Priced Japanese Strawberries Could Be Worth $50M to Investors? – TechCrunch

Funding came from SPARX’s Mirai Fund, Sony Innovation Fund and others. Oishii will use the capital to expand production to reach more domestic and international markets as well as expand into other cultivars.

 

11. Investors Get a Rise Out of Walmart’s Agreement to Stock More Beyond Meat – TechCrunch

Beyond Meat shares soared today on the heels of an announcement that 900 Walmart stores will now be stocking its products.

 

12. 27 Inspiring Women Reshaping the Food System – Food Tank

This International Women’s Day, Food Tank is celebrating 25 inspiring women working to close the gender gap in the food system.

 

13. 80+ Female FoodTech Founders, Leaders And Investors You Need To Know – FoodHack 

Founders, leaders and innovators in the food tech space working on everything from cell-based meats to media outlets, microalgae drinks to upcycled beverages, functional foods to foodtech funding and more.

 

14. Cultivated Meat Can Cause Up to 93% Less Global Warming – New Food Magazine

New studies show that cell-cultured meat may cause up to 92% less global warming, 93% less air polution and use up to 95% less land and 78% less water compared to conventional beef.

 

15. CDC: On-Site Restaurant Dining Leads to Increased Rate of Covid-19 Cases, Deaths – Restaurant Dive

The study comes as Texas, Mississippi and Massachusetts reopen dine-in service at 100% capacity. The NRA called it “an ill-informed attack on the industry hardest-hit by the pandemic.”

 

16. Urban Farming Startup Infarm Raises Extra $100M to Expand – Bloomberg

Funding will go towards strengthening its presence in existing markets, hiring more people and venturing into new crops including mushrooms, tomatoes and chillies. Financing came from existing investors on top of the $170m raised in September.

 

 

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 VMG Partners Raise $850M, 1B Tons of Food Wasted in 2019 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/03/11/vmg-partners-raise-850m-1b-tons-of-food-wasted-in-2019-more/feed/ 0 Grocery E-Commerce Sales Grew 125% in 2020, Imperfect Foods Brings Valuation to $700M + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/01/28/grocery-e-commerce-sales-grew-125-in-2020-imperfect-foods-brings-valuation-to-700m-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/01/28/grocery-e-commerce-sales-grew-125-in-2020-imperfect-foods-brings-valuation-to-700m-more/#respond Thu, 28 Jan 2021 22:02:45 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33807 Source: Bloomberg 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. Grocery e-commerce sales of packaged food and beverages grew 125% in 2020, with potential to top $100 billion in 2021. In other news, major investments made headlines this week with a $95 million Series D round bringing Imperfect Foods’ valuation to a whopping $700 million and Helsinki-based Wolt raising $530 million to expand beyond restaurant delivery. Beyond Meat shares soared by 39% on Tuesday after it announced its joint venture with Pepsi to develop and market plant-based snacks and beverages. We need your support. 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. Online Packaged Food and Beverage Sales Could Top $100B in 2021 – Grocery Dive Grocery sales rose 125% in 2020, accounting for 44% of all CPG e-commerce sales.   2. Imperfect Foods Funding Round Brings Valuation to $700M – Bloomberg Insight Partners and Norwest Venture Partners led the $95m Series D round. The cash infusion will be used to accelerate growth, with an aim to double capacity and reduce errors and delayed deliveries.   3. Beyond Meat’s Pepsi Partnership Awakens Animal Spirits – Bloomberg The plant-based meat startup’s latest joint venture sparked a 39% jolt in its shares before settling at around 18%. The joint venture will develop and market plant-based snacks and beverages.   4. Finland: Wolt Closes $530M Round to Continue Expanding Beyond Restaurant Delivery – TechCrunch Iconiq Growth led the round. The company recently expanded into the grocery and retail sectors. Funding will go towards the buildout of a logistics setup for last-mile delivery and dark store operation.   5. Hippeas Raises $50M to Fund Innovation and Expansion Plans – Food Dive The Craftory Limited led the round. New capital will be used to increase innovation, expand production and grow distribution.   6. 5 Actions to Reboot Food Retail We have a responsibility to all stakeholders in our supply chains to pursue deep and substantive change, starting with the social and economic issues that underlie how we grow, make, distribute and sell food. Errol Schweizer, host of The Checkout Radio and former VP of grocery for Whole Foods Market, shares 5 actions food retailers, brands and supply chain stakeholders must take to create a more fair, just and sane food system.   7. Israel: Anti-Allergy Startup Ukko Scores $40M in Bayer-Led Series B – AgFunder Funding will be used to accelerate the development of its celiac-friendly proteins and enable clinical trials for its peanut allergy treatment.   8. Tevel’s Flying Fruit Bots Raise $20M from Asian Ag Giants, AgFunder – AgFunder Investors included Kubota, Forbon, Maverick Ventures Israel and others. Funding will go towards completing product validation, commence production and launch its commercial service.   9. Robert Downey Jr Launches ESG-Focused Venture Capital Funds – Fortune The FootPrint Coalition Ventures’ rolling VC funds aim to persuade investors to get behind his vision for fighting climate change through bioplastics, aquaculture, AI and more. It has already invested in Ÿnsect, Cloud Paper, Arcadia and others.   10. Instacart Will Lay Off All of Its Unionized Workers – Vice The termination of the only unionized Instacart workers in the US is part of larger layoffs at the company. Instacart is firing nearly 2k of its 10k workers and offering as little as $250 as severance.   11. How America’s Food System Could Change Under Biden – New York Times New school meal standards? Help for small farmers? Maybe, but first the new administration has to deal with hunger, food safety and a diminished USDA.   12. Local Food Movements Won’t Save the World – A Growing Culture As long as local food movements are predominantly guided by the privileged, rather than holding space for those who have been the most exploited, they will not be in the service of justice.   13. Cooks Turned Instagram Into the World’s Greatest Takeout Menu – New York Times During the pandemic, entrepreneurial chefs have reshaped food culture across the country with tiny, homegrown pop-ups that thrive on social media.   14. Organic Produce Sales Growth Tops 14% in 2020 – Food Dive Sales of organic produce rose from $1b to $8.5b, while conventional produce sales rose 10.7%. Challenges still loom for the category, from unsteady consumer income to uncertain supply chains.   15. 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 Grocery E-Commerce Sales Grew 125% in 2020, Imperfect Foods Brings Valuation to $700M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Source: Bloomberg

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.

Grocery e-commerce sales of packaged food and beverages grew 125% in 2020, with potential to top $100 billion in 2021.

In other news, major investments made headlines this week with a $95 million Series D round bringing Imperfect Foods’ valuation to a whopping $700 million and Helsinki-based Wolt raising $530 million to expand beyond restaurant delivery.

Beyond Meat shares soared by 39% on Tuesday after it announced its joint venture with Pepsi to develop and market plant-based snacks and beverages.

We need your support. 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. Online Packaged Food and Beverage Sales Could Top $100B in 2021 – Grocery Dive

Grocery sales rose 125% in 2020, accounting for 44% of all CPG e-commerce sales.

 

2. Imperfect Foods Funding Round Brings Valuation to $700M – Bloomberg

Insight Partners and Norwest Venture Partners led the $95m Series D round. The cash infusion will be used to accelerate growth, with an aim to double capacity and reduce errors and delayed deliveries.

 

3. Beyond Meat’s Pepsi Partnership Awakens Animal Spirits – Bloomberg

The plant-based meat startup’s latest joint venture sparked a 39% jolt in its shares before settling at around 18%. The joint venture will develop and market plant-based snacks and beverages.

 

4. Finland: Wolt Closes $530M Round to Continue Expanding Beyond Restaurant Delivery – TechCrunch

Iconiq Growth led the round. The company recently expanded into the grocery and retail sectors. Funding will go towards the buildout of a logistics setup for last-mile delivery and dark store operation.

 

5. Hippeas Raises $50M to Fund Innovation and Expansion Plans – Food Dive

The Craftory Limited led the round. New capital will be used to increase innovation, expand production and grow distribution.

 

6. 5 Actions to Reboot Food Retail

We have a responsibility to all stakeholders in our supply chains to pursue deep and substantive change, starting with the social and economic issues that underlie how we grow, make, distribute and sell food. Errol Schweizer, host of The Checkout Radio and former VP of grocery for Whole Foods Market, shares 5 actions food retailers, brands and supply chain stakeholders must take to create a more fair, just and sane food system.

 

7. Israel: Anti-Allergy Startup Ukko Scores $40M in Bayer-Led Series B – AgFunder

Funding will be used to accelerate the development of its celiac-friendly proteins and enable clinical trials for its peanut allergy treatment.

 

8. Tevel’s Flying Fruit Bots Raise $20M from Asian Ag Giants, AgFunder – AgFunder

Investors included Kubota, Forbon, Maverick Ventures Israel and others. Funding will go towards completing product validation, commence production and launch its commercial service.

 

9. Robert Downey Jr Launches ESG-Focused Venture Capital Funds – Fortune

The FootPrint Coalition Ventures’ rolling VC funds aim to persuade investors to get behind his vision for fighting climate change through bioplastics, aquaculture, AI and more. It has already invested in Ÿnsect, Cloud Paper, Arcadia and others.

 

10. Instacart Will Lay Off All of Its Unionized Workers – Vice

The termination of the only unionized Instacart workers in the US is part of larger layoffs at the company. Instacart is firing nearly 2k of its 10k workers and offering as little as $250 as severance.

 

11. How America’s Food System Could Change Under Biden – New York Times

New school meal standards? Help for small farmers? Maybe, but first the new administration has to deal with hunger, food safety and a diminished USDA.

 

12. Local Food Movements Won’t Save the World – A Growing Culture

As long as local food movements are predominantly guided by the privileged, rather than holding space for those who have been the most exploited, they will not be in the service of justice.

 

13. Cooks Turned Instagram Into the World’s Greatest Takeout Menu – New York Times

During the pandemic, entrepreneurial chefs have reshaped food culture across the country with tiny, homegrown pop-ups that thrive on social media.

 

14. Organic Produce Sales Growth Tops 14% in 2020 – Food Dive

Sales of organic produce rose from $1b to $8.5b, while conventional produce sales rose 10.7%. Challenges still loom for the category, from unsteady consumer income to uncertain supply chains.

 

15. 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 Grocery E-Commerce Sales Grew 125% in 2020, Imperfect Foods Brings Valuation to $700M + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2021/01/28/grocery-e-commerce-sales-grew-125-in-2020-imperfect-foods-brings-valuation-to-700m-more/feed/ 0 18K+ Coronavirus Cases Tied to Meat Packers, Oprah and Katy Perry Join Apeel Sciences’ $250M Round + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/05/28/18k-coronavirus-cases-tied-to-meat-packers-oprah-and-katy-perry-join-apeel-sciences-250m-round-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/05/28/18k-coronavirus-cases-tied-to-meat-packers-oprah-and-katy-perry-join-apeel-sciences-250m-round-more/#respond Thu, 28 May 2020 19:20:52 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33315 Image Source: TIME 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 dozens of plants that closed because of coronavirus outbreaks begin reopening, emails show local officials received conflicting signals from state leaders and meatpacking companies about how much information to release about outbreaks in plants. More than 17,000 coronavirus cases are linked to meat packers, and 66 deaths have been reported since last week. The FERN updated its count to 18k as of today. Amid mounting food waste and pressures on the global supply chain brought on by the pandemic, Apeel Sciences has just raised $250 million with the hope of preventing waste by keeping food fresh for longer periods on store shelves. The latest round attracted celebrity backers like Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry. 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. As Meatpacking Plants Reopen, Data About Worker Illness Remains Elusive – New York Times While the CDC claimed there were nearly 5k workers infected with the virus, the Food & Environment Reporting Network estimated the number has climbed to more than 17k since last week (FERN updated its count to 18k as of today). There have been 66 meatpacking deaths, and the outbreaks may be even more extensive.   2. Preventing Food Waste Nets Apeel $250M from Singapore’s Government Oprah and Katy Perry – TechCrunch The company will use its new capital to begin expanding its operations and working with the big farming companies and growers in Africa, Central America and South America. GIC led the round.   3. Reopenings, Resistance, and PPP Loans: How Food Businesses Nationwide Are Handling Coronavirus – Bon Appetit Coronavirus continues to hit the food industry hard. Hear chefs, grocery store workers, activists, and more share their stories.   4. The Human Cost of Instacart’s Grocery Delivery – The Verge Eight Instacart workers shed insight into the company’s failure to provide sick pay. By signing up a massive influx of new shoppers, it also made it harder for experienced shoppers to make any money.   5. Covid-19 Has Killed 100 Grocery Store Workers. Vitalina Williams, a ‘Bear Hug of Love,’ Was One. – The Washington Post She was a cashier at grocery chain Market Basket and worked security for a Walmart.   6. EU Plans to Reduce Pesticides by 50% – Forbes The plan would also reduce sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals by 50%, and the use of fertilizers by 20%, by 2030. The share of organic farming would also be increased by 25% by 2030 – up from the current 8%.   7. UK: Cloud Canteen Startup Feedr Has Been Acquired by Compass Group for ~$24M – TechCrunch Compass Group plans to utilize Feedr’s software across its portfolio of corporate clients in the UK and Ireland, with further potential applications of the technology in education and healthcare sectors.   8. Dishcraft Raises $20M, Adds Reusable Takeout Container Cleaning As a Service – The Spoon Grit Ventures led the round. Funding will go towards expanding its daily dish delivery to include reusable to-go containers and utensils.   9. Good PLANeT Foods Raises $12M to Expand Its Plant-Based Cheese Empire – Food Navigator Cleveland Avenue led the round. The cash injection will enable the startup to build its team and support its rapid growth.   10. Will Coronavirus Be What Finally Kills Factory Farming? – Newsweek The animal agriculture industry is imperiled and increasingly precarious as an investment, while its competition has never been in greater shape. The factory farming divestment movement is here—and not a moment too soon.   11. Hunger Program’s Slow Start Leaves Millions of Children Waiting – New York Times Child hunger is soaring, but two months after Congress approved billions to replace school meals, only 15% of eligible children had received benefits.       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 […]

The post 18K+ Coronavirus Cases Tied to Meat Packers, Oprah and Katy Perry Join Apeel Sciences’ $250M Round + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Image Source: TIME

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 dozens of plants that closed because of coronavirus outbreaks begin reopening, emails show local officials received conflicting signals from state leaders and meatpacking companies about how much information to release about outbreaks in plants. More than 17,000 coronavirus cases are linked to meat packers, and 66 deaths have been reported since last week. The FERN updated its count to 18k as of today.

Amid mounting food waste and pressures on the global supply chain brought on by the pandemic, Apeel Sciences has just raised $250 million with the hope of preventing waste by keeping food fresh for longer periods on store shelves. The latest round attracted celebrity backers like Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry.

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. As Meatpacking Plants Reopen, Data About Worker Illness Remains Elusive – New York Times

While the CDC claimed there were nearly 5k workers infected with the virus, the Food & Environment Reporting Network estimated the number has climbed to more than 17k since last week (FERN updated its count to 18k as of today). There have been 66 meatpacking deaths, and the outbreaks may be even more extensive.

 

2. Preventing Food Waste Nets Apeel $250M from Singapore’s Government Oprah and Katy Perry – TechCrunch

The company will use its new capital to begin expanding its operations and working with the big farming companies and growers in Africa, Central America and South America. GIC led the round.

 

3. Reopenings, Resistance, and PPP Loans: How Food Businesses Nationwide Are Handling Coronavirus – Bon Appetit

Coronavirus continues to hit the food industry hard. Hear chefs, grocery store workers, activists, and more share their stories.

 

4. The Human Cost of Instacart’s Grocery Delivery – The Verge

Eight Instacart workers shed insight into the company’s failure to provide sick pay. By signing up a massive influx of new shoppers, it also made it harder for experienced shoppers to make any money.

 

5. Covid-19 Has Killed 100 Grocery Store Workers. Vitalina Williams, a ‘Bear Hug of Love,’ Was One. – The Washington Post

She was a cashier at grocery chain Market Basket and worked security for a Walmart.

 

6. EU Plans to Reduce Pesticides by 50% – Forbes

The plan would also reduce sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals by 50%, and the use of fertilizers by 20%, by 2030. The share of organic farming would also be increased by 25% by 2030 – up from the current 8%.

 

7. UK: Cloud Canteen Startup Feedr Has Been Acquired by Compass Group for ~$24M – TechCrunch

Compass Group plans to utilize Feedr’s software across its portfolio of corporate clients in the UK and Ireland, with further potential applications of the technology in education and healthcare sectors.

 

8. Dishcraft Raises $20M, Adds Reusable Takeout Container Cleaning As a Service – The Spoon

Grit Ventures led the round. Funding will go towards expanding its daily dish delivery to include reusable to-go containers and utensils.

 

9. Good PLANeT Foods Raises $12M to Expand Its Plant-Based Cheese Empire – Food Navigator

Cleveland Avenue led the round. The cash injection will enable the startup to build its team and support its rapid growth.

 

10. Will Coronavirus Be What Finally Kills Factory Farming? – Newsweek

The animal agriculture industry is imperiled and increasingly precarious as an investment, while its competition has never been in greater shape. The factory farming divestment movement is here—and not a moment too soon.

 

11. Hunger Program’s Slow Start Leaves Millions of Children Waiting – New York Times

Child hunger is soaring, but two months after Congress approved billions to replace school meals, only 15% of eligible children had received benefits.

 

 

 

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 18K+ Coronavirus Cases Tied to Meat Packers, Oprah and Katy Perry Join Apeel Sciences’ $250M Round + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/05/28/18k-coronavirus-cases-tied-to-meat-packers-oprah-and-katy-perry-join-apeel-sciences-250m-round-more/feed/ 0 Oatly Considers IPO and Sale, Brandless Shutters + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/02/13/oatly-considers-ipo-and-sale-brandless-shutters-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/02/13/oatly-considers-ipo-and-sale-brandless-shutters-more/#respond Thu, 13 Feb 2020 18:16:59 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=33088 Source: VegNews 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 witnessing Beyond Meat’s successful IPO last May, Oatly is now looking into various funding options and possible exit scenarios, including an IPO in the next 18 to 24 months. The brand could raise as much as $100 million from international investors, along with $20 million from existing investors. Major headlines in retail this week, with news of DTC company Brandless shutting down less than two years after SoftBank’s Vision Fund said it would invest $240 million in the startup. Row 7 announced a partnership with Wegmans to bring their specialty produce into supermarkets. Lastly, Sweetgreen has partnered with chef David Chang to launch a kelp bowl, available across all US locations until March 26.   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. Oatly Considering IPO, Sale and Additional Funding – Food Dive Oatly could raise $100m in growth capital from international investors, along with $20m from existing investors. The company is reportedly considering to sell itself to a large CPG company such as Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola or Saputo.   2. SoftBank-Backed Brandless Shutters Less Than 2 Years After Investment – Bloomberg The company will stop taking orders and cut about 70 employees, less than two years after SoftBank’s Vision Fund said it would invest $240m in the startup.   3. Dan Barber Bets on Grocery Stores to Bring Better Vegetables to the Masses – Civil Eats A new partnership with Wegmans brings Row 7’s bred-for-flavor produce—and conversations about seeds—into supermarkets.   4. For Sweetgreen, 2020 Is the Year Kelp Becomes Cool – The Washington Post The salad chain has collaborated with chef David Chang to debut its kelp bowl, available coast to coast until March 26.   5. Alpha Foods Raises $28M for Its Vegetarian Prepared Foods – TechCrunch AccelFoods led the round. Funding will go towards new products, making new hires and expanding its distribution channels nationally and internationally.   6. Freight Farms Raises $15M Series B Led by Ospraie Ag Science – AgFunder Existing investor Spark Capital also participated in the round, which brings the company’s total funding to over $28m. Funding will go towards software updates and plant science R&D.   7. Verde Farms Receives $15M Investment – Meat + Poultry Manna Tree Partners led the round. The company will introduce RTE mealtime options and continue to expand its product lines across the US in the near-term and internationally in the long-term.   8. Dirty Lemon Makes Mass Retail Push with Walmart Launch – BevNet The launch will bring three of Dirty Lemon’s most popular SKUs to 500 Walmart locations nationwide.   9. State of Retail Tech: Ahead in 2020 – CB Insights In 2020, funding to AI applications in retail and CPG will be increasingly important to bring precision, efficiency and personalization across physical and digital retail.   10. Half of Us Face Obesity, Dire Projections Show – New York Times By 2030, nearly one in two adults will be obese, and nearly one in four will be severely obese.   11. Food Waste Is Worse Than We Thought and the Rich May Be to Blame – Bloomberg The world is throwing away more than twice as much as previously thought, with the wealthy the worst offenders.   12. Snack-Maker Kind Takes Its Bars to Refrigerators and Freezers – CNBC Kind is introducing frozen and refrigerated bars, chocolate bark and snack mix under its namesake brand. Its acquisition of Creative Snacks and joint venture with Mars helped bring about the new products. The company is actively looking for more acquisitions.   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 Oatly Considers IPO and Sale, Brandless Shutters + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>

Source: VegNews

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 witnessing Beyond Meat’s successful IPO last May, Oatly is now looking into various funding options and possible exit scenarios, including an IPO in the next 18 to 24 months. The brand could raise as much as $100 million from international investors, along with $20 million from existing investors.

Major headlines in retail this week, with news of DTC company Brandless shutting down less than two years after SoftBank’s Vision Fund said it would invest $240 million in the startup. Row 7 announced a partnership with Wegmans to bring their specialty produce into supermarkets.

Lastly, Sweetgreen has partnered with chef David Chang to launch a kelp bowl, available across all US locations until March 26.

 

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. Oatly Considering IPO, Sale and Additional Funding – Food Dive

Oatly could raise $100m in growth capital from international investors, along with $20m from existing investors. The company is reportedly considering to sell itself to a large CPG company such as Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola or Saputo.

 

2. SoftBank-Backed Brandless Shutters Less Than 2 Years After Investment – Bloomberg

The company will stop taking orders and cut about 70 employees, less than two years after SoftBank’s Vision Fund said it would invest $240m in the startup.

 

3. Dan Barber Bets on Grocery Stores to Bring Better Vegetables to the Masses – Civil Eats

A new partnership with Wegmans brings Row 7’s bred-for-flavor produce—and conversations about seeds—into supermarkets.

 

4. For Sweetgreen, 2020 Is the Year Kelp Becomes Cool – The Washington Post

The salad chain has collaborated with chef David Chang to debut its kelp bowl, available coast to coast until March 26.

 

5. Alpha Foods Raises $28M for Its Vegetarian Prepared Foods – TechCrunch

AccelFoods led the round. Funding will go towards new products, making new hires and expanding its distribution channels nationally and internationally.

 

6. Freight Farms Raises $15M Series B Led by Ospraie Ag Science – AgFunder

Existing investor Spark Capital also participated in the round, which brings the company’s total funding to over $28m. Funding will go towards software updates and plant science R&D.

 

7. Verde Farms Receives $15M Investment – Meat + Poultry

Manna Tree Partners led the round. The company will introduce RTE mealtime options and continue to expand its product lines across the US in the near-term and internationally in the long-term.

 

8. Dirty Lemon Makes Mass Retail Push with Walmart Launch – BevNet

The launch will bring three of Dirty Lemon’s most popular SKUs to 500 Walmart locations nationwide.

 

9. State of Retail Tech: Ahead in 2020 – CB Insights

In 2020, funding to AI applications in retail and CPG will be increasingly important to bring precision, efficiency and personalization across physical and digital retail.

 

10. Half of Us Face Obesity, Dire Projections Show – New York Times

By 2030, nearly one in two adults will be obese, and nearly one in four will be severely obese.

 

11. Food Waste Is Worse Than We Thought and the Rich May Be to Blame – Bloomberg

The world is throwing away more than twice as much as previously thought, with the wealthy the worst offenders.

 

12. Snack-Maker Kind Takes Its Bars to Refrigerators and Freezers – CNBC

Kind is introducing frozen and refrigerated bars, chocolate bark and snack mix under its namesake brand. Its acquisition of Creative Snacks and joint venture with Mars helped bring about the new products. The company is actively looking for more acquisitions.

 

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 Oatly Considers IPO and Sale, Brandless Shutters + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/02/13/oatly-considers-ipo-and-sale-brandless-shutters-more/feed/ 0 Climate Change Threatens Food Supply, 33% of Food is Wasted in The Field + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/08/08/climate-change-threatens-food-supply-33-of-food-is-wasted-in-the-field-more/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/08/08/climate-change-threatens-food-supply-33-of-food-is-wasted-in-the-field-more/#comments Thu, 08 Aug 2019 21:56:41 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=32767     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. Climate Change Threatens the World’s Food Supply, United Nations Warns – The New York Times The report, prepared by more than 100 experts from 52 countries and released in summary form in Geneva on Thursday, finds that we must transform our food production and land management if we have a chance of staying under 2 degrees Celsius of global warming.   2. We’re Leaving So Much Food on Farms To Just Rot in The Fields – Fast Company Most of the reports you hear about food waste don’t even include the amount that’s left behind on farms, but new research shows it’s around 33%.   3. Square Sells Food-Delivery Service Caviar to DoorDash for $410 Million – CNBC According a securities filing, Square bought Caviar five years ago for $44.3 million. Square CEO Jack Dorsey, said the move will allow Square to double down on investments and focus in its core payments businesses.   4. Sodexo Is Launching an Impossible Burger Menu at 1,500 U.S. Locations – The Spoon Sodexo will offer plant-based version of a sausage muffin sandwich, sausage gravy and biscuits, steakhouse burger and creole burger.   5. Subway Partners With Beyond Meat as Part of Its Comeback Bid – CNBC Subway is partnering with Beyond Meat, starting with a meatball marinara sub made with plant-based meatballs. The sandwich chain has been struggling in recent years after rapidly expanding across the U.S.   6. The Bowls at Chipotle and Sweetgreen Are Supposed to be Compostable. They Contain Cancer-Linked “Forever Chemicals.” – The New Food Economy Testing by The New Food Economy reveals an industry secret: Virtually all plant fiber bowls contain PFAS, troubling chemicals that don’t break down naturally in the environment. It gets worse from there.   7. ICE Raids Seven Mississippi Chicken Plants, in The Largest Single-State Action in Agency History – The New Food Economy Immigration officials have raided multiple chicken plants in Mississippi, detaining 680 workers in what officials are calling the largest single-state sting in American history.   8. Stonyfield to Launch Smart-Farm Tech Initiative to Retain More Soil Carbon – Union Leader Stonyfield Organic, the USDA’s LandPKS project and Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR) are launching a new $10 million tech initiative to create smart farms, using predictive data models, spectral analysis and customized cover cropping techniques to reduce agricultural carbon emissions and help farmers maximize their profits. The initiative will work to develop a new open-source platform called OpenTeam.   9. Tyson Foods’ Raised & Rooted Nuggets ‘Made With Plants’ Are Rolling Out to 4,000 Stores – FoodNavigator The pea-protein fueled nuggets will roll out by the end of September, with blended burgers combining pea protein isolate and Angus beef to follow.   10. Arizona Tea Maker Enters The Cannabis Market – CNBC The maker of Arizona Tea is entering the market for vape pens and cannabis-infused gummies and drinks through a licensing deal with Dixie Brands.   11. Company Secures Millions To Make Compostable Food Service Products From Grass – Forbes Biomass solutions company Genera Energy has procured an investment of more than $118 million to produce compostable food service items from locally grown grasses.   12. Inari Raises $89m Series C to Make Seeds Diverse Again – AgFunder Flagship Pioneering lead the round alongside Investment Corporation of Dubai, EDBI and Acre Venture Partners. The company will use the funds to develop genomic tools including gene editing to improve global seed diversity.   13. New Farm Policy Proposal – Elizabeth Warren Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren shares her plan for addressing farm issues, such as consolidation, conservation and more.   14. Cory Booker Wants to Pay Many More Farmers to Practice Carbon Farming – Civil Eats The Climate Stewardship Act, which Booker plans to propose in September, aims to ‘dramatically scale up’ voluntary conservation incentives for farmers and ranchers.   15. 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.   16. 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 Climate Change Threatens Food Supply, 33% of Food is Wasted in The Field + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>  

Leo Lintang / Adobe

 

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. Climate Change Threatens the World’s Food Supply, United Nations Warns – The New York Times

The report, prepared by more than 100 experts from 52 countries and released in summary form in Geneva on Thursday, finds that we must transform our food production and land management if we have a chance of staying under 2 degrees Celsius of global warming.

 

2. We’re Leaving So Much Food on Farms To Just Rot in The Fields – Fast Company

Most of the reports you hear about food waste don’t even include the amount that’s left behind on farms, but new research shows it’s around 33%.

 

3. Square Sells Food-Delivery Service Caviar to DoorDash for $410 Million – CNBC

According a securities filing, Square bought Caviar five years ago for $44.3 million.
Square CEO Jack Dorsey, said the move will allow Square to double down on investments and focus in its core payments businesses.

 

4. Sodexo Is Launching an Impossible Burger Menu at 1,500 U.S. Locations – The Spoon

Sodexo will offer plant-based version of a sausage muffin sandwich, sausage gravy and biscuits, steakhouse burger and creole burger.

 

5. Subway Partners With Beyond Meat as Part of Its Comeback Bid – CNBC

Subway is partnering with Beyond Meat, starting with a meatball marinara sub made with plant-based meatballs. The sandwich chain has been struggling in recent years after rapidly expanding across the U.S.

 

6. The Bowls at Chipotle and Sweetgreen Are Supposed to be Compostable. They Contain Cancer-Linked “Forever Chemicals.” – The New Food Economy

Testing by The New Food Economy reveals an industry secret: Virtually all plant fiber bowls contain PFAS, troubling chemicals that don’t break down naturally in the environment. It gets worse from there.

 

7. ICE Raids Seven Mississippi Chicken Plants, in The Largest Single-State Action in Agency History – The New Food Economy

Immigration officials have raided multiple chicken plants in Mississippi, detaining 680 workers in what officials are calling the largest single-state sting in American history.

 

8. Stonyfield to Launch Smart-Farm Tech Initiative to Retain More Soil Carbon – Union Leader

Stonyfield Organic, the USDA’s LandPKS project and Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR) are launching a new $10 million tech initiative to create smart farms, using predictive data models, spectral analysis and customized cover cropping techniques to reduce agricultural carbon emissions and help farmers maximize their profits. The initiative will work to develop a new open-source platform called OpenTeam.

 

9. Tyson Foods’ Raised & Rooted Nuggets ‘Made With Plants’ Are Rolling Out to 4,000 Stores – FoodNavigator

The pea-protein fueled nuggets will roll out by the end of September, with blended burgers combining pea protein isolate and Angus beef to follow.

 

10. Arizona Tea Maker Enters The Cannabis Market – CNBC

The maker of Arizona Tea is entering the market for vape pens and cannabis-infused gummies and drinks through a licensing deal with Dixie Brands.

 

11. Company Secures Millions To Make Compostable Food Service Products From Grass – Forbes

Biomass solutions company Genera Energy has procured an investment of more than $118 million to produce compostable food service items from locally grown grasses.

 

12. Inari Raises $89m Series C to Make Seeds Diverse Again – AgFunder

Flagship Pioneering lead the round alongside Investment Corporation of Dubai, EDBI and Acre Venture Partners. The company will use the funds to develop genomic tools including gene editing to improve global seed diversity.

 

13. New Farm Policy Proposal – Elizabeth Warren

Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren shares her plan for addressing farm issues, such as consolidation, conservation and more.

 

14. Cory Booker Wants to Pay Many More Farmers to Practice Carbon Farming – Civil Eats

The Climate Stewardship Act, which Booker plans to propose in September, aims to ‘dramatically scale up’ voluntary conservation incentives for farmers and ranchers.

 

15. 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.

 

16. 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 Climate Change Threatens Food Supply, 33% of Food is Wasted in The Field + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2019/08/08/climate-change-threatens-food-supply-33-of-food-is-wasted-in-the-field-more/feed/ 1 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 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 Food Waste Startups Raise $125M+, Sweetgreen Becomes a Unicorn, Blue Apron Lays Off 4% of Employees + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/11/15/food-waste-startups-raise-125m-sweetgreen-becomes-a-unicorn-blue-apron-lays-off-4-of-employees/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/11/15/food-waste-startups-raise-125m-sweetgreen-becomes-a-unicorn-blue-apron-lays-off-4-of-employees/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:14:40 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=31218 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. Big news dropped this week that Amazon will be opening its second headquarters in Long Island City, New York and Arlington, Virginia. Some in the tech world are excited about the talent the tech giant will attract to each city, while others are concerned about the large subsidies and impact on housing costs. Expects lots of debate on this in the coming weeks and months. After a $200 million cash infusion from Fidelity Investments, Sweetgreen has officially reached unicorn status. Now, it’s setting its sights on becoming a platform. Expect to see the company venturing into new food categories and investing more heavily in its tech and supply chain. In other news, food waste startups raised over $125 million since the beginning of 2018, according to a ReFED report. Blue Apron and Starbucks had a tough week. Blue Apron’s revenue has dropped 28 percent since the same quarter last year, forcing the company to lay off 4 percent of its workforce. As a result its stock dropped 6 percent. Blue Apron’s stock has lost nearly 90 percent of its value since it went public last year. Starbucks laid off 350 of its senior executives in an attempt to boost profit. 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. More Than $125 Million Poured Into Food Waste Startups In 2018 – Forbes Food Waste startups have raised $125m in the first 10 months of 2018 alone, finds a new ReFED report. 2. Why $200 Million Will Make Sweetgreen The Next Big Thing In Delivery (And, Yes, A Unicorn) – Forbes Sweetgreen has raised a $200m financing round led by Fidelity Investments, valuing the company at more than $1b. Sweetgreen will use this funding to expand into other food categories, as well as to invest in its supply chain, technology and social impact. 3. Blue Apron’s Stock Falls 6% After the Meal Delivery Company Lays off 4% of Its Workforce – Fortune As revenue fell 28 percent from the same quarter in 2017, the layoffs are an effort to push the company closer to profitability. 4. Amazon’s HQ2 Decision Proves Brick-and-Mortar Isn’t Dead. But after $2 billion in Tax Breaks, Affordable Housing Will Be – New Food Economy Amazon chose the country’s two most powerful metro areas for its new headquarters. The choice signals the company’s vast ambition in policy, media, and physical retail. But what will residents of Arlington and New York get in return? 5. Brazil: Movile Raises $400 Million For Its iFood Delivery Business – TechCrunch The Brazilian technology conglomerate has just raised one of the largest rounds ever recorded for a Latin American startup, pulling in an additional $400 million for its iFood subsidiary from existing investors, including Naspers and Innova Capital. 6. John Boehner-Backed Pot Stock Goes Public With $2.8 Billion Value – Investor’s Business Daily Acreage Holdings joined the ranks of U.S. marijuana stocks trading in Canada Thursday, after completing a deal to go public that values the company at $2.8 billion and installs former House Speaker John Boehner and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld on the board. 7. Canadian Coffee Chain Plans to Partially Pivot to Cannabis – Skift Table Second Cup Ltd. has identified more than 20 Ontario locations that it hopes to convert into pot shops as the coffee chain undergoes a strategic review. 8. What Went Wrong at Honeygrow? – Skift Table Honeygrow, a fast casual stir fry and salad chain based out of Philadelphia, announced last week that it would be exiting the Chicago market, closing down several locations in New York and D.C., and pulling back on all expansion efforts in 2019. 9. Starbucks Cuts 5% of Corporate Workers – Bloomberg In an attempt to boost profit and appease apprehensive investors, Starbucks is laying off nearly 350 corporate employees. 10. 3D-Printed Vegan Steaks to Debut in 2020 – VegNews Jet-Eat creates whole cuts of vegan meat using 3D-modeling technology. 11. Daily Harvest “Experiments” with New Products and Retail Concept – Nosh The direct-to-consumer brand launched a healthy cookie last week, and this week it is opening The Refueling Station, an interactive retail space 12. 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 Food Waste Startups Raise $125M+, Sweetgreen Becomes a Unicorn, Blue Apron Lays Off 4% of Employees + 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.

Big news dropped this week that Amazon will be opening its second headquarters in Long Island City, New York and Arlington, Virginia. Some in the tech world are excited about the talent the tech giant will attract to each city, while others are concerned about the large subsidies and impact on housing costs. Expects lots of debate on this in the coming weeks and months.

After a $200 million cash infusion from Fidelity Investments, Sweetgreen has officially reached unicorn status. Now, it’s setting its sights on becoming a platform. Expect to see the company venturing into new food categories and investing more heavily in its tech and supply chain.

In other news, food waste startups raised over $125 million since the beginning of 2018, according to a ReFED report.

Blue Apron and Starbucks had a tough week. Blue Apron’s revenue has dropped 28 percent since the same quarter last year, forcing the company to lay off 4 percent of its workforce. As a result its stock dropped 6 percent. Blue Apron’s stock has lost nearly 90 percent of its value since it went public last year. Starbucks laid off 350 of its senior executives in an attempt to boost profit.

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. More Than $125 Million Poured Into Food Waste Startups In 2018 – Forbes

Food Waste startups have raised $125m in the first 10 months of 2018 alone, finds a new ReFED report.

2. Why $200 Million Will Make Sweetgreen The Next Big Thing In Delivery (And, Yes, A Unicorn) – Forbes

Sweetgreen has raised a $200m financing round led by Fidelity Investments, valuing the company at more than $1b. Sweetgreen will use this funding to expand into other food categories, as well as to invest in its supply chain, technology and social impact.

3. Blue Apron’s Stock Falls 6% After the Meal Delivery Company Lays off 4% of Its Workforce – Fortune

As revenue fell 28 percent from the same quarter in 2017, the layoffs are an effort to push the company closer to profitability.

4. Amazon’s HQ2 Decision Proves Brick-and-Mortar Isn’t Dead. But after $2 billion in Tax Breaks, Affordable Housing Will Be – New Food Economy

Amazon chose the country’s two most powerful metro areas for its new headquarters. The choice signals the company’s vast ambition in policy, media, and physical retail. But what will residents of Arlington and New York get in return?

5. Brazil: Movile Raises $400 Million For Its iFood Delivery Business – TechCrunch

The Brazilian technology conglomerate has just raised one of the largest rounds ever recorded for a Latin American startup, pulling in an additional $400 million for its iFood subsidiary from existing investors, including Naspers and Innova Capital.

6. John Boehner-Backed Pot Stock Goes Public With $2.8 Billion Value – Investor’s Business Daily

Acreage Holdings joined the ranks of U.S. marijuana stocks trading in Canada Thursday, after completing a deal to go public that values the company at $2.8 billion and installs former House Speaker John Boehner and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld on the board.

7. Canadian Coffee Chain Plans to Partially Pivot to Cannabis – Skift Table

Second Cup Ltd. has identified more than 20 Ontario locations that it hopes to convert into pot shops as the coffee chain undergoes a strategic review.

8. What Went Wrong at Honeygrow? – Skift Table

Honeygrow, a fast casual stir fry and salad chain based out of Philadelphia, announced last week that it would be exiting the Chicago market, closing down several locations in New York and D.C., and pulling back on all expansion efforts in 2019.

9. Starbucks Cuts 5% of Corporate Workers – Bloomberg

In an attempt to boost profit and appease apprehensive investors, Starbucks is laying off nearly 350 corporate employees.

10. 3D-Printed Vegan Steaks to Debut in 2020 – VegNews

Jet-Eat creates whole cuts of vegan meat using 3D-modeling technology.

11. Daily Harvest “Experiments” with New Products and Retail Concept – Nosh

The direct-to-consumer brand launched a healthy cookie last week, and this week it is opening The Refueling Station, an interactive retail space

12. 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 Food Waste Startups Raise $125M+, Sweetgreen Becomes a Unicorn, Blue Apron Lays Off 4% of Employees + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/11/15/food-waste-startups-raise-125m-sweetgreen-becomes-a-unicorn-blue-apron-lays-off-4-of-employees/feed/ 1 How Tyson Launched ¡YAPPAH! in 6 Months https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/10/25/how-tyson-launched-yappah-in-6-months/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/10/25/how-tyson-launched-yappah-in-6-months/#comments Thu, 25 Oct 2018 18:27:19 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=31107  Tyson Innovation Lab developed and launched its first brand,¡YAPPAH!, in just 6 months — which is unheard of when it comes to big brands. ¡YAPPAH! is a mission-driven snack made from upcycled proteins, rescued vegetables and spent brewer grains. The product signals a new approach for Tyson, as it aims to address sustainability challenges in order to disrupt itself internally. Brand Manager Santi Proano joined us at our Rethinking CPG Meetup this past August to share insight on Tyson Innovation Lab’s product development process and greatest challenges operating as a startup within a large packaged goods company. For ¡YAPPAH!, the first step to rethinking CPG was unlearning. Rather than playing by traditional industry standards, the innovation team embraced ideas from marketing and brought the product to market within six months. Instead of launching nationally, ¡YAPPAH! started small by crowdfunding and entering a select few markets. The innovation lab operated under a single leader across function, allowing for quick alignment and decision making. Tyson also ensured that leadership for direction was available at the highest levels. The team applied the five-day design sprint typically used by technology companies for developing software, modifying the process for a food CPG company to rapidly create its product and brand. In order to tackle food waste internally, the innovation team opted to speak to a spectrum of people who did and didn’t care about food waste, rather than relying on brainstorms and focus groups. By doing so, it learned that tackling food waste was about rescuing forgotten ingredients, and chefs were key to applying a lens to ingredients that would otherwise being disposed of. You can see videos of other presenters at our Food+Tech Meetups here.

The post How Tyson Launched ¡YAPPAH! in 6 Months appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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Tyson Innovation Lab developed and launched its first brand,¡YAPPAH!, in just 6 months — which is unheard of when it comes to big brands. ¡YAPPAH! is a mission-driven snack made from upcycled proteins, rescued vegetables and spent brewer grains. The product signals a new approach for Tyson, as it aims to address sustainability challenges in order to disrupt itself internally.

Brand Manager Santi Proano joined us at our Rethinking CPG Meetup this past August to share insight on Tyson Innovation Lab’s product development process and greatest challenges operating as a startup within a large packaged goods company.

For ¡YAPPAH!, the first step to rethinking CPG was unlearning. Rather than playing by traditional industry standards, the innovation team embraced ideas from marketing and brought the product to market within six months. Instead of launching nationally, ¡YAPPAH! started small by crowdfunding and entering a select few markets.

The innovation lab operated under a single leader across function, allowing for quick alignment and decision making. Tyson also ensured that leadership for direction was available at the highest levels. The team applied the five-day design sprint typically used by technology companies for developing software, modifying the process for a food CPG company to rapidly create its product and brand. In order to tackle food waste internally, the innovation team opted to speak to a spectrum of people who did and didn’t care about food waste, rather than relying on brainstorms and focus groups. By doing so, it learned that tackling food waste was about rescuing forgotten ingredients, and chefs were key to applying a lens to ingredients that would otherwise being disposed of.

You can see videos of other presenters at our Food+Tech Meetups here.

The post How Tyson Launched ¡YAPPAH! in 6 Months appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/10/25/how-tyson-launched-yappah-in-6-months/feed/ 1 Nestle Personalizes Nutrition With DNA, Campbell’s Abandons Fresh + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/30/nestle-personalizes-nutrition-with-dna-campbells-abandons-fresh/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/30/nestle-personalizes-nutrition-with-dna-campbells-abandons-fresh/#respond Thu, 30 Aug 2018 20:08:02 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=30916 Source: Nikkei Asian Review 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’re excited to announce the launch of  the Alpha Food Labs Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values. Nestle SA is currently testing a personalized nutrition program in Japan that blends artificial intelligence, DNA testing and the modern obsession with Instagramming food. The program provides users with a year of capsules for up to $600 that make teas, smoothies and vitamin-fortified snacks. In a major undoing of former CEO Denise Morrison’s strategy, Campbell Soup has announced the abandonment of its international and fresh food businesses. In retail news, a partnership between the startups AutoX and GrubMarket has launched an autonomous grocery delivery service in San Jose, California. The second Amazon go store has officially opened in Seattle. Kroger and Instacart have increased their reach by 50 percent, making Instacart available to 70% of US households. 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. Nestle Wants Your DNA – Bloomberg The “Nestle Wellness Ambassador” program blends AI, DNA testing and the modern obsession with Instagramming food. It is currently being piloted in Japan, where users get personalized capsules and a home kit to provide blood samples.   3. Campbell Soup Plans to Sell International and Fresh Food Businesses, Remains ‘Open’ to Sale – CNBC The company is selling its fresh food business, including Bolthouse Farms, as well as its Arnott’s and Kelsen brands overseas. The sales will help it pay down the debt left behind from its $6.1b acquisition of Snyder’s Lance earlier this year.   4. Self-Driving Snacks? Grocery Delivery Becomes a Test of Autonomous-Vehicle Technology – MIT Technology Review A partnership between the startups AutoX and GrubMarket will transport produce and snacks to your doorstep via autonomous vehicle—if you live in California.   5. Kroger Plans Major Expansion with Instacart – Supermarket News The companies plan to bring Instacart same-day delivery to another 500 Kroger Co supermarkets by late October, growing its reach by 50%.   6. Amazon Opens Its Second Amazon Go Convenience Store – TechCrunch The store has opened in Seattle and will feature a range of ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options, as well as Amazon’s Meal Kits.   7. Craft-Beer Company Taps Streaming Service for Growth – Wall Street Journal BrewDog, a Scottish beer company, is launching a subscription video service for $4.99 a month.   8. High-Tech Meat May Make It to Market Faster Thanks to an Industry Truce – Quartz Memphis Meats and the North American Meat Institute asked Trump to move forward with a plan that would have the USDA and FDA share joint oversight over cultured meat products.   9. Water Startup Mitte Lands $10.6M From Danone Manifesto Ventures – BevNET The Berlin-based startup is preparing to launch its first product next year: a tabletop system that infuses water with different levels of minerals through the use of custom cartridges. It is set to roll out in three US cities starting sometime next year.   10. Another Food Delivery Startup, Foodsby, Rakes in Venture Capital Funding – TechCrunch The $13.5M Series B was led by Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking, with participation from  Greycroft Partners, Corazon Capital and Rally Ventures. With the new capital, Foodsby plans to expand to 15 to 25 new markets.   11. Canada: Enterra Feed Eyes World’s Largest Insect Farm in Wake of Series B Raise – AgFunder The company announced its latest round of funding and plans to construct three new insect factories in the Canada and the US. The Cibus Fund led the round.   12. AgTech IoT Startup TeleSense Raises $6.5M to Help Prevent Food Spoilage – The Spoon The funding was led by Finistere Ventures, with participation from Congruent Ventures, Maersk Growth, Rabobank’s Food & Agri Innovation Fund, Radicle Growth and Trailhead Capital. It will now invest in R&D of its GrainSafe AI platform and build out channels for international expansion.   13. The Winners and Losers of Trump’s Tariff Bailout – Mother Jones The biggest beneficiaries by far will be soybean and hog producers, who USDA officials projected would receive $3.6b and $290m in cash payments.   14. Zippin Opens Cashierless Store in San Francisco – VentureBeat Zippin has beat Amazon Go to become the first cashierless store in the city.   15. The $700B Case to Fight Food Waste – Fast Company A new report shows how astronomical the benefits would be if we took some commonsense steps to ending food waste.   16. The Locol Revolution Is On Hold – Eater Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi have closed all stores due to financial barriers, and will focus on catering.     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 Nestle Personalizes Nutrition With DNA, Campbell’s Abandons Fresh + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
Source: Nikkei Asian Review

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’re excited to announce the launch of  the Alpha Food Labs Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.

Nestle SA is currently testing a personalized nutrition program in Japan that blends artificial intelligence, DNA testing and the modern obsession with Instagramming food. The program provides users with a year of capsules for up to $600 that make teas, smoothies and vitamin-fortified snacks. In a major undoing of former CEO Denise Morrison’s strategy, Campbell Soup has announced the abandonment of its international and fresh food businesses.

In retail news, a partnership between the startups AutoX and GrubMarket has launched an autonomous grocery delivery service in San Jose, California. The second Amazon go store has officially opened in Seattle. Kroger and Instacart have increased their reach by 50 percent, making Instacart available to 70% of US households.

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. Nestle Wants Your DNA – Bloomberg

The “Nestle Wellness Ambassador” program blends AI, DNA testing and the modern obsession with Instagramming food. It is currently being piloted in Japan, where users get personalized capsules and a home kit to provide blood samples.

 

3. Campbell Soup Plans to Sell International and Fresh Food Businesses, Remains ‘Open’ to Sale – CNBC

The company is selling its fresh food business, including Bolthouse Farms, as well as its Arnott’s and Kelsen brands overseas. The sales will help it pay down the debt left behind from its $6.1b acquisition of Snyder’s Lance earlier this year.

 

4. Self-Driving Snacks? Grocery Delivery Becomes a Test of Autonomous-Vehicle Technology – MIT Technology Review

A partnership between the startups AutoX and GrubMarket will transport produce and snacks to your doorstep via autonomous vehicle—if you live in California.

 

5. Kroger Plans Major Expansion with Instacart – Supermarket News

The companies plan to bring Instacart same-day delivery to another 500 Kroger Co supermarkets by late October, growing its reach by 50%.

 

6. Amazon Opens Its Second Amazon Go Convenience Store – TechCrunch

The store has opened in Seattle and will feature a range of ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options, as well as Amazon’s Meal Kits.

 

7. Craft-Beer Company Taps Streaming Service for Growth – Wall Street Journal

BrewDog, a Scottish beer company, is launching a subscription video service for $4.99 a month.

 

8. High-Tech Meat May Make It to Market Faster Thanks to an Industry Truce – Quartz

Memphis Meats and the North American Meat Institute asked Trump to move forward with a plan that would have the USDA and FDA share joint oversight over cultured meat products.

 

9. Water Startup Mitte Lands $10.6M From Danone Manifesto Ventures – BevNET

The Berlin-based startup is preparing to launch its first product next year: a tabletop system that infuses water with different levels of minerals through the use of custom cartridges. It is set to roll out in three US cities starting sometime next year.

 

10. Another Food Delivery Startup, Foodsby, Rakes in Venture Capital Funding – TechCrunch

The $13.5M Series B was led by Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking, with participation from  Greycroft Partners, Corazon Capital and Rally Ventures. With the new capital, Foodsby plans to expand to 15 to 25 new markets.

 

11. Canada: Enterra Feed Eyes World’s Largest Insect Farm in Wake of Series B Raise – AgFunder

The company announced its latest round of funding and plans to construct three new insect factories in the Canada and the US. The Cibus Fund led the round.

 

12. AgTech IoT Startup TeleSense Raises $6.5M to Help Prevent Food Spoilage – The Spoon

The funding was led by Finistere Ventures, with participation from Congruent Ventures, Maersk Growth, Rabobank’s Food & Agri Innovation Fund, Radicle Growth and Trailhead Capital. It will now invest in R&D of its GrainSafe AI platform and build out channels for international expansion.

 

13. The Winners and Losers of Trump’s Tariff Bailout – Mother Jones

The biggest beneficiaries by far will be soybean and hog producers, who USDA officials projected would receive $3.6b and $290m in cash payments.

 

14. Zippin Opens Cashierless Store in San Francisco – VentureBeat

Zippin has beat Amazon Go to become the first cashierless store in the city.

 

15. The $700B Case to Fight Food Waste – Fast Company

A new report shows how astronomical the benefits would be if we took some commonsense steps to ending food waste.

 

16. The Locol Revolution Is On Hold – Eater

Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi have closed all stores due to financial barriers, and will focus on catering.

 

 

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 Nestle Personalizes Nutrition With DNA, Campbell’s Abandons Fresh + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/30/nestle-personalizes-nutrition-with-dna-campbells-abandons-fresh/feed/ 0 Monsanto’s $289M Verdict, Corona Owner Bets $4B on Marijuana + More https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/16/monsantos-289m-verdict-corona-owner-bets-4b-marijuana/ https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/16/monsantos-289m-verdict-corona-owner-bets-4b-marijuana/#respond Thu, 16 Aug 2018 19:34:55 +0000 https://foodtechconnect.com/?p=30847 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. We’re excited to announce the launch of  the Alpha Food Labs Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values. A California jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million in damages to Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a man dying of cancer, which he claims was caused by exposure to Roundup. This ruling may have opened the floodgates for thousands of plaintiffs with similar concerns. Farmer Business Network, the independent farmer-to-farmer network, is launching its own brand of seed and model for seed development and direct-to-farm distribution called F2F Genetics Network. Constellation Brands announced a $4 billion investment in Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth. The biggest known deal in the marijuana industry shows just how far traditional alcoholic beverage companies are willing to go to find growth. 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. Monsanto Was Just Ordered to Pay $289M to a Man Who Says Its Weed Killer Caused His Cancer – Vox A former school groundskeeper claims Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup gave him terminal cancer. The jury order could open the floodgates for thousands of other pending lawsuits.   3. What Corona Owner’s $4B Bet on a Marijuana Firm Says About Pot’s Future – New York Times Constellation’s investment in Canopy shows just how far traditional alcoholic beverage companies are willing to go to find growth.   4. Farmers Business Network Dives Into Seed – AgPro Farmers Business Network is launching its own brand of seed and model for seed development and direct-to-farm distribution called F2F Genetics Network.   5. AgTech Investment and the Future of Food – All About Alpha Finistere Ventures and Pitchbook teamed up to report 2018 Early-stage Agtech, a look into the earliest stages of an agtech portfolio company–the angel and seed stages. Seed-stage investing hit a record high in 2017, $89.5m divided among 86 deals.   6. Third Point, Campbell Heir Push Soup Maker to Sell – Wall Street Journal Activist investor Third Point LLC is pushing for a sale of Campbell Soup Co with the help of an heir to the soup company’s founder. It spent more than $686m since mid-June, acquiring a 5.65% stake in Campbell.   7. Why Back to the Roots Inked a Historic Partnership with Nature’s Path to Bring Organic Cereals to Every School in America – Food+Tech Connect Back to the Roots explains why it entered a licensing deal with Nature’s Path and how they plan to scale their organic cereal line to schools nationwide.   8. Aldi Stores Are Getting a $5.3B Update  — and the Result Is Almost Unrecognizable – Business Insider Chuck Eggert will soon open Basics Market, a natural store that seeks to take health, education and meal assembly to the next level.   9. Fighting Food Waste, Full Harvest Raises $8M to Bring Excess Produce to Commercial Buyers – TechCrunch The San Francisco startup has closed an $8.5m series A round led by Spark Capital, with Cultivian Sandbox Ventures joining the round.   10. Kroger to Sell Groceries on Alibaba Site in China – Wall Street Journal Kroger will open an online storefront on Alibaba’s Tmall Global site with an initial product offering that includes dietary supplements and private-label products, much of it natural and organic goods.   11. BlueNalu Raises $4.5M As It Aims to Create Seafood from Fish Cells – FoodBev New Crop Capital served as lead investor and was joined by a coalition of 25 venture organizations and individuals. Funding will allow the company to aggressively develop its technology platform and commercialization strategy.   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 Monsanto’s $289M Verdict, Corona Owner Bets $4B on Marijuana + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]>
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.

We’re excited to announce the launch of  the Alpha Food Labs Community. Join us to help develop, test, and get early access to food designed for your tastes and values.

A California jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million in damages to Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a man dying of cancer, which he claims was caused by exposure to Roundup. This ruling may have opened the floodgates for thousands of plaintiffs with similar concerns. Farmer Business Network, the independent farmer-to-farmer network, is launching its own brand of seed and model for seed development and direct-to-farm distribution called F2F Genetics Network.

Constellation Brands announced a $4 billion investment in Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth. The biggest known deal in the marijuana industry shows just how far traditional alcoholic beverage companies are willing to go to find growth.

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. Monsanto Was Just Ordered to Pay $289M to a Man Who Says Its Weed Killer Caused His Cancer – Vox

A former school groundskeeper claims Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup gave him terminal cancer. The jury order could open the floodgates for thousands of other pending lawsuits.

 

3. What Corona Owner’s $4B Bet on a Marijuana Firm Says About Pot’s Future – New York Times

Constellation’s investment in Canopy shows just how far traditional alcoholic beverage companies are willing to go to find growth.

 

4. Farmers Business Network Dives Into Seed – AgPro

Farmers Business Network is launching its own brand of seed and model for seed development and direct-to-farm distribution called F2F Genetics Network.

 

5. AgTech Investment and the Future of Food – All About Alpha

Finistere Ventures and Pitchbook teamed up to report 2018 Early-stage Agtech, a look into the earliest stages of an agtech portfolio company–the angel and seed stages. Seed-stage investing hit a record high in 2017, $89.5m divided among 86 deals.

 

6. Third Point, Campbell Heir Push Soup Maker to Sell – Wall Street Journal

Activist investor Third Point LLC is pushing for a sale of Campbell Soup Co with the help of an heir to the soup company’s founder. It spent more than $686m since mid-June, acquiring a 5.65% stake in Campbell.

 

7. Why Back to the Roots Inked a Historic Partnership with Nature’s Path to Bring Organic Cereals to Every School in America – Food+Tech Connect

Back to the Roots explains why it entered a licensing deal with Nature’s Path and how they plan to scale their organic cereal line to schools nationwide.

 

8. Aldi Stores Are Getting a $5.3B Update  — and the Result Is Almost Unrecognizable – Business Insider

Chuck Eggert will soon open Basics Market, a natural store that seeks to take health, education and meal assembly to the next level.

 

9. Fighting Food Waste, Full Harvest Raises $8M to Bring Excess Produce to Commercial Buyers – TechCrunch

The San Francisco startup has closed an $8.5m series A round led by Spark Capital, with Cultivian Sandbox Ventures joining the round.

 

10. Kroger to Sell Groceries on Alibaba Site in China – Wall Street Journal

Kroger will open an online storefront on Alibaba’s Tmall Global site with an initial product offering that includes dietary supplements and private-label products, much of it natural and organic goods.

 

11. BlueNalu Raises $4.5M As It Aims to Create Seafood from Fish Cells – FoodBev

New Crop Capital served as lead investor and was joined by a coalition of 25 venture organizations and individuals. Funding will allow the company to aggressively develop its technology platform and commercialization strategy.

 

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 Monsanto’s $289M Verdict, Corona Owner Bets $4B on Marijuana + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

]]> https://foodtechconnect.com/2018/08/16/monsantos-289m-verdict-corona-owner-bets-4b-marijuana/feed/ 0