Despite the typically slow funding period during summer, significant activities are occurring in the agrifoodtech sector. Notably, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation is supporting female climate entrepreneurs in Africa through Gather Ventures. In other news, Just Egg has entered the UK market, vertical farming company Aerofarms has secured additional funding, and former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler has petitioned the FDA to remove the GRAS status of several common food ingredients, including high-fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin.
Several companies have announced new funding rounds: BioConsortia raised $15 million for its nitrogen-fixing seed treatment product, TerraBlaster closed a $4 million pre-seed round for its soil health analytics platform, and Suplyd secured $2 million to enhance restaurant infrastructure. Better Nature obtained $1.5 million to promote tempeh as a chicken alternative, and Flox raised nearly $1 million to improve human-wildlife coexistence. Nomura is backing Terviva to enhance sustainable aviation fuel feedstocks and reforest degraded lands, while AeroFarms is raising equity for pre-construction activities on its second farm.
In terms of funds and grants, a Rihanna-backed initiative is set to support women-led climate startups across Africa, and Cambridge Innovation Capital has committed £100 million to University of Cambridge spinouts. Atlantic Fish Co. received a $300,000+ NSF grant, and a $50 million adaptation and resilience fund has been launched for communities facing climate risks.
Personnel changes include Lindberg’s confirmation as USDA’s top trade official and Switch Bioworks expanding its leadership team. Additionally, former FDA chief supports a campaign against processed food, US senators are urging the FDA to ban dairy-like terms on plant-based labels, and Albert Heijn has become the first global supermarket to disclose methane emissions. Other notable developments include the launch of a whole-cut plant-based salmon, a new digital self-repair tool for John Deere tractors, and a significant increase in funding for precision agriculture.
