AgriFood Signals rounds up the latest financings, deals, grants and industry developments spanning agtech and foodtech.
AgriFood Signals funding and deal highlights
Funding news
🇫🇷 Edonia secured €15 million to scale microalgae-based protein as a meat alternative, according to industry reports.
🇺🇸 Kutlerri.ai raised $4 million to grow its AI agents used to boost restaurant sales and manage costs, company updates show.
🇩🇪 Berlin-based agtech startup hexafarms closed a €4.8 million round to offer greenhouse sensors and scouting robots on a subscription model, according to funding disclosures.
🇩🇪 Female-founded startup Finches raised €2 million to deliver AI-driven early warnings for agricultural sourcing risks, the company said.
🇧🇷 BioLinker brought in $1.7 million to build an automated biotech laboratory in the Amazon, according to regional venture reports.
🇮🇳 Myca raised $1.3 million in pre-seed funding to deploy AI agents overseeing agribusiness field operations, filings indicate.
M&A, IPOs & partnerships
🇺🇸 Uber Eats agreed to acquire ezCater for $2.3 billion, according to company announcements.
🇩🇪 Amazon and Microsoft are backing a 750 million-litre water restoration initiative in Germany, project details show.
🇺🇸 PepsiCo and Grimme are using virtual reality tools to cut supplier waste, according to procurement updates.
🇺🇸 Beam Global plans to acquire drone technology firm ScoutDI for approximately $24 million, the companies said.
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇺🇸 The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation launched an $18 million fund to protect Great Plains grasslands, the foundation announced.
🇺🇸 Grand Farm received a $5 million federal grant to build a year-round indoor AgTech test track, according to grant records.
🇺🇸 Additional funding will be available to farmers through the USDA’s Regenerative Pilot Program in 2027, the department noted.
People moves
🇺🇸 Vonnie Estes will retire from the International Fresh Produce Association after years linking fresh produce companies with innovation, she stated.
🇧🇪 Biotalys appointed Christine Berwaerts and Ioana Tudor as independent directors, the company announced.
🇺🇸 Brijesh Krishnaswamy has joined Beyond Meat as chief operating officer, according to a company update.
Other news
🇺🇸 Vylor completed its separation from Corteva, saying it aims to reimagine agriculture, according to company communications.
🇺🇸 Farmer sentiment declined as concerns over input costs grew, a Purdue survey found.
🇨🇳 China plans to foster 10,000 high-potential agtech firms as part of its push for self-reliance in agricultural science, according to government-linked reports. Relatedly, China soybean demand weakens, curbing outlook for US sales has raised concerns among exporters.
🇺🇸 Enko Chem announced a research expansion targeting new crop pests, the company said.