Startup news and deals
๐บ๐ธย ๐ Carbon Robotics, a US startup, raised $70M to scale the production and commercialisation of its weeding robots. Like many players, it has evolved from autonomous robots to a trailer put behind a tractor.
๐ฉ๐ฐย ๐ FarmDroid, a Danish startup, raised โฌ10.5M for its solar-powered weeding robots.
๐ฌ๐งย ๐งซ Microlub, a US startup, raised ยฃ3.5M to commercialise its fat-replacement technology for plant-based foods.
๐ซ๐ทย ๐บย Hubcycle, a French startup, raised โฌ15M for its upcycling marketplace companies with food byproducts with those that can create value out of it. A great success for the upcycling ecosystem, which is increasingly moving from B2C to B2B players (with high-value ingredients and marketplaces).
๐ซ๐ทย ๐ฅย Farmitoo, a French startup operating a marketplace specialised in agricultural equipment and spare parts, is shutting down. It had raised about โฌ15M, and this comes as an additional blow to a part of the AgriFoodTech ecosystem, which was considered โsafeโ (e-commerce B2B models not relying on heavy R&D investments).
๐ซ๐ทย ๐ธ๐ฌย Vital Meat, a French meat startup, held a tasting in Singapore in anticipation of regulatory approval expected to arrive โvery soonโ. Unlike most cellular agriculture startups, it chose an accessible location rather than a fancy restaurant and a Michelin-star chef to position its future products.
๐ซ๐ทย ๐ฑย C&DAC, a French startup, raised โฌ1.6M for its fermented legume flours for plant-based food applications.
๐ฎ๐ณ๐พ BioPrime, an Indian startup, raised $6M for its bio-based agricultural solutions.
๐จ๐ญ๐พ Umami Farms, a Swiss startup, raised CHF 4.3M to scale its premium microgreens indoor farming operations.
๐ซ๐ท๐ด La Belle Vie, a French startup, raised โฌ2.8M for its online grocery delivery platform.
๐บ๐ธย ๐ฆ Solubag, a Chilean startup, raised $4.5M for its biodegradable plastic alternatives that dissolve in water.
๐ณ๐ฑย ๐ TAPP, a Dutch startup providing data insights for the foodservice industry, declared bankruptcy due to financial difficulties. It had raised โฌ3M last year.
๐บ๐ธย ๐ค Simbe Robotics, an American startup, raised $28M for its autonomous retail robots checking prices and inventory through stores.
๐ฌ๐ง๐ Bioniq, a British startup developing personalized health supplements, raised an investment from Cristiano Ronaldo, bringing its valuation to โฌ75.7M.
