Startup news and deals
๐ซ๐ท๐ฑ Lactips, a French startup, raised โฌ16M to expand the production and commercialisation of its biodegradable, water-soluble plastic alternatives made from dairy proteins.
๐ฉ๐ช๐ซ Planet A Foods, a German startup, raised โฌ30M to scale its cocoa-free chocolate alternative made of sustainable and plant-based ingredients.
๐บ๐ธ๐งช Celleste Bio, a US-based startup, raised $4.5M, notably from Mondelez, to scale its plant-cell technology to create alternatives to cocoa. As mentioned in one of our recent insights, chocolate alternatives are among the hottest spaces in FoodTech right now, with a growing number of startups. What is really different from other alternative protein spaces is the very high interest large corporations have taken to the space with partnerships and investments.
๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ Cerve, a UK-based startup, raised โฌ4.2M to digitise and streamline the global food supply chain.
๐ซ๐ท๐พ Kapsera, a French startup, raised โฌ5M to scale its microcapsule technology for sustainable agriculture. Its microcapsules are used to deliver active substances like biopesticides or fertilisers more efficiently.
๐ฌ๐งย ๐ Everest Carbon, a UK-based carbon tech startup, raised $3M to scale its enhanced rock weathering (ERW) sensors for measuring carbon removal.
๐ช๐ธ๐ฑ HEMAV, a Spanish startup, raised โฌ8M for its platform for sustainable agriculture, enabling data-driven decisions for farmers to optimise yields and reduce environmental impact.
๐ซ๐ท๐ฑ Tabesto, a French startup specialising in self-service ordering kiosks, was acquired by Deliverect, a Belgium unicorn developing digital ordering solutions for restaurants.
๐จ๐ฑ๐งช Luyef, a Chilean startup, raised $1.25M to create nutrients for cultivated meat using fermentation and agricultural by-products.
Regulation & public support
๐ฎ๐ฑย ๐ฅย Imagindairy, an Israeli startup, received regulatory approval to sell its precision fermentation whey protein in Israel.
๐ฉ๐ฐย ๐ย Denmarkโs parliament passed a carbon tax on meat.
๐จ๐ณย ๐ผย All G, an Australian startup has received Chinese regulatory approval for its precision fermentation-derived lactoferrin.
Industry new & trends
๐ณ๐ฑ๐ฅฆ Unilever announced it will be selling The Vegetarian Butcher, one of Europeโs leading plant-based brands, signaling a strategic shift away from plant-based meat alternatives.
๐บ๐ธย ๐ย Cargill, the commodity giant, is laying off 5% of its workforce as part of a larger restructuring plan following profit declines linked to volatile commodity markets and inflation pressures.
๐ย ๐ย The global diabetes epidemic continues to grow, with over 800 million adults affected in 2022, many without access to treatment.
๐ย โ๏ธย New research on intermittent fasting shows some results for weight loss, but no other convincing benefits for the general health.
