Startup news and deals
๐ฌ๐งย ๐ฆ Bpacks, a British startup, raised โฌ1M for its sustainable packaging technology that can also extend the shelf life of food products.
๐บ๐ธย ๐ฅ One Bio, a US-based startup, raised $27M for its technology to transform agricultural waste into an affordable source of fibres for food products.
๐บ๐ธ๐ ModifyHealth, a US-based company, raised $13.5M to expand its food-as-medicine platform offering meal plans for managing chronic conditions.
๐บ๐ธ๐ฝ๏ธ CookUnity, a US-based meal delivery service, acquired Cookin, a Canada-based competitor, to accelerate growth as it nears $500M in annual revenue.
๐ป๐ณ๐พ Kamereo, a Vietnam-based startup, raised $7.8M for its B2B marketplace connecting farmers and foodservice businesses.
๐ฉ๐ฐย ๐ค AgriRobot, a Danish startup, raised โฌ2.5M for its safety software for agriculture robots.
๐ต๐น๐ฌ Carbocode, a Portuguese biotech startup, raised โฌ15M to develop human-identical compounds for infant formula.
๐ฎ๐ฑ๐งช Gavan Technologies, an Israeli startup, raised $8M to commercialise its plant-based fat.
Regulation & public support
๐ฌ๐งย ๐ฅย Oatly, the Swedish oat milk brand, canโt use the word โmilkโ on its products in the UK. Thatโs the decision of a court which refers to the use by the brand of the moto โpost-milk generationโ.
Industry new & trends
๐บ๐ธย ๐ซย Mondelez is seeking to acquire Hershey to create a confectionery conglomerate. Hershey has refused the bid for now, but it could still evolve. The fact that this potential takeover comes after the announced acquisition of Kellanova by Mars isnโt a surprise: it shows that there is a strong movement towards consolidation and that leading companies are aligned on their goal to create snack giants with each a limited pool of global and strong brands.
๐ฌ๐งย ๐ย James Dyson, the invetor of the famous vaccum cleaner is venturing into indoor farming and strawberries in the UK.
๐ย ๐ย A recent meta-analysis of randomised studies on the impact of plant-based meat alternatives on health has shown quite positif results (decrease in โbadโ cholesterol). Thatโs good news for the plant-based meat industry and its willingness to position itself as the healthy choice.
