We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the experts’ team of MSCI, the leading provider of market indexes. We will provide them insight into their thematic indexes on the future of food. We will also be a part of a series of webinars on the 30th of September on thematic investing, dedicated to FoodTech (it’s free with two events on the same day to cover both the EMEA & Americas and APAC regions). You may wonder what is the link between the public markets, indexes and the FoodTech ecosystem. This link was weak a few years ago, now it is getting stronger and stronger.
Indeed, as we’ve seen last week we have seen that investments in the FoodTech ecosystem have risen significantly in the first half of 2021. It seems that the FoodTech ecosystem has bridged the gap with other “tech” ecosystems:
- startups raise more at each stage, notably in earlier stages, as we’ve just said
- the later stage deals mean that startups that would have gone through an IPO or acquisition 5 to 7 years after being founded can now wait 10 to 14 years.
And, those who want to accelerate things can use a SPAC (a few examples here as many startups have used that road, notably in urban farming).
We can only be pleased that these FoodTech startups have the means to mature and successfully become public companies (as we have seen recently with Beyond Meat, Oatly, Deliveroo, DoorDash, etc.). It will also be interesting to have access to more data about their sales. This could positively impact the overall ecosystem (as the increasing sales of Beyond Meat, quarter after quarter, help the overall ecosystem of meat alternatives, even at the earlier stages). So, now looking for FoodTech is not only looking for nimble startups, it is also to have an eye on large and public companies.
SINCE YOU ARE HERE – Interesting reads to save for your weekend
🍜 If you also love how practical instant noodles can be but at the same time hate how bad they are when your read the list of ingredients (and hence feel bad when you eat it), this startup may have the solution.
🇬🇧 💔 🇫🇷 Mark & Spencer will close many of its stores in France due to supply chain challenges in fresh foods caused by Brexit-related border delays.
DigitalFoodLab: While “just-in-time” is challenged in many industries right now due to shortages of semiconductors and other materials, new border controls can also threaten it in food. It shows how fragile a food supply chain can be and how hard it is for fresh food producers to expand internationally, even if it is only to cross the Channel.
Beyond the facts, we are sad, as fans of M&S products and the experience it provided (with only private label products, it was always a short trip to England).
💰 🍽️ Finance + food? JPMorgan Chase acquired the Infatuation, a restaurant review website. The idea is to provide special perks to credit card holders.
