Startup Funding News
🇨🇦 🧬 Future Fields, a Canadian startup, raised $8M to scale its fruit-fly-based biomanufacturing platform. This could be the “next alternative protein technology trend”, with now a handful of startups moving into this space. The idea is quite simple on paper: genetically modified insects are used to produce the desired proteins at a lower cost than through precision fermentation.
🇺🇸 🥗 Mealogic, a US-based startup, raised $16M to grow its medically tailored meal delivery service. This is a very interesting all-in-one “food as prescription” solution which supports the consumer all the way from advice to an actual food product. While many similar experiments have happened over the years, none have been able to scale. Let’s see if this time it will be different.
🇳🇱 🍗 Rival Foods, a Dutch startup, raised €10M to scale production of its clean-label plant-based whole cuts.
🇪🇸 🌸 BlueRedGold, a Spanish startup, raised €2.73M to build the first automated indoor farming solution for saffron.
🇫🇷 🍄 FunguiT, a French startup, raised €4M to scale its production of natural flavours based on mycelium fermentation.
🇺🇸 🐟 Seafood Analytics, a US startup, raised $22M to scale its robotics and AI tools for seafood processing.
🇫🇮 🧪 Ovido, a Finnish startup, raised €2.4M for its AI platform that helps F&B companies to manage compliance and traceability.
🇬🇷 🍨 Planet Foods, a Greek startup, raised €1M to scale its functional plant-based ice cream.
Acquisitions, Partnerships & Regulatory Approvals
🇫🇷🌱 Micropep, a French startup and Corteva announced a partnership to develop peptide-based biocontrol solutions for agriculture.
🇦🇺 🥩 Vow, an Australian cultivated meat company, received regulatory approval to launch its lab-grown quail product in its home
country.
🇬🇧 🇯🇵 🥓 Hoxton Farms, a British startup, partnered with Mitsui Chemicals to expand cultivated fat manufacturing in Asia.
Leading Companies & Macro Trends
🇺🇸 🍫 Mars’ proposed $36B acquisition of Kellanova (formerly part of Kellogg’s) is facing EU antitrust scrutiny.
🇺🇸 📋 The FDA is considering a legal definition of “ultra-processed foods”, following advocacy from presidential candidate RFK Jr.
