This week, Sam Altman-backed last-mile delivery robots startup Coco Robotics raised $80m, Israel’s Tastewise closed a $50 million round to scale its AI platform for food companies, and Amsterdam-based Tebi landed funds to develop an all-in-one operating system for small hospitality businesses.
Elsewhere, gene-editing ag biotech Cibus closed a $27.5m public offering, while InSoil and Key Carbon announced a partnership to support European farmers pursuing regenerative agriculture.
Startup funding
🇺🇸 Sam Altman-backed Coco Robotics raises $80mTechCrunch
🇮🇱 Tastewise raises $50m Series B Axios
🇳🇱 Amsterdam-based Tebi raises $34m to serve Europe’s hospitality sector one tap at a time EU Startups
🇬🇧 RootWave bags $15m to expand its autonomous weeding platform to Europe, US AgFunderNews
 🇿🇦 Startup Nile Secures $11.3M to Scale Digital Trading Platform for Farmers in SA TechBuild.Africa
🇮🇳 Indian fast-food chain Wow! Momo secures $10.2m in debt Tech In Asia
🇩🇪 Vegdog: German plant-based dog food firm raises $10m after sales grow by 66% Green Queen
🇳🇱 Dutch-based Aquablu raises $8.1m after podcast pitch goes viral Silicon Canals
🇵🇹 PFx Biotech closes $2.7m seed round to scale up production of human milk proteins Protein Production Technology
🇪🇸 Spanish startup Voltrac raises $2.3m to launch autonomous tractor platform for agriculture and frontline logistics EU Startups
M&A, IPOs & partnerships
🇺🇸 Cibus announces closing of $27.5m public offering Globe Newswire
🇮🇩 Indonesian F&B operator DailyCo said to acquire Yummy Corp Deal Street Asia
🇮🇱 Steakholder Foods to acquire Twine Solutions Alt-Meat
🇱🇹🇨🇦 InSoil & Key Carbon announce milestone $114m partnership for European farmers pursuing regenerative agriculture InSoil
🇩🇪🇬🇧 Siemens partners with Entocycle to digitalise insect farming industry Siemens
🇺🇸 Rockefeller Foundation, PepsiCo, join TransCap Initiative to help design a better finance model for regen ag AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Anheuser-Busch-linked family office backs Benson Hill reboot AgriInvestor
🇺🇸 DoorDash acquires ad tech platform Symbiosys in third purchase this month Nation’s Restaurant News
🇺🇸 Pairwise licenses gene editing tools to CIMMYT to fast-track smallholder farming systems’ transformation Globe Newswire
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇺🇸 Earth Foundry halves climate fund target to $50m Axios
🇺🇸 Foodtech VC activity ‘slowed significantly’ in Q1, says Pitchbook AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 The OpenAg Foundation launches raising $1.3 m for water security project to help one million in Southern Africa Farmers Review AfricaÂ
🇸🇪 Swedish climatetech Plagazi taps $34.2m in non-dilutive EU funding, eyes private capital next Arctic Startup
🇸🇪 Greentech company Ecohelix gets $2.5m boost for bio-based packaging material Arctic Startup
🇬🇧 Scotland gets its first open-access 300l fermenter thanks to $1.1m grant Vegconomist
People moves
🇨🇿 Rohlik spins out Veloq to power the next generation of AI-driven grocery fulfilment – Richard McKenzie joins as CEO Tech.eu
🇮🇱 ADAMA appoints Francisco López Aufranc as EVP LATAM PR Newswire
🇺🇸 Bushel co-founder Ryan D. Raguse steps down as Chief Innovation Officer LinkedIn
🇺🇸 Slutty Vegan appoints tech executive Lauren Maillian as president Vegconomist
Other News
🇺🇸 David fires back in Epogee lawsuit: ‘Plaintiffs only have themselves to blame for not signing long-term supply agreements’ AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Amplifye debuts enzyme to supercharge protein digestion and unlock new health benefits AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Tamarack Biotics earns FDA acceptance of innovative raw milk treatment PR NewswireÂ
🇺🇸 Verdant Robotics expands commercial availability of the SharpShooter to reduce labor and input costs for growers across the U.S. Verdant Robotics [Disclosure: AgFunderNews’ parent company AgFunder is an investor in Verdant Robotics.]
🇯🇵 Suntory pilots regenerative farming to secure ingredient sourcing AgTechNavigatorÂ
🇨🇿 Czech Republic moves on cultivated meat regs Alt-Meat
🇪🇺 VC spring revival: European tech investment jumps 66 per cent month-on-month Tech.eu
🇺🇸 Vegan Essentials undergoes ownership change, returns to independent family management Vegconomist
🇺🇸 California sets up special committee to drive alternative protein innovation Green Queen
The post The Week in AgriFoodTech: Coco Robotics bags $80m, Tastewise secures $50m, Tebi raises $34m appeared first on AgFunderNews.
