Check out what some of the FoodTech 500 Alumni have been up to lately:

SHIRU | Raised $16 million in a series B round led by S2G Ventures and participated by CPT Capital, Lux Capital, Nourish Ventures, and Meach Cove Capital. The funding will support Shiru’s ProteinDiscovery.ai platform expansion, helping it to grow its ingredient portfolio and speed up innovation across food, skincare, and other industries. Read more

FORSEA | The cultivated seafood start-up announced that it has reached record-breaking cell density of more than 300 million cells/ml, and with minimal and precise use of cultured media ingredients. According to Forsea, this is the highest cell density recorded in the field. Read more

PHYTOLON | Natural colors biotech startup received an investment from Rich Products Ventures (RPV) to advance Phytolon’s natural, fermentation-based food color technology. With this investment, Rich’s plans to use Phytolon’s vibrant, eco-friendly colors in its portfolio of icings, toppings, and baked goods. Read more

BREVEL | Biomass fermentation startup launches its FOAK demonstration facility for commercial production of microalgae proteins and secured two commercial agreements with leading F&B companies. Read more

JELLATECH | The U.S. biotech company specializing in cell-based collagen has opened a new 9,000-square-foot facility in Morrisville, North Carolina, marking a significant milestone in scaling the production of bioidentical human collagen. This facility will enable the company to produce collagen at a pre-clinical trial scale, advancing its mission to develop human-identical Type 1 collagen for healthcare and longevity applications. Read more

GREENEYE TECHNOLOGY | Partnered with Croplands to test its advanced spraying system on Australian soil. Known for distributing systems like WEED-IT and MagrowTec, Croplands will evaluate Greeneye’s technology for compatibility with its offerings, marking Greeneye’s first field trials outside the U.S. Read more

NORWEGIAN MYCELIUM (NOMY) | The upcycled mycelium startup has entered Japan’s alternative protein market by launching a subsidiary in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The new branch aims to tackle food waste by transforming agricultural byproducts into sustainable proteins through its core fermentation technology. Read more

BON VIVANT | French biotech company released Europe’s first peer-reviewed life cycle assessment for precision-fermented milk proteins. The study, conducted with expert Lorie Hamelin from INRAE, reveals that the company’s precision-fermented proteins are significantly more sustainable than traditional dairy. Read more

TOO GOOD TO GO | Launched a new service called “Too Good To Go Parcels” to combat food waste at the manufacturing level. With this initiative, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods brands ship their surplus stock to Too Good To Go’s Midlands facility, ensuring that perfectly good food does not go to waste. Read more

 

REVO FOODS | Joined forces with Paleo on a €2.2 million EU-funded project to create a realistic, animal-free salmon alternative. Revo Foods, which specializes in 3D-printed vegan seafood, and Paleo, a precision fermentation company, aim to develop heme tailored for plant-based salmon. Read more

ENIFER | Applied for novel food approval in the EU for its Pekilo mycoprotein. This marks the first such application from a Nordic mycoprotein producer. Enifer also plans to file applications in Singapore, the US, and the UK. Read more

FOODSI | Polish marketplace for surplus food from restaurants, bakeries, and stores, raised €1.2 million in a seed round extension. With this new financing, the company aims to grow its product and sales teams, increase operational efficiency, and prepare for a future funding round. Read more

BOWERY | Agtech unicorn Bowery Farming is shutting down, according to PitchBook, which cited internal documents and multiple company employees. Read more

UMAMI BIOWORKS | Singapore-based cultivated fish maker launched a pathogen detection tool called Arbiter to improve safety and quality in the seafood industry. Arbiter can detect up to 800 unique pathogens in under six hours, providing a faster, more cost-effective solution for food safety. Read more

MELIBIO | Received investment from Future Food Fund, part of Japanese food distributor Oisix. The funding will help MeliBio transform the honey industry using plant science and precision fermentation. Read more

ALMANAC (formerly known as Semios) | Partners with WiseConn, combining the former’s AI-powered farm analytics with the latter’s DropControl system. Together, they help farmers automate and optimize irrigation, improving water efficiency and crop health. Read more

VOYAGE FOODS | The USDA has provided a $25 million loan to support the opening of Voyage Foods’ manufacturing facility in Ohio. The 284,000 sq ft facility, which is expected to be operational by early 2025, will produce 10,000 tonnes of cocoa-free chocolate annually, as well as nut-free spreads and beanless coffee. Read more

PLANETARY | Receives CHF 3M investment from Royal Cosun to advance the production of mycoprotein and other high-value fermented ingredients. Planetary’s innovative BioBlocks technology converts low-value feedstocks into sustainable, protein-rich ingredients, aligning with Cosun’s strategy to lead in fermentation-enabled food solutions. Read more

TEBRIO | Spanish biotech insect producer has secured a €30 million funding round directed toward expanding its production capabilities and boost its annual production target to over 100,000 tons. Read more

BIOTALYS | Has secured EUR 15 million in commitments through a private placement of new shares. This funding will accelerate the company’s mission to develop sustainable, protein-based biocontrol solutions for crop protection based on its proprietary AGROBODY™ platform. Read more

UMIAMI | Rebranded to Swap and is now available in several Chicago restaurants as part of their US launch. The company aims to encourage consumers to “swap” traditional meat for a sustainable alternative that doesn’t compromise on taste or texture. Read more

PAIRWISE | Announced a new project with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture to boost yam production in Nigeria and beyond through gene editing. The $3.8 million YOAGE project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will focus on improving plant architecture, reducing labor and environmental impacts, and enabling mechanized farming. Read more

 

Are you an AgriFoodTech startup or scaleup? Be part of the 2024 FoodTech 500. Apply by November 15th, 2024 to join the ranks of the most innovative food tech startups.

 

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