FoodLabs’ Post

Interesting article on headwinds and tailwinds in #FoodTech investing.

It’s been a grim couple of years for foodtech investment, with the whole segment, fairly or unfairly, often judged by the performance of some high-profile alt protein players that have burned through huge amounts of money with little to show for it. So where do we go from here? What we need, argued Mary McCarthy at Sofinnova Partners at last week's Future Food-Tech conference in London, "is exits… not only for food, but for agriculture, because what has happened is all the capital is stuck where it is, so our LPS cannot reinvest…" The challenge, said James Caffyn at Lever VC, is that “Most of the capital that came into the space in 2021, 2022, was generalist capital, and a lot of it lost money, and therefore those people are not going to come back until there is more proof that you can make money from the space. “We’ve seen a few exits, but we haven’t seen many where the acquirer or the public via an IPO have been successful.” That said, there is “no lack of quality deal flow out there and still quite some dry powder as well,” said Laurent Vermer, partner at Kharis Capital, who noted that that the funding winter currently engulfing the agrifoodtech sector won’t last forever. “It’s a period of cleansing and resetting after some excess, and from my point of view, there are signs that we’re moving towards spring, but it’s going to be a long spring, and I’m not sure the summer will be as lush as the previous one.” Thanks also to Andrew D Ive at Big Idea Ventures for chatting with me on camera at the sidelines of the event on everything from where we are in the current downcycle to who will fund #cultivatedmeat (check out our video tomorrow for this particular segment of the chat)... Read the full article here via AgFunder News: https://shorturl.at/0fxad #foodtech #foodtechinvesting #innovation #foodinnovation #investing Future Food-Tech Rethink Events

🌱 With clickbait headlines proclaiming the death of cultivated meat, and some vegan brands closing, what is the real situation with regard to the funding and development of the alternatives protein industry? 💰 Louise Davis speaks with 10 financial experts to get a definitive answer. 💡 This talking heads article features Gautam Godhwani, Managing Partner of Good Startup, Claire Smith, CEO of Beyond Investing, Bastiaan Gielink, Senior Investment Manager, Invest-NL, Lissy Smit, CEO of Aqua-Spark, Yoni Glickman, Managing Partner of FoodSparks by PeakBridge, Jan Christoph Gras, Co-founder & General Partner, Planet A Ventures, Nick Cooney, Founder & Managing Partner, Lever VC, pieter wolters, Managing Director of dsm-firmenich Venturing, and Trevor Sieck, Startup Engagament at Foodbytes by Rabobank. 👏 Thank you all for sharing your insights! Don't miss out on this must-read article on the future of alternative proteins. Hint: it's not all doom and gloom! Read the full article here: https://hubs.ly/Q02t7Qk00 #alternativeproteins #foodtech #funding #innovation #sustainability #futureoffood

No beats, just bites! 🎧🍽️ As the #ADE crowd clears out, it's time for the food-tech innovators to take over Amsterdam! Our venture partner Tijl Hoefnagels will be stepping into the spotlight at the The Future of Protein Production event, joining the panel at the Food-Tech Lightning Pitch Session. Tijl will be joined by Claire Smith (Beyond Impact VC) and Floor Buitelaar (Bright Green Partners) to hear bold pitches from food-tech startups and tackle some key questions: 💸 Price Parity is Everything – Will consumers pay more for sustainable proteins, or is cost control the real key to scaling? 📜 Regulation: Friend or Foe? – Are new rules like the Green Deal empowering growth or holding things back? 👥 Building Strong Teams – How are startups managing fast growth while keeping their teams strong? If you're attending and up for a chat, drop us or Tijl a DM – let's share a protein bar and talk about the future of food-tech! 🍫🚀 #impact #impactinvesting #food #tech #agri #foodinnovation

Gautam Godhwani shares his perspectives on the current state of the alternative protein industry and provides insights on Good Startup's investment strategy in this article from Protein Production Technology International #alternativeproteins #sustainability #vc

As a key player in stimulating the growth of the Food Valley, Oost NL, an investor in Rubio and co-investor in several of our portfolio companies, plays a vital role in enabling the region’s agrifood ecosystem. And now, they have also launched the "Welcome to the Dutch Food Valley e-magazine", an exciting initiative showcasing the innovation and sustainable growth happening in the region. This magazine highlights the dynamic opportunities within the Food Valley and emphasizes the collaborative efforts driving transformation in the agrifood sector. It’s a valuable resource for businesses, offering insights into the many initiatives that collectively shape this thriving ecosystem. 🌍🌱 We’re especially proud to see our own Tijl Hoefnagels featured in this issue. In his interview on page 14, Tijl shares insights into what investors look for when attending Food Valley events. He also dives into Rubio’s approach: building relationships with founders early, tracking their progress, and co-creating the optimal conditions to invest in groundbreaking startups that drive a Just Transition. 📖 Want to dive deeper? The link to the interview is in the first comment ⬇️ #impact #impactinvesting #vc #FoodTech #DutchFoodValley #Agrifood

Only 1 day to go! 🔜 Attention agrifood startups and investors! 🌟 Join us this October 10th at 3 pm CEST for a deep dive into Germany's agrifood sector. This session will cover: - Tap into Market Opportunities: Gain insights into Germany’s agrifood sector, exploring market demands, growth areas, and consumer preferences. - Connect with Industry Leaders: Engage with the key players in the local agrifood scene, building valuable relationships with potential partners, clients, and collaborators. - Innovations: Discover how local startups transform the industry with new technologies, enhance productivity, and promote sustainability. 📅 Don’t miss out – mark your calendars and register for our webinar! 🔗 Save the event: https://shorturl.at/CfW8S #Agrifood #Sustainability #Innovation #Germany #SmartAgriculture

Ready to expand or collaborate your research? 🚀 Download our free startup guide today and explore how the Australian agritech and agrifood ecosystem can take you there! Whether you're entering the Australian market or accelerating your go-to-market strategy, this guide provides essential insights into key players, support programs, events and investment pathways. 🌏 Sit down with Amelia Cooper from AgriFutures growAG and Ming Fung Chua from Beanstalk AgTech, as they walk you through how you can get the most out of the guide. It's a fantastic resource and we can't thank Beanstalk AgTech enough for their all their hard work in bringing this to life. Download yours today. Link in the comments below 👇 #agritech #foodtech #scaling #scaleup #innovation

Welcome to our journey of innovation and growth in the agri-food industry! In this blog post, we’ll explore the essential steps to develop agri-food ideas into flourishing ventures. From planting the seeds of inspiration to reaping the bountiful harvest of success, we’ll guide you through each stage of the entrepreneurial journey. Prepare to embark on a transformative adventure combining creativity, strategy, and determination to cultivate thriving agri-food ventures. Explore this link to read a more detailed step on how to develop your agri-food ideas into flourishing ventures. https://lnkd.in/dSt4hqmh You can also visit our website by clicking on the link in our bio for more info. Let’s keep the conversation growing! Share your ideas, challenges, and questions in the comment section below. Together, let’s build a more sustainable, and equitable food system for future generations. #agroinfotech #agroinfotechlabs #venturedesignstudio #agrifoodbusinesses #agrifood #agribusinesses #innovativeideas #innovation #agrifoodindustry

Building the Future of Food Innovation Together 🚀 Last week, we hosted the third and final Scaling table of the year at Rabobank's headquarters in Utrecht. This inspiring session - part of Foodvalley’s Heroes community initiative and supported by Invest-NL - brought together a powerful mix of the agrifood scale-up Health Food Wall and investors from ROM InWest, Capital Blue Partners, Oterap B.V. and Rabobank. Anouk Snelders, Founder and Co-Owner of Health Food Wall, enthusiastically reflected how the Scaling table provided a rare chance to dive deep into their opportunities and challenges together with investors: "During our participation in the Scaling table, we experienced the power of collaboration within the Dutch agrifood scale-up ecosystem. This unique conversation gained invaluable insights and build partnerships that enhance the scalability and impact of our concept. When else do you, as a scale-up, get the chance to dive deep into your opportunities and challenges with a diverse group of investors who stand alongside you?" Scaling isn’t easy. While the Netherlands is a leading start-up hub, just 21% of start-ups here grow into scale-ups (compared to 60% in the U.S.). That’s why Heroes exists: to identify and support the next generation of industry “heroes” by 2030, with the vision of making the Netherlands a global leader in agrifood innovation. By connecting scale-ups with talent, funding, and resources, we’re fostering a vibrant ecosystem of “heroes” who will shape the future of food. 🌱 The secret to driving change? Collaboration. Let’s build the future together. #ScalingTable #Heroes #FoodInnovation #Agrifood #Impact #FoodTech #AgriTech Sven Hermans Lotte Nolten-van Hoek Bob Stapel Sander Peltenburg Ad van Vugt Sanne van Kouwen Carla van Heck Minerve Vicente Anieke Wierenga, PhD.