Monday, January 28, 2019

Big Brands Pilot Zero-Waste E-Commerce Platform, Jyve’s $400M Retail Gig Economy + More

Latest food tech and innovation news, jobs and events.
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food tech connect
dig inn

FEATURED

We've interviewed 45+ CEOs, execs, farmers and investors about the role of biodiversity in the food industry. Read our interviews (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5bb6453eee&e=2715c96b29) with Starbucks, Rebbl, Food Tank, Impossible Foods and more.

Dig Inn on Supporting Experimentation & New Growing Practices on Farms (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a49e943d71&e=2715c96b29)
Dig Inn's Taylor Lanzet, director of supply & sustainability, and Larry Tse, farm manager, detail how the restaurant supports farmers in experimenting with new crops and growing processes.

Institute for the Future on Designing For Resilient Futures (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=39fa38dc0a&e=2715c96b29)
Sarah Smith, research director of IFTF's Food Futures Lab, talks to us about its foresight research and how biodiversity creates new opportunities for human and planetary health, flavor and business. The interview is also chockfull of great resources and initiatives.

How Starbucks Promotes Biodiversity Through Its Sourcing Standards (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e8844af83b&e=2715c96b29)
Starbucks VP of Coffee & Tea Michelle Burns how the company promotes biodiversity through its Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices.

Food System 6 on Scaling Food System Innovation (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=aac05e43ae&e=2715c96b29)
Food System 6's Renske Lynde on the incubator's holistic approach to supporting innovation among farmers, producers and entrepreneurs.

Gotham Greens on How Hydroponics Preserves Biodiversity (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=86d29aab10&e=2715c96b29)
Gotham Greens CEO Viraj Puri on using hydroponic technology to limit agriculture's use of land and water and reduce chemical use in our food production.

Back to the Roots on Unlocking Curiosity For a Better Food System (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2221450518&e=2715c96b29)
Back to the Roots on unlocking curiosity about biodiverse and regenerative agriculture through their cereals and indoor gardening kits.

Munchery Shutters After Raising $125M, EU to Ban Plastic Cutlery by 2021 + More (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c91524197c&e=2715c96b29)
Our round up of this week's top news.

EVENT

food biodiversity

Just 12 plants and 5 animals make up 75% of the world's food supply. This kind of consolidation puts our food supply at risk and leaves a lot of opportunity - new flavors and food experiences - on the table.
Join us to hear how game-changing startups are creating a more biodiverse food system at our February Food+Tech Meetup. CEOs and COOs from Row 7 (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7ed498249d&e=2715c96b29) , Kuli Kuli (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9d868ff624&e=2715c96b29) and Tender Greens (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6f5a60a314&e=2715c96b29) will do a deep dive into their business models and supply chains.

Get Your Tickets! (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8cbf016122&e=2715c96b29)

loop

CPG

A Coalition of Giant Brands Is About to Change How We Shop Forever, with a New Zero-Waste Platform (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d5a747f3a9&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Loop will send you name-brand products, like Tide detergent, Crest mouthwash, or Häagen Dazs ice cream. When you're done, you ship the empty container back, where it gets cleaned and reused for the next customer. Each package in the system is designed for 100+ uses.

Your Super Raises $5M to Scale Product Growth & Education Platform - Nosh
PowerPlant Ventures led the round in the plant-based superfood mix brand, with participation from Doehler Ventures and several angel investors.
https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e9903b7b5d&e=2715c96b29

Canadian Meat Giant Maple Leaf Debuts New Plant-Based Burger (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ce5e4a77cd&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Lightlife Foods is entering the plant-based burger market. Unlike Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, the company has the resources of a giant meat producer to help sell it.

Barilla-Backed BluRhapsody to Launch 3D Pasta Printing E-Commerce Service in 2019 (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cc3b679bcd&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The platform will allow anyone to order customized pasta printed by a Barilla-developed 3D pasta printer.

Renewal Mill Raises $2.5M for More Alterna-Flour Upcycling (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6560177228&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
Funding will be used to scale production and expand into new markets. The company works with Hodo Foods to source its soybean pulp, which gets converted into flour.

Study Points to New Natural Rye Bran Alternative to Synthetic Preservatives (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6ac9daef6c&e=2715c96b29) - Food Navigator
Antioxidants found in grain bran could serve as a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives, helping manufacturers meet demand for cleaner labels.

WWF and BCGDV Take Traceability to Next Level with New Blockchain Platform (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d078d9af97&e=2715c96b29) - Food Ingredients First
A new blockchain platform promises to take food transparency to the next level by allowing consumers to easily track the provenance of what they are buying, while helping businesses stamp out unscrupulous operators.

From Salsa to Nuggets, FoodStory Brands Fill 'White Space' Untapped by Industry Giants (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=4c516881e7&e=2715c96b29) - Food Dive
FoodStory Brands has worked with Walmart to focus on areas popular with shoppers, including transparency and cleaner ingredients.

jyve

RETAIL

How Jyve Secretly Raised $35M & Built a $400M Retail Gig Economy (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3cd10ffecf&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
The on-demand labor platform has come out of stealth after 3.5 years. It has 6k workers doing tasks for 4k stores across the country. Funding was led by SignalFire and joined by Crosscut Ventures and Ridge Ventures.

FoodMaven Raises $10M with Tao Capital and Walton Family for Food Waste Tech (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=4521c53d87&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
The funding will be used to help the company with a rapid expansion campaign, which involves making continued acquisitions, leading up to a $50m to $70m Series B round in early second quarter of this year.

WeWork Opens Combination Cafe, Retail, Coworking Space in NYC (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=46c92fcab8&e=2715c96b29) - Curbed
Billed as a "town square" for mission-driven projects and small businesses, Made by We, a new retail and coworking concept opens in New York's Flatiron district. It's the latest expansion of the extended We universe.

Chef'd Returns From the Dead to Invade Retail Stores Across the US (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=32cab68a3d&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
Shuttered meal kit company Chef'd is back from the dead, this time as a clean-label retail kit courtesy of True Food Innovations. The meal kits will roll out under the Chef'd and True Chef monikers in retail outlets in 2019.

CEO Hix Steps Down at Albertsons-Owned Meal Kit Company Plated (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=94553dc380&e=2715c96b29) - Crain's New York Business
The CEO of Plated is stepping down with no reason for departure or plans for where he is going next.

The Murky Ethics of the Ugly Produce Business (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c43568e207&e=2715c96b29) - The Atlantic
Ugly produce is either the salvation or destruction of America's food system, with startups profiting from the food system's structural problems while also providing real, material good for working-class people.

Organic Price Premiums Dip As Demand Grows, Choices Multiply (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=876c813a3c&e=2715c96b29) - The Washington Post
US shoppers are still paying more for organic food, but the price premium is falling as organic options multiply.

Frozen Food Sales Fuel Center Store Growth (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=25263bd03a&e=2715c96b29) - Grocery Dive
Innovation is driving consumption, but research notes negative perceptions still persist around its health and quality.

Google's Bid to Battle Amazon Suffers Blow as Walmart Withdraws (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=083ff27618&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Walmart removed its products from Google's Shopping Actions service and Google Express.

UK: Sainsbury's to Put Vegetarian Options Next to Its Meat Counters (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=367bcddd2f&e=2715c96b29) - The Telegraph
Rather than being housed in a dedicated vegan section, 26 meat and fish alternative products will be found next to their traditional counterparts in 20 Sainsbury's stores.

Brands Invent New Lines for Only Amazon to Sell (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=65e63ef0c8&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
To build a big line of exclusive products on its site, Amazon is pushing other brand manufacturers to do most of the work in exchange for faster customer feedback, marketing support and increased sales.

UK: British Grocer Trials Plastic-Free Produce Department (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9b1537b978&e=2715c96b29) - Grocery Dive
Marks & Spencer has opened a plastic-free produce department that includes 90 lines of fresh fruits and vegetables. It also removed sell-by dates in an effort to reduce waste.

Ben & Jerry's Eliminating Plastic Spoons, Straws at Stores (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=517fb1fb48&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
The Unilever-owned ice cream company said it would no longer offer plastic straws and spoons in any of its more than 600 shops worldwide in early 2019.

munchery

RESTAURANTS

After an Abrupt Shutdown, Munchery's Small Business Vendors Are the Ones Picking Up the Bill (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d085728b54&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
Vendors are waiting on payments ranging from $1.7k to as much as $20k.

One of America's Biggest Hospitals Invests in the Meal Delivery Space (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cd17cef6ff&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
Mount Sinai Ventures has invested in and partnered with Epicured, the first delivery service tailored to aid patients managing digestive diseases. Financial terms were undisclosed.

Food Delivery Startups Cook Up New Model That's All About the Kitchen (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6956df31c3&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
A new crop of startups are taking a swing at the rapidly evolving urban food service industry by honing in on cooking facilities.

KFC to Convert to Renewable, Recycled Plastic Sources by 2025 (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f9eaf0f2b6&e=2715c96b29) - Nation's Restaurant News
The pledge applies to consumer-facing items such as straws and cutlery.

Starbucks Employees Challenged to Serve Even Those Who Aren't Buying (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=564056bad8&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Starbucks now is training employees to treat anyone who walks in the door as a customer, whether they intend to make a purchase or not.

Food Halls Are the New Meal Ticket for Bricks-and-Mortar Restaurants (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=088fbfeb47&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Dining spots are using the food hall model to curb rent costs and expand their footprints.

India: Foodpanda to Focus on Cloud Kitchens As Parent Ola Tightens Purse Strings (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=aba8aeaf8b&e=2715c96b29) - VCCircle
The move is part of a broader strategy to prioritize investments in its core transportation business. Foodpanda has slashed its marketing and customer acquisition expenses, which is expected to result in orders falling by 60%.

José Andrés's Nonprofit Served 11.4K Meals to Furloughed Workers in One Day (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7c4bc4a30a&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
World Central Kitchen's #ChefsForFeds initiative has expanded beyond the nation's capital to 133 locations.

citizengrown

AGRICULTURE

CitizenGrown Wants to Create a Network of Home Cannabis Farmers (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8cbf627a92&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The San Francisco-based company plans to create a network of residential cannabis farmers by providing them with grow systems and handling the sale of the flower.

How Canopy Growth Became the Jolly Green Giant of Cannabis (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c50c9f400e&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
With recreational use now legal across Canada, the $11b marijuana company is suddenly getting personal with millions of new customers. If only retail were an easy business to cultivate.

Australia Might Have the Answer to Herbicide-Resistant 'Superweeds' (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e35dca2fef&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
Farmers in Australia have innovated diverse, creative tools to fight herbicide-resistant weeds, which could provide a solution for US farmers.

Ancient Canadian Quinoa Suggests Food Globalized Earlier Than We Thought (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=68d7dc69ce&e=2715c96b29) - Quartz
The recent discovery of 3,000-year-old quinoa seeds in Ontario, Canada suggests that quinoa may have been traded among the people of North America.

How Racism Has Shaped the American Farming Landscape (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a1112a2ae5&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
US agriculture today appears to be just as segregated as it was a century ago, with farmers of color at a significant disadvantage.

Florida's Citrus Trees Face Extinction. Are Antibiotics the Only Answer? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6c1ce62a91&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
Florida citrus growers say antibiotics are necessary to save their industry from the devastating effects of citrus greening. Consumer advocates say their use on crops is irresponsible.

meat

EATERS

We'll Always Eat Meat. But More of It Will Be 'Meat' (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d2d80f4e01&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
More and more people are choosing to eat less and less meat. The trend is spawning a rapidly expanding industry for meat substitutes, both plant-based and grown in labs.

Nearly Half of Shoppers Buy Both Dairy and Plant-Based Milk (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7d6b0273d5&e=2715c96b29) - Food & Wine
Only 26% of respondents consumed both dairy and plant-based milk in the past six months, while 62% said they had drunk only dairy milk in the last half-year.

Amid Shutdown, Schools Worry Meal Programs Will Run Out of Cash (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=30f9d1ddf0&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Funding for lunches and breakfasts is seen running out in March if impasse goes on.

Fewer Than Half of Consumers Trust Cannabis Ingredients (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=0d27c6b8a3&e=2715c96b29) - Food Dive
Of 2k consumers surveyed, 45% would trust the safety of commercially made products containing cannabis. Forty-two percent would rather buy from a small company than a big one, and 29% would trust the quality of such products bought online.

People Strongly Against GMOs Had Shakier Understanding of Food Science, Study Finds (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=18ce7ee8de&e=2715c96b29) - NPR
GMO opponents say they want more rigorous testing by the FDA. But the study reinforces the idea that people may be reticent to learn facts they find morally upsetting.

Office Food Is No Healthier Than Wendy's, CDC Report Shows (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=09b93aaa10&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
From free pizza and birthday cake to cafeteria sandwiches, workplace food is a significant factor in the American diet—and it deserves another look.

https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=df062ef5a4&e=2715c96b29

LATEST JOB LISTINGS
Associate Brand Manager at King Arthur Flour (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=87a31ed278&e=2715c96b29) - White River Junction, VT

Commercialized Banking Research and Development at ALS Concepts (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=de3e682bad&e=2715c96b29) - New York, NY

Food Operations Manager at Kitchentown (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=bddb41a6a8&e=2715c96b29) - San Mateo, CA

Google Food Program Innovation Project Manager at Google (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ea6cf30ac2&e=2715c96b29) - Bay Area, CA

Food Service Sales Executive at MySuperFoods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b5b2b050f5&e=2715c96b29) - Summit, NJ

Retail Sales Executive at MySuperFoods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f54b8821e3&e=2715c96b29) - Summit, NJ

Food Science Intern at Spero Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=60371e63ed&e=2715c96b29) - Los Angeles, CA; San Jose, CA

Shift Leader / Supervisor at Ox Verte (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a417fa325a&e=2715c96b29) - New York, NY

Operations Manager - Manufacturing at Banza (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d8ac61c52a&e=2715c96b29) - Riverside, CA

Incubator Kitchen and Program Manager at Grand Rapids Downtown Market (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2dfa971241&e=2715c96b29) - Grand Rapids, MI

Kuli Kuli Operations Coordinator (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1a0ef5a32c&e=2715c96b29) - Bay Area, CA; Remote
SEARCH MORE JOBS! (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=673115ea6e&e=2715c96b29)
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