Latest food tech and innovation news, jobs and events.
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food tech connect
cooks ventures
FEATURED
Blue Apron Co-Founder Launches New Food Company, Starbucks Invests $100M in Startup Fund + More (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2cbb19e2c5&e=2715c96b29)
Our round-up of last week's top food innovation news.
Edenworks on How Aquaponics & Aquaculture Can Promote Biodiversity (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=be9834ccdb&e=2715c96b29)
Edenworks co-founder and CEO Jason Green talks to us about why seafood biodiversity is important and the role aquaponics and aquaculture can play in preserving it.
25 Food and Agriculture Leaders to Watch in 2019 (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=31322bf33f&e=2715c96b29) - Food Tank
From technology in farming to advocacy and activism, Food Tank's list features food and agriculture innovators from diverse backgrounds. We are honored to have our own Danielle Gould featured in the list.
How Burlap & Barrel Is Rethinking the Spice Supply Chain (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=edf804f070&e=2715c96b29)
Burlap & Barrel co-founder Ethan Frisch talks to us about how the spice company is developing a horizontally scaleable supply chain.
Why Yolélé Foods Is Bringing West African Ancient Grain Fonio to the US (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=daab7fa7f1&e=2715c96b29)
Yolélé Foods CEO Philp Teverow talks to us about how the company is creating market demand and processing infrastructure for fonio.
✨ WE'RE HIRING ✨
Join our team! We are hiring a part-time Event Producer (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=21ff24e00c&e=2715c96b29) and Digital Community Manager (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=137cc3fc5a&e=2715c96b29) .
food investment
With a Lack of Investors, PieShell To Close (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=384e47be6b&e=2715c96b29) - Nosh
The food and beverage crowdfunding platform PieShell it is shutting down as of March 28. It is remaining open to allow its two final campaigns - Steiner's and one to support ex-Pilotworks employees, which has raised close to $180k - to complete their fundraising goals.
Editors Note: We thank PieShell founder and CEO Cheryl Clements for her tireless dedication to supporting food entrepreneurs. We wish her the best on her next adventure.
Consumer Giants Double Down on Venture Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3d0f2c314a&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
In 2018, food and beverage companies invested more than $1b in startups, up from $460m the previous year. They now back one-third of all venture-capital deals in the sector globally by values, up from just 5% at the start of the decade.
Impossible Foods's Fake Meat Gets Real Voluntary Recall (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b61590609e&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
A California restaurant found a piece of plastic in an Impossible Burger shipment.
Upcycled Flour Co. Planetarians Closes $750K Seed Round, Partners with Barilla's BLU1877 (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9726596c6e&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
BLU1877, Techstars, The Yield Lab, SOSV and a group of angel investors took part in the round. Planetarians will use its new funding to continue developing and trialing new products.
Kale United Backs Ocean Hugger Foods with First Strategic Investment Post Crowdfunding (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5c2d0ad750&e=2715c96b29) - Vegconomist
Financial terms were undisclosed. This is the first strategic investment following Kale United's successful crowdfunding round, which raised over EUR250k. The funding will be coupled with support exploring new distribution channels for OHF's products into European markets.
Clear Labs & Oxford Nanopore Team Up to Offer Rapid Result Food Safety Testing Technology (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2b3fbc0239&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Next-generation sequencing startup Clear Labs is partnering with Oxford Nanopore to provide rapid testing in food manufacturing for pathogens such as salmonella.
Chobani's Secret Ingredient for Backing New Food Companies (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5f77c9b728&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
The new class of the yogurt company's incubator shows how it's helping a greater diversity of founders, who often have a hard time securing funding.
Mondelez International Invests in Chicago Food Incubator, the Hatchery (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=195d9bcf6f&e=2715c96b29) - Food Navigator
The investment is part of the CPG company's SnackFutures innovation and venture hub. Financial terms were undisclosed. Mondelez and the Hatchery are partnering to enhance innovation initiatives in the snacking space.
Kraft Heinz Can't Count on Ketchup to Save It From the Future of Food (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e508c61a30&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Consumer tastes are undergoing a seismic shift, and the mac-and-cheese maker is being attacked from all sides.
Conagra Expands Its Plan for Zucchini Noodles in Bid for Carb Replacements (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1cafb90f4e&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Armed with its recently acquired portfolio from Pinnacle Food labels, Conagra believes it has a solution: spiralized zucchini, improved branding for cake mix and salad dressing as category leaders.
You Can Now Buy Vegan Tuna at Walmart (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b0145e6f5e&e=2715c96b29) - Livekindly
Vegan meat brand Loma Linda Foods launched a new line of vegan tuna made from non-GMO soy protein, in partnership with Walmart, adding to the leading supermarket's already wide range of vegan food.
Government Crackdowns Puts Smaller CBD Vendors in Jeopardy (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cb94b52f1a&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
The legal gray area hasn't stopped big corporations from jumping on the CBD bandwagon, and bigger retailers seem immune to the CBD clampdown -- so far.
Ferrero and Hostess Vie for Kellogg's Keebler Cookie Business, in a Roughly $1.5B Deal (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=104527416a&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
Hostess Brands and Nutella-owner Ferrero are competing as front-runners to buy Kellogg's Keebler, Famous Amos and fruit snacks businesses.
CBD
RETAIL
CVS Has Started Selling Cannabis-Based Products in 8 States (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e9b1fcccd8&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
The pharmacy chain says the products include topicals such as creams, sprays, roll-ons, lotions and salves.
The 7-Eleven of the Future Is an Organic Hellscape of Turmeric Slurpees (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=0b63ce12ea&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
7-Eleven plans to shed its identity as a junk food staple. In early March, the chain debuted its first lab store, a real-time testing ground for new, upscale conveniences.
How Nuro Plans to Spend Softbank's $940M (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c76652b5e0&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
A recent patent application details how its R1 self-driving vehicle could carry smaller robots to cross lawns or climb stairs to drop off packages. The company has even taken the step of trademarking the name "Fido" for delivery services.
Amazon to Whole Foods Online Delivery Customers: We're Out of Celery, How's Kale? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8f7316ed6a&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
From items that appear in stock online but aren't available in stores, to incorrect items and odd substitutions, some early users say Amazon has work to do to improve its delivery services at the organic grocery chain.
food delivery
RESTAURANTS
India: SoftBank Vision Fund Leads $413M Investment in Delhivery (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9f16c45e03&e=2715c96b29) - VCCircle
The company will use fresh capital to expand its operations to 20k pin code areas from 15k during the April-June quarter. It will also use funds to grow its e-commerce market share and expand its end-to-end supply chain platform.
Keatz, a European 'Cloud Kitchen' Startup, Raises Further €12M (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c81d789466&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
Backing the round are existing investors Project A Ventures, Atlantic Food Labs, UStart, K Fund and JME Ventures, which are joined by RTP Global. Funding will be used to further expand its roll-out of cloud kitchens across Europe.
Why Food Delivery Apps Could Leave Restaurants Footing the Bill (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=747c80cf15&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
America's love for take-out is spurring a boom in food delivery startups. But what's convenient for customers may not be good for restaurants. Here's why.
Restaurants Serve Up Loyalty Programs to Combat Competition (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=886481f4a0&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
Customers are quick to jump to a competitor if they are offered coupons or other discounts, but restaurant customer loyalty programs can ensure that they keep coming back. Contests and sweepstakes, as well as savings, can build brand loyalty.
Meet The Smartest Trash Bin Yet (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5872db1239&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
The Winnow Vision smart can sends reports each week with everything thrown out, how much it was worth and its environmental footprints. The company estimates amounts to $100b for the hospitality industry annually.
James Beard Foundation's 5th Annual 'Blended Burger' Project Seeks Entries (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b3df63b70b&e=2715c96b29) - Food & Wine
The project challenges chefs to substitute some of the meat in their burgers for environmentally-friendly mushrooms.
Shaquille O'Neal Called In to Assist Papa John's Corporate Makeover (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cb4739aa7b&e=2715c96b29) - Skift Table
Papa John's has announced Shaquille O'Neal as the newest member of its board, as the struggling pizza chain continues to throw everything but the kitchen sink at its public image problem to rebound sales.
China: Inside Alibaba's New Futuristic Hotel (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3264b0a72b&e=2715c96b29) - The Motley Fool
The 290-room hotel in Hangzhou, China, called FlyZoo, aims to use updated technology to fix a number of typical hotel annoyances.
pork farming
AGRICULTURE
Getting Real About Rural America (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=db48b3d6f1&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
There are powerful forces behind the relative and in some cases absolute economic decline of rural America — and the truth is that nobody knows how to reverse those forces.
Rural America and a Tale of Two Columns (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9d28a3825b&e=2715c96b29) - Daily Yonder
Last week's New York Times columns by Paul Krugman and David Brooks offer textbook examples of the unhelpful frames that define our conversation about rural America.
National Pork Board and Ripe.io Partner to Enhance Responsible Pig Farming Practices Through Blockchain (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2146fb491e&e=2715c96b29) - Food Logistics
Through the partnership, pork producers will be able to monitor, evaluate and continuously improve their sustainability practices based on Ripe.io's We Care frame work.
Hong Kong: Avant Meats Develops Cultured Seafood (Fish Maw, Sea Cucumber) for a Chinese Audience (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2ab28da436&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
Unlike a cut of meat like steak, which requires muscle cells, fat cells and connective tissue, fish maw is made up of only one cell type. That simplicity allows Avant Meats to grow a fish maw from scratch in as little as one and a half months.
Abu Dhabi's $272M AgTech Commitment: Where Is All That Money Going to Go? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ebeb37faa7&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
AgFunderNews contacted Elham Al Qasim, acting CEO of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), to discuss the ins and outs.
Israel AgriFood Tech Startups Raise $759M in Five Years (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=306ab11d0d&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Considering Israel's population of less than 9m, and its geographic size that is not much bigger than New Jersey, the report shows this small Mediterranean nation to be punching well above its weight in agrifood tech.
The Shape of Water: How AgTech Is Making Irrigation More Efficient (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=77fadd27fc&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
New technologies are revolutionary but leave some small farmers hamstrung by the mismatch between the problems they face and the solutions being provided by the startup world.
Why Transitioning a Farm from One Generation to the Next Is Trickier Than Ever (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f22979d5dc&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
Family structures—and farms themselves—are much more complicated than they used to be. Today, farm transition and land transfer are now among the hardest conversations families face.
Puerto Rico's Small Farmers Rebuild, with Help from Chef José Andrés' World Central Kitchen (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=dc09bf833f&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
A year and a half after Hurricane María struck the island, grants from World Central Kitchen are helping dozens of small farmers start fresh.
A New American Dream: The Rise of Immigrants in Rural America (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e925aeba17&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
The upsurge of immigration has inarguably helped revitalize dying towns, especially in farm country.
Indoor Farms Full of Dandelions Could Be Our Future Source of Rubber (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5095f9bac8&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Rubber plantations are a major source of deforestation, but there's another place to get the material: inside a dandelion's roots. Now scientists are engineering the weed to grow in indoor farms–and with as much latex as possible.
How Lego Helped Improve the Texture Lab-Grown Meat (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8631e0b6ed&e=2715c96b29) - Food & Wine
The toy building blocks were used to create a potentially edible structure for future cultured steak.
fruits and veg
EATERS
"Prescribing" Fruits and Veggies Would Save $100B in Medical Costs (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7c5867f0ff&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Researchers at Tufts University made the case that subsidized fruits and vegetables could prevent millions of cases of chronic diseases.
Trump's Stricter Work Requirements for Food Stamps Might Actually Lead to Fewer Jobs (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9c943ef86f&e=2715c96b29) - Mother Jones
The Trump administration's proposal would tighten some of the criteria for the waivers and throw off an estimated 755k people from the program.
Hey, Food Influencers: Robots Are Coming for Your Jobs (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6055f4bdad&e=2715c96b29) - Food & Wine
Meet the data engineer who created an automated Instagram account to earn free meals. @beautiful.newyorkcitythis currently has over 600 posts and nearly 29k followers, but doesn't actually exist.
Africa: UN to Pilot 'Game-Changing' Food ATMs for African Refugees (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1b842f809c&e=2715c96b29) - Bakery and Snacks
The World Food Program and World Vision International are planning to pilot ATMs in refugee camps in East Africa, which will dispense locally sourced foods like cereals.
https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8000cb15de&e=2715c96b29
LATEST JOB LISTINGS
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Cafe Manager at KitchenTown (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b42f8a4186&e=2715c96b29) - Bay Area, CA
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Field Sales & Marketing Manager at The Modern Pod Company (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f7a447077e&e=2715c96b29) - Providence, RI
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