Latest food tech and innovation news, jobs and events.
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food tech connect
impossible burger
FEATURED
Impossible Burger Hits Retail, Online Grocery Sales Grow 15% + More (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=dd4107a0a4&e=2715c96b29)
Our round-up of last week's top food innovation news.
9 Experts Predict What the Future of Food Will Look Like (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=617bc5d5eb&e=2715c96b29) - EatingWell
Experts—from nutrition and agriculture experts to lab-grown-meat gurus and microbiome researchers—discuss what transformative technologies, policies and products will define the next decade of eating in America.
2018 U.S. Food & Beverage Startup Investment Report (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9a60e331d8&e=2715c96b29)
Over $1.45B was invested across 247 deals in 2018, according to the research in our second annual investment report produced in partnership with Ryan Willams. Plant-centric alternatives to meat and dairy accounted for one-third of total investment in food and beverage startups in 2018. Check out the report for a deep dive into last year's investor and investment trends.
EVENT
Climate Week Happy Hour
Join Food+Tech Connect (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7283d82214&e=2715c96b29) , WeWork Food Labs (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3e29e29906&e=2715c96b29) and Toast Ale (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=192b6db61b&e=2715c96b29) for our Climate Week Happy Hour. We' re excited to invite anyone interested in climate-friendly food innovation to gather during Climate Week to network and share ideas and resources. Spots are going fast, so RSVP now!
RSVP (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f104c3990b&e=2715c96b29)
SPONSORED
Food Ag Ideas Week
Join Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, growers, investors and industry experts for 6 days of events, tours, workshops and networking that will give you unprecedented connectivity and insight into Minneapolis-Saint Paul's food and ag innovation ecosystem. Hear from industry leaders such as Jeff Harmening (CEO and Chairman of General Mills), Sanjeev Krishnan (Managing Director & CIO at S2G Ventures), Tyler Lorenz (CEO, Puris), Sean Sherman (Creator/CEO, The Sioux Chef) and more. It's a build your own schedule format and no event is over $50.
RSVP (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5b69b6572b&e=2715c96b29)
biodiversity initiative
CPG
The CEO of a $55B Company Reveals How Gen Z Is Forcing People to Take Stand on Climate Change (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=732de0790e&e=2715c96b29) - Business Insider
Danone CEO Emmanuel Faber is leading a coalition of 19 companies with $500b+ in combined annual revenues to support biodiversity. As part of the "One Planet Business for Biodiversity" initiative the companies have pledged to boost regenerative farming practices, revamp product portfolios to become less reliant on overused crops, and identify actions to eliminate deforestation and protect natural ecosystems.
Epic Co-founders to 'Reclaim the Legacy of Meat' Under New Brand (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8424855ce7&e=2715c96b29) - Nosh
Force of Nature is launching in retail with pasture raised ground meat "bricks" including bison, a bison blend, wild boar, and beef and pre-shaped burgers (in a bison/bacon blend and a venison/wagyu beef blend). Online and in foodservice, the company offers even more cuts, such as tenderloin and short ribs.
Lawmakers Press FDA to Act on CBD Regulations (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=15c2b9658c&e=2715c96b29) - Food Dive
Congress is pressuring the agency to adopt rules clarifying the legal and regulatory framework for CBD as a food additive and dietary supplement.
Inside the Nonalcoholic Brewery Making the Year's Most Exciting Beer (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2e71f45d00&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Athletic Brewing is just a year old, but it's already making nonalcoholic beer cool.
Where's the Waste? A 'Circular' Food Economy Could Combat Climate Change (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ddd9eacf53&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
An ice company's wastewater can feed a produce garden. Spent grain from a brewery goes to compost. Local, shared, recycled. Welcome to the future of food.
cortilia
RETAIL
Italy: Milan-Based Cortilia Raises €8.5M to Deliver Fresh Food from Farms to Doorsteps Across Northern Italy (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d070af1833&e=2715c96b29) - EU Startups
Five Seasons Ventures and Indaco Ventures led the round. Investment will be used to drive growth across Italy and integrate AI and other new technologies to increase standards in quality of food and sustainability.
Amazon Expands Two-Hour Grocery Delivery From Whole Foods in an Effort to Take on Walmart (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2e6ae46260&e=2715c96b29) - Fortune
Previously, Prime subscribers looking for speedy grocery delivery needed to download a separate Prime Now app. Amazon is betting that offering the service on the main site will pull in more shoppers.
Chewy Notches $1B in Quarterly Sales, Yet Signs of a Pet Supplement Bubble Persist (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5622d19a4e&e=2715c96b29) - Nutra Ingredients
Chewy lost almost $83m in its second quarter. The company is betting on a new data management platform to help it drive better margins and personalize its offerings.
Whole Foods' CBD Expansion Reflects Category 'Explosion' (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a6d4598bdd&e=2715c96b29) - Grocery Dive
Whole Foods will expand distribution of topical CBD products to stores in 13 new states this month. CBD products will now be available in 359 Whole Foods locations across 30 US states.
This Virtual Grocery Stores Puts Real Food on the Table for Refugees (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7a5e135e9e&e=2715c96b29) - Digital Trends
The Dalili app, developed by the World Food Program, is helping vulnerable families and refugees get the most food possible for their money.
sweetgreen
RESTAURANTS
Salad Chain Sweetgreen's Tech Focus Helps Push Valuation to $1.6B (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=18a78303b0&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Investors are putting another $150m behind Sweetgreen, betting that the salad chain's embrace of technology will deliver them an exit in a sector that has seen minimal venture activity in recent years.
Food Delivery Startup Postmates Is Expected to Go Public Very Soon, But That Didn't Stop It From Raising $225M in New Funding (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b6ef414e20&e=2715c96b29) - Business Insider
GPI Capital led the round, valuing the company at $2.4b. Sources said the new funding had nothing to do with the planned IPO.
TouchBistro Lands $119M To Expand Restaurant POS Tech (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c0476c1a2c&e=2715c96b29) - PYMNTS
OMERS Growth Equity led the round. TouchBistro will use the money for the acquisition of complementary services and expansion into more global markets.
Kitchen United Secures $40M, Plans NYC Expansion (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a03fc58c7b&e=2715c96b29) - Restaurant Dive
The 2-year-old virtual kitchen concept, has secured a $40 million Series B round of funding, co-led by RXR Realty, one of New York City's largest real estate owners, and Alphabet's investment arm GV.
A Brooklyn Restaurant Reopens With a Bold Idea: No Chef and No Trash (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cffd6fb10c&e=2715c96b29) - Grub Street
Rhodora Wine Bar, formerly known as Mettā, is slated to be New York's first true zero-waste restaurant.
Will Food Delivery Companies Follow California's New Law to Regulate the Gig Economy? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2c803689d6&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
The Golden State just passed strict new legislation, mandating companies treat their independent contractors like employees. The food delivery companies aren't into it.
Meet the Mastermind Inventing Fast Food's Craziest Menu Items (Cheetoh's Mozzarella Stick, Anyone?) (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=38a2fb361d&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Under Dena vonWerssowetz's leadership since July 2018, the team at PepsiCo has developed viral sensations. Her insight is largely born from research.
Ramen, Noise and Rebellion (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=fdf9b875ae&e=2715c96b29) - The Washington Post
David Chang's impact on the food world extends to who cooks, what they cook and how we talk about it.
AGRICULTURE
Cultivated Meat: Why GFI Is Embracing New Language (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=10ef95a2aa&e=2715c96b29) - Good Food Institute
GFI offers a deep dive into the results of its nine-month project to explore, test, hone communication materials and find a name for the nascent cellular agriculture industry.
230 Investors Worth $16.2T Call for Aggressive Corporate Action to Combat Deforestation (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7cd56671af&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
The statement calls on companies to tackle the financial risks associated with ongoing deforestation, as well as market and risks within their operations and global supply chains.
Why Technology Could Make Animals Obsolete (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=526346908d&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
AgFunder is launching an alternative protein fund to invest in animal protein alternatives, including plant-based alternatives, cellular agriculture, and the picks and shovels technologies required to enable this emerging industry. Founding partner Rob Leclerc breaks down the fund's thesis.
Trump's $28B Bet That Rural America Will Stick With Him (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=da0880ff92&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Farmers caught in the trade war have become dependent on government payments.
UK: How Brexit Could Break Britain's Food Chain (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3aa9e5f3ef&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
Getting a fresh tomato to Britain from Sicily involves dozens of people, transfer stops, several truck trips and two boat rides. Brexit uncertainty could mean days-long border delays—and rotten produce.
Front Range Biosciences Raises $8.5M to Expand Cannabis Clean Stock & Breeding Program (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f8910dbcd9&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Militello Capital, Welcan Capital, AFI Capital, Phyto Partners and others took part in the round. The capital will also be used to expand its breeding program that is seeking out varieties that meet growers' individual needs.
Switzerland: Picterra Raises $3.3M to Democratize AI-Based Geospatial Mapping (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=29e35822d6&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Space Capital led the round. The company's platform is being used in the agriculture sector to map and analyze vineyard vine health.
To Prevent the Next Dust Bowl, Give Soil a Chance (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=13df380856&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
As the United Nations gathers for a Climate Summit, farmer Gabe Brown and ag specialist Ron Nichols urge regenerative agricultural practices to improve the soil and slow climate change.
MIT Media Lab, Already Rattled by the Epstein Scandal, Has a New Worry (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=894acded3f&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
Former researchers for a "food computer" initiative at the lab say the project's leader misled outsiders about how it was going. Caleb Harper often presented speculative claims as scientific truths while raising funds.
MIT Media Lab Kept Regulators in the Dark, Dumped Chemicals in Excess of Legal Limit (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f800fc1882&e=2715c96b29) - ProPublica
Nitrogen levels from the lab's wastewater registered more than 20 times above the legal limit, potentially endangering local waterways in and near the town of Middleton.
What Happens If We Eliminate Crop Insurance Altogether? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6fcbe2fb86&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
Arguing it limits the ability to farm sustainably and builds an unhealthy reliance in farmers, a movement is growing to scrap this massive, complicated, controversial system.
Investment in Regenerative Agriculture Connects the Dots Between Soil and Plate (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=16ee31be3b&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
The public and private sectors are rapidly picking up efforts to ramp up carbon farming.
USDA Gives Final Approval for Faster Hog Processing Line Speeds (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=0ca7013312&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
Unsurprisingly, animal welfare and worker health advocates aren't pleased.
Roundup Weedkiller Is Blamed for Cancers, but Farmers Say It's Not Going Away (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a3527bcc4e&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
After a blockbuster acquisition, Bayer may lose billions over claims that the No.1 agricultural chemical is unsafe. But its market niche seems secure.
climate crisis
EATERS
Al Gore: The Climate Crisis Is the Battle of Our Time, and We Can Win (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5f7657c339&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
We have the tools. Now we are building the political power.
The 'Smart Kitchen' Is Very Stupid (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9fc96e7fa0&e=2715c96b29) - Wired
Connected cookbooks? Alexa-enabled microwaves? None of this stuff will make you a better home cook.
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LATEST JOB LISTINGS
General Manager at Bio-Logical Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=625656467b&e=2715c96b29) - Charlotte, VT
Head Chef at Bio-Logical Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=27e4d396b7&e=2715c96b29) - Charlotte, VT
Food & Beverage Manager at Bio-Logical Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ffce4c1496&e=2715c96b29) - Charlotte, VT
Operations Manager Guru at Eclipse Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e94952d15f&e=2715c96b29) - Berkley, CA
Producer Support Operations Specialist at Fair Trade USA (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8de4eb83c2&e=2715c96b29) - Oakland, CA
Sales Development Representative at Leanpat (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9047c90cf4&e=2715c96b29) h - Portland, OR
Account Manager at Leanpath (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=47e3696c6d&e=2715c96b29) - Portland, OR
Business Development Manager // Enterprise Sales at Leanpath (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a5572cfafa&e=2715c96b29) - Portland, OR
Director, Customer Success and Account Management at Impossible Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5b8fd059cf&e=2715c96b29) - Redwood City, CA
Retail Sales Associate at Ark Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=358a9756d5&e=2715c96b29) - Brooklyn, NY
Chief Financial Guru at East Bali Cashews (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b1465e2432&e=2715c96b29) - Bali, Indonesia
Sales Lead at Pod Foods Co (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a7945c99e7&e=2715c96b29) - Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY
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