Latest food tech and innovation news, jobs and events.
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impossible whopper
FEATURED
VMG Acquires Popchips & Launches Velocity Snack Brands, Fast Food "Meat" Backlash Explained + More (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=aefb7eaddb&e=2715c96b29)
Our round-up of this week's top food innovation news.
Fruits You Probably Haven't Heard of—but Might Soon (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=20f0e41ac6&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Will baobab, breadfruit, monk fruit and jackfruit take off in the US like kale and quinoa? These entrepreneurs hope so.
Can Grocery Stores Survive the Age of Big Tech? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=34e36c7e67&e=2715c96b29) - Food52
The way we shop for food has never looked more different. As consumers demand personalization and immediacy, even companies like Amazon own a piece of the brick-and-mortar pie.
2018 U.S. Food & Beverage Startup Investment Report (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=7824eb9140&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.
⚡️ SF EVENT ALERT ⚡️
Rethinking CPG
Join us for Rethinking CPG SF to learn about the business models, technologies and strategies of some of the game-changers who are transforming the food industry. Hear from John Foraker, co-founder & CEO of Once Upon a Farm (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=315aeb9d64&e=2715c96b29) , Larissa Russell, co-founder & CEO of Pod Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9096f51fbf&e=2715c96b29) and Livio Bisterzo, founder and CEO of Green Park Brands and co-founder of Buddy Nutrition (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d38b96c515&e=2715c96b29) .
You'll also sample products from AKUA (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d89c6b3795&e=2715c96b29) , Blue Evolution (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b90e0b72d1&e=2715c96b29) , Burlap & Barrel (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=84b66f80ac&e=2715c96b29) , Kaibae (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=10733b1d22&e=2715c96b29) , Kuli Kuli (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=dc3575b559&e=2715c96b29) , The Teff Company (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=33dcfb1668&e=2715c96b29) and more.
Do you have a food, beverage or technology you'd like to sample at the event? Apply Now (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f4b922a1d9&e=2715c96b29) !
RSVP NOW (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6dbf57b687&e=2715c96b29)
popchips
CPG
VMG to go Retail with Velocity Snack Brands Launch, Acquires Popchips (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=aa26faf4d8&e=2715c96b29) - Nosh
VMG is moving from investor to operator with the launch of a new corporate entity that will acquire, run and create snack brands. It has acquired Popchips for an undisclosed sum.
There's a New Source for Meat Substitutes: Fungi (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f81b095a95&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Startups such as Prime Roots, Emergy Foods and Ecovative are developing meat alternatives from fungi.
PepsiCo Issues $1B 'Green Bond' to Fund Sustainability Projects (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=767f471057&e=2715c96b29) - FoodBev
It will use the proceeds of the bond sale to fund sustainability initiatives in areas such as packaging and transport.
Ocean Spray Revamps R&D, Will Enter New Categories (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1de2ec1d69&e=2715c96b29) - Nosh
The 90-year old company announced a new model for innovation, known as the Lighthouse Incubator, which will focus on rapid innovation and bring the company into new categories beyond beverage.
Barry Callebaut Upcycles Cacao Fruit with New Chocolate and Snacks (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f0a9e5f0fa&e=2715c96b29) - Food Dive
The first product under the Cacaofruit Experience is CaPao, a snack brand under Mondelez's SnackFutures innovation and venture hub.
Food Companies Put Supply Chains Under a Microscope (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=de1dfd39fd&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Consumers want to know where their food comes from. Companies are starting to respond. On Mondelez's website, a map pinpoints the locations of more than 93,000 farms that it tapped last year to get some of its cocoa.
Food Companies Add AI to Their Recipes (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=86605b7aa7&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
McCormick, Conagra and PepsiCo are among the food giants using AI to cook up new concepts.
imperfect foods
RETAIL
Imperfect Foods Reinvents Itself in New York City (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cae36fe88c&e=2715c96b29) - Grocery Dive
Previously known as Imperfect Produce, the subscription box retailer is entering one of the toughest grocery e-commerce markets.
Organic Grocer Erewhon Eyes Expansion After Private Equity Deal (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9bd1c70f21&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
A new deal with Stripes Group will go toward opening more stores in Orange County while also bringing the chain to Northern California. The organic grocer and cafe has been growing more than 35% year-on-year since 2016.
No Whole Foods, No Problem: Instacart Shakes Off Loss of Grocer (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ff724394b7&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Since Whole Foods parted with Instacart in May, the startup has picked up new business with Costco, Publix and Wegmans to more than make up for the shortfall. Since 2017, Whole Foods comprised about one-fifth of Instacart's monthly orders.
AiFi's Cashierless Checkout Promises Real-Time Receipts and Nano-Sized Stores (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ca58d2d3a0&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
AiFi's NanoStores are built like a shipping container convenience store. The power of the NanoStore lies in its ability to extend a retail brand into new venues without having to do a big buildout.
postmates ipo
RESTAURANTS
Postmates' New IPO Delay Says Something Bigger: Wall Street Is Turning Against Silicon Valley (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3294cc5665&e=2715c96b29) - Vox
Postmates is just one of over a dozen startups worth over $1 billion that was expected to IPO in 2019. But as the end of the year approaches, a gloom is enveloping Silicon Valley.
With Ex-Googler Ties and Michelin Clients, These San Diego Brothers Raise Millions for Kitchen Startup Galley (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=95bb7de5e8&e=2715c96b29) - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Galley Solutions has closed a $2.5m round led by Zetta Venture Partners and received $300k in grant money through the CalRecycle program for preventing food waste. It plans to use the new funds to keep hiring.
How Chefs Are Saving Us from the Next Potato Famine (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cae8125178&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
At fast casual restaurants like Tender Greens and Teranga, chefs are introducing unfamiliar foods to customers in an effort to diversify our limited food supply. Food security is at stake.
Can a New Reusable Container Program–Dishwashing Included– Help Solve America's Takeout Trash Problem? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=31b86049f9&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
At fast casual chain Dig, the first "closed-loop" dishware program is an effort to combat the serious problems that disposable containers pose—high costs, PFAS and a rising tide of refuse.
A Fired CEO Remains the Most Influential Person in the Rise of Ghost Kitchens (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e6f71c5343&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick acquired a ghost kitchen company in 2018 and has since been making deals in China, India and the United Kingdom. Venture capitalists see the burgeoning sector as the next step in the food delivery trend.
Uber Eats Will Bring Rachael Ray's Buffalo Chicken Chili to Your Door (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b642c487b3&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
In a new type of partnership, the delivery service will create a virtual restaurant—helmed by a celebrity chef—in 13 cities around the US and Canada.
Grubhub and Just Salad Partner for a Delivery-Only Concept Restaurant (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=41b377bf61&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The virtual restaurant is called Health Tribes. It aims to cater to the most popular diet plans such as vegan, gluten-free, Paleo and Keto.
Meet Ripe: The Freelance Revolution Is Reinventing the Company Cafeteria (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=d2c6b5dcd1&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
The startup has served over 1.2m meals in the past few years to a combination of large established companies and startups.
Whose Dish Is It Anyway? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=aec01e760c&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
When leaving a restaurant, chefs must often navigate the murky waters of whether they can take the dishes they created with them.
future meat
AGRICULTURE
Israel: Lab-Grown Meat Startup Raises $14M to Build Production Plant (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=bac9f9fb07&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
S2G Ventures and Emerald Technology Ventures led the round for Future Meat Technologies. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand research and development efforts.
Wild Type Raises $12.5M Series A to Accelerate Production of Its Cultured Salmon (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=32648d7a74&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The round was led by CRV. Wild Type will use funding to continue improving the taste of its product and get it into the hands of talented chefs and taste-testers.
German Tech Investor Leads Series A for Germany's First Medical Cannabis Startup (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b0ef66553e&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
Demecan has raised €7m to expand its production facility for medical cannabis and the wholesale trade in Germany. Btov Partners and a single German family office led the round.
Greece: Augmenta Raises $2.5M Seed Round from Hardware Club, Marathon VC (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=134b04e528&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Hardware Club and Marathon Venture Capital led the round in the startup whose retrofit device for farm machinery that instantly scans and analyzes crops and controls how much fertilizer, pesticide or fungicide is disbursed. The funding will fuel expansion across North and South America.
Small Farms Are Struggling – Now There's a Crowdfunding Platform for That (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=8e4748b586&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Through Steward, individual investors can put as little as $100 into small, sustainable farms that otherwise have trouble gaining access to government and bank loans.
The Sea Is Running Out of Fish, Despite Nations' Pledges to Stop It (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=fb8f976df4&e=2715c96b29) - National Geographic
Major countries that are promising to curtail funding for fisheries are nevertheless increasing handouts for their seafood industries.
A New Bill Could Help Protect the Sacred Seeds of Indigenous People (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=927059bc8a&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
Traditional seed varieties cultivated for generations have far fewer protections than modified or hybrid seeds. Six senators have introduced legislation to level the playing field.
What's Killing America's Apple Trees? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=3d5dfa9d9a&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
The phenomenon scientists call Rapid Apple Decline has no discernible pattern and no particular season. It's got growers totally stumped.
Farmers Start to Get High on Hemp (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=bbeb723cda&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Amid growing consumer demand for CBD and changes in legislation, growers are devoting more acreage to planting hemp.
Can Rural Broadband Help Save Farm Country? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1bdb469733&e=2715c96b29) - Civil Eats
Providing a faster, more reliable internet connection to rural America could be an economic boon. But will tech investments only help the largest, wealthiest farms?
tempest
EATERS
Startup Says 'Sober Is the New Black' (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=fabad882f0&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
Maveron, Slow Ventures and Female Founders Fund have invested $10m in Tempest, a startup that offers a $647 eight-week virtual "sobriety school".
250M Children Worldwide Forecast to Be Obese by 2030 (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2c31b83358&e=2715c96b29) - The Guardian
Only one in 10 countries have even a 50% chance of meeting the World Health Organization target of no rise in child obesity from 2010 to 2025.
Wellmetrix and DSM Announce Partnership to Deliver Comprehensive Platform for Personalized Nutrition (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a3ed2a473e&e=2715c96b29) - Nutra Ingredients
The diagnostic platform will be used to perform non-invasive and point-of-need measurements of key health biomarkers as part of a nutrition intervention using combinations of DSM's nutritional solutions.
Obesity Is Weighing on Education, Productivity and the Economy (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=210a43b034&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
The world is officially obese, and that's bad for health, education and economic growth.
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LATEST JOB LISTINGS
Sales and Development Representative at Cousins Maine Lobster (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e0f0c5a50d&e=2715c96b29) - CT & NY
Product Manager at New York Hemp Oil (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2639baefb7&e=2715c96b29) - Cortland, NY
Director of Finance and Operations at Parlor Coffee (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=119b7c5e59&e=2715c96b29) - Brooklyn, NY
Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Food Innovation and Agricultural Technology at Santa Clara University (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b5790fafe3&e=2715c96b29) - Santa Clara, CA
General Manager at Bio-Logical Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2acee77422&e=2715c96b29) - Charlotte, VT
Head Chef at Bio-Logical Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=89f697d4ec&e=2715c96b29) - Charlotte, VT
Food & Beverage Manager at Bio-Logical Capital (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=08c9af86b9&e=2715c96b29) - Charlotte, VT
Operations Manager Guru at Eclipse Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6280e2e437&e=2715c96b29) - Berkley, CA
Producer Support Operations Specialist at Fair Trade USA (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f04aeefc59&e=2715c96b29) - Oakland, CA
Sales Development Representative at Leanpath (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=4f7af62376&e=2715c96b29) - Portland, OR
Account Manager at Leanpath (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=bf23b9d98a&e=2715c96b29) - Portland, OR
Business Development Manager // Enterprise Sales at Leanpath (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=eef32739fb&e=2715c96b29) - Portland, OR
Director, Customer Success and Account Management at Impossible Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=16f07d821f&e=2715c96b29) - Redwood City, CA
Retail Sales Associate at Ark Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=21a6d5920b&e=2715c96b29) - Brooklyn, NY
Chief Financial Guru at East Bali Cashews (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1b2d1ad99f&e=2715c96b29) - Bali, Indonesia
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