Food Venture Financing News - Weekly Issue No. 200

In This Issue:

• Food Venture Financing Trends
• CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Funds
• Links to Relevant Content and Events

Food Venture Financing Trends

• Danone announced that it has entered a partnership with Microsoft to implement and integrate AI throughout its processes.
• InnerPlant, a biostartup that recodes plant DNA to detect distress signals, announced that it raised $30M in its Series B round.
• Farmblox, an agtech farm automation startup, announced that it raised $2.5M in seed funding.

CPG Corporate Venture and Private Equity Fund

This week's featured corporate venture and private equity fund is Five Seasons Ventures (FSV).

FSV is a Paris-based venture fund investing in food and beverage consumer food brands that emphasize environmental sustainability. FSV targets Series Seed to Series B European startups and invests in the range of €2-10M.

FSV's portfolio companies include:

• Air Up, maker of the scent-based taste drinking system;
• THIS, producer of plant-based meat offerings (such as chicken and bacon) targeting flexitarians, which emphasizes healthful ingredients and environmental responsibility;
• DASH Water, maker of ethically sourced, fruit-infused water; yfood, producer of liquid and fruity nutritionally complete meals (yfood designs its value chain to be more sustainable and measures carbon emissions generated by its products and business activities).

Links to Relevant Content and Events

ARTICLES

• Meati Foods hit with false advertising lawsuit over 'mushroom root' claims

• Califia Farms Acquires Uproot's "Turnkey" Plant-Based Milk Dispensers for Foodservice

• Vegius Launches $120K Crowdfunding Campaign for App That Could "Revolutionize Plant-Based Travel"

• Farmblox raises $2.5M seed round to bring AI and automation to farms

• InnerPlant bags $30M Series B led by its 'ideal investors': an alliance of North American farmers

• Monarch Tractor bags record $133M, eyes global expansion for its all-electric, autonomous machines

UPCOMING EVENTS

Naturally Network
Info Session: Naturally Network's Minority-Owned Fellowship, powered by NIQ

Thursday, August 6 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT

Naturally Network's Minority-Owned Fellowship is a 16-week program built to support and advocate for racially and ethnically underrepresented, early-stage founders in the natural and organic CPG industry. The program brings together resources, tools, and community, facilitating access to opportunities and success for Fellows.

Join this session to learn more about the Fellowship and application process. Know someone who might be a good fit? Share this info-session with them!

Register

Naturally San Diego
Embracing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging:  How New Packaging Laws May Affect Your Business

Wednesday, August 7 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PT

Join Naturally San Diego and A New Earth Project on Wednesday, August 7th at 9am!

New extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws in the packaging sector will drastically impact how businesses package their products. This webinar will break down the critical implications of EPR for various industries including food and beverage, and provide a roadmap for preparing your business for these changes.

This session will help you understand the new regulations and adapt your practices to stay compliant and sustainable. Learn how EPR will shape the future of business operations and discover strategies to ensure your company's success in this evolving landscape.

Speakers:

• Caroline DeLoach, Director of Sustainability at A New Earth Project
• Lyn Tally, Sustainability Educator and Advocate at A New Earth Project

Register