Country profile
UAE: Small country, big plans
Despite some doubts about its usefulness and the motivations behind it, the UAE is showing no sign of slowing down its grand plan to transform its food system.
Indoor & vertical farming
Does TIME’s best invention list mark a shift in how the world views agtech?
Agtech companies are celebrating recognition in TIME magazine’s best inventions for 2024. Does it mark a turning point in wider perceptions of the industry?
Scientists are learning to help tomatoes beat the heat
By studying tomato varieties in exceptionally hot growing seasons, biologists at Brown University have identified the growth cycle phase when tomatoes are most vulnerable to extreme heat, as well as the mechanisms that make the plants more heat tolerant.
What does Bowery’s closure tell us about the future of vertical farming?
Bowery Farming may not be the last vertical farming company to fail before the sector begins a period of more stable scaling and growth.
Smart lighting key to future-proofing vertical farming, say scientists
Using dynamic environmental control or manipulating light according to the needs of specific crops could make them grow stronger and healthier in an indoor setting while minimising energy use, according to new research.
How AI can slash indoor farming energy use
Integrating artificial intelligence into today’s environmental control systems could reduce energy consumption for indoor agriculture by 25% – potentially helping to feed the world as its population rises, Cornell University engineers have found.
Has the environmental case for vertical farming just been stacked up?
Growing lettuce vertically could be as good for the environment as growing them in fields and could save 8,000 hectares of land in the UK, according to a new study from the University of Surrey and the University of Aberdeen.
Strawberry yields forever? The impact of high temperatures on strawberries
Strawberries are one of a wide range of crops impacted by the high temperatures of climate change.
US vertical farmer Plenty to expand in the Middle East
Plenty is forming a joint venture with Mawarid, a subsidiary of Alpha Dhabi Holding, in a US$680 million deal to develop a network of indoor farms across Gulf Cooperation Council member countries over the next five years.
US vertical farmers unveil their most technologically advanced facilities yet
Soli Organic and Oishii have both revealed details of new vertical farming operations.
Iyris gets $16m to scale tech for ‘underserved’ growers in harsh conditions
Iyris (formerly RedSea), which helps growers in the most difficult farming environments around the world to increase crop yields, reduce input costs and risk, and extend growing seasons, has completed a $16 million Series A fundraise. Now, the hard work...
Global ag is ‘dishearteningly under-optimised’: Hexafarms gets €1.3m to digitise indoor farming
Hexafarms, a start-up which develops software for indoor commercial food production, has announced the successful close of a €1.3 million pre-Seed funding round led by leading European early-stage investors Speedinvest with participation from Mudcake and...
New approach to cultivar selection needed to maximise lettuce production in greenhouse vertical farming
Lettuce cultivars should be selected for their ability to thrive under varying light conditions in order to maximise production in vertical farming, say researchers in Thailand.
Forget food... is indoor farming better placed to disrupt the supplements sector?
AgTechNavigator spoke to Stephan Dolezalek, managing partner at investor Grosvenor Food & AgTech, for his views on the prospects for the indoor farming sector. One of them: the opportunity to grow premium products to address specific nutrient and health...
Let there be dark: Square Roots on why it’s farming without light
US indoor farmer Square Roots is growing plants in the dark using gene edited (CRISPR) technology. The move could make indoor farming significantly more viable and sustainable, especially in low and middle-income countries, by reducing energy needs and...
Meet the seven start-ups tasked with reshaping agri-food in Cambodia
Seven disruptive start-ups have been selected to drive agri-food innovation and economic growth in the country, offering innovative solutions to enhance the agrifood value chain, improve commercial exchanges, and introduce high-value crops.
VC investment
Agtech's ‘great reset’ continues, data reveals
PitchBook’s latest Q1 2024 Agtech Report indicates a market undergoing a correction, with the wheat being separated from the chaff. Some sectors are hotter than others, meanwhile.
UV light signalling: the next frontier in plant science?
New Zealand-based BioLumic uses ultraviolet (UV) light to boost the growth, yield, and quality of various crops, including corn, soybeans, lettuce and cannabis. It is now bringing its tech to ryegrass in an attempt to manage the country’s notorious...
science shorts
Agtech Aha! Moments: From testing the world's first unmanned forestry machine to cultured beef rice
Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at the world’s first unmanned machine designed for autonomous forestry operations, while Korean scientists have successfully developed ‘cultured beef rice’,...
Agri Trend Tracker: From BioConsortia’s latest US$15mn to Bayer’s data analysis to verify carbon reductions
Our 360-degree look at the latest developments from across the globe takes in the news that gene-editing start-up BioConsortia has secured US$15 million, while a UK-based spinout is set to accelerate efforts to help palm tree farmers improve yields.
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Roundup
Agtech investment: Time to just forget the glory days of 2021?
Over the last 18 months there has been a notable shift in investor sentiment within the agtech sector, with the recent economic downturn casting a long shadow over the entrepreneurial landscape. Are we going to hell in a handcart? Is this an opportune...
Innovation insider
Japan wants to promote smart agriculture, fast
Agri-tech spend is lagging in the land of the rising sun. But amid the looming threats of depopulation and ageing, the government is looking to new styles of agriculture that can boost productivity, sustainability and strengthen national food security....
Water now a major risk for world’s supply chains, report warns
New analysis provides a unique insight into how some of the world’s largest brands are grappling with water issues.
Can growing planes really cure vertical farming’s growing pains?
While all vertical farms may seem to grow vertically at first glance, the fact is, they don’t. Most companies are growing on flat, stacked planes, which will lead to more failures in the space in the months and years to come, according to Nate Storey,...
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit: The world’s biggest and best agtech show
With over 2,500 delegates and 70+ start-ups attending World Agri-Tech from 40 countries, all eager to expand their network and forge new partnerships, this year’s event is shaping up to be a memorable event.
Oishii raises $134m in turbulent time for vertical farms to expand production, distribution & its portfolio
Vertical farm Oishii, known for its premium strawberries and more recently a high-end tomato, is building out a larger, more sustainable facility that will increase its production capacity by “multiple folds” with the help of a $134m Series B fundraise...
Meet the Iraqi start-ups hoping to futureproof a drought-hit sector
The Agriculture Innovation Hackathon was hosted in Mosul earlier this month, as an agriculture sector beset by desertification turns to the power of technology to overcome the challenges faced by farmers.
‘Putting vertical farming and profitability into the same sentence for the first time’: Jones Food Company unveils second facility
The UK-based vertical farmer has opened its second vertical farm, JFC2, near Lydney in Gloucestershire.
Innovation Insider: India
Market fragmentation hampers India agtech but public-private alignment brings hope
India's agtech sector is witnessing significant developments driven by government policies, changing investor landscapes and a growing focus on sustainability. However, market fragmentation is dampening its ability to scale up, with challenges...
AGTECH INVESTOR PROFILE
Are we at the dawn of African agri-tech innovation?
The continent’s agtech sector is rife with challenges but the potential rewards are huge, Sherief Kesseba, managing partner at Climate Resilient Africa Fund (CRAF), tells AgTechNavigator.
AgTech Investor Profile
Eatable Adventures on how technology can solve the ageing farmer timebomb
Agtech innovation is playing a critical role in addressing food security and environmental challenges. But it is also key to cracking the problem of an ageing farmer population threatening global agriculture, says Eatable Adventures founder and CEO José...
Food from urban agriculture has carbon footprint 6 times larger than conventional produce, study shows
Most urban farms are decidedly low-tech such crops grown in soil on open-air plots. But owing to infrastructure, supplies such as fertiliser and irrigation water, they have a higher carbon footprint than conventionally grown produce, claims new research.
Electronic ‘soil’ enhances crop growth, study finds
Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate, according to research.
Merging of healthcare and agtech ‘a powerful and positive’ trend: Cropin CEO
Krishna Kumar, co-founder and CEO of intelligence provider Cropin, shares his agri-food predictions for 2024, among them a growing convergence between healthcare and agtech sectors.
AI, digital tools for agri-food climate resistance slowed by bias, quality and standardisation issues, say experts
While artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools have made progress in shielding agri-food systems against climate change, issues with bias and a lack of standards and data quality persist.
Calls for accelerated energy transition to unlock full potential of CEA and vertical farming in Middle East
Energy costs are lower in the Middle East compared to other parts of the world. But CEA and vertical farmers in the region are still looking to renewable energy sources and other new technologies to deal with the challenge of high energy consumption.
Carbon dioxide enrichment company to test its tech with ‘major US lettuce grower’
Canada-based precision ag-tech and clean-tech company CO2 GRO has agreed a Technology Adaptation Project (TAP) with a major US greenhouse lettuce grower to investigate how it can impact lettuce yield, product quality, CO2 savings, and overall financial...
Bright shoots: APAC firms capturing ‘niche but sizeable’ market amid CEA and vertical farming downturn
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and vertical farming companies in Asia-Pacific are cautiously navigating the aftermath of bankruptcies and shutdowns plaguing the sector since late 2022, while adopting multi-faceted strategies to seize new...
INNOVATION INSIDER - POLICY ANALYSIS
Innovation Insider: Promising potential for agtech in China despite education, funding challenges
In our first Innovation Insider monthly feature we are shining the spotlight on China and assessing how the opportunities and challenges when comes to adopting innovative technologies to enhance agricultural productivity, improve food security and...
AgTech Investor Profile - Funding Analysis
AgTech Investor Profile, Part 1: The Yield Lab APAC on its matrix for success
Venture capitalist (VC) and investment funds are crucial to helping agtech start-ups scale and fulfil their potential. But what are they looking for and what qualities should fledging firms possess? In the first of our AgTech Investor Portfolio Profiles,...
Beyond pilot success: Why scalability remains agtech’s biggest challenge to solve APAC’s carbon emissions battle – expert panel
Scalability remains the biggest hurdle for new tech to play a major role in solving agricultural carbon emission challenges in the Asia Pacific region, no matter how well these do at a pilot stage, according to an expert panel.
Farming machine: Malaysia’s BoomGrow secures pre-Series A investment to expand in SEA
Malaysian agech start-up BoomGrow has bagged pre-Series A funding from venture capital firm Gobi Partner to expand operations across South East Asia.
‘The brain’ of agtech: Siemens, Artisan Green highlight Singapore’s major vertical farming potential
Global technology heavyweight Siemens believes that Singapore is well-placed to emerge as a major ‘brain’ in vertical farming, on the back of its recent collaboration with local modern indoor hydroponics farm Artisan Green.
Eden Green Technology on how patented vertical greenhouse system can addresses CEA challenges
Amid ongoing challenges being faced by vertical farms and indoor greenhouses within controlled environmental agriculture (CEA), Texas-based Eden Green Technology believes its hybrid approach can produce consistent, affordable and fresh leafy greens...
Smart farming expansion: South Korea looks to expand tech offerings in Saudi Arabia
South Korea is hoping to export its smart farming technologies into more Middle Eastern countries, with Saudi Arabia the latest partner.
Vertical farming challenges: What are the consumer hurdles that would restrict widespread adoption?
Vertical farming has long been touted as effective strategy for countries, those sparse of land and otherwise, to bolster their food security and meet local demand. But how receptive are consumers to such innovation and what are the hurdles that could...
Go green: Japan throws weight behind private agritech improvement projects to hit sustainability targets
The Japanese government has approved the applications of over 50 companies looking to implement agritech-focused improvements to their businesses, offering support and tax incentives in a bid to hit its national Green Food System sustainability goals by...
Securing food future: Seeds treated with unique ceramic alloy able to increase vegetable commercial yield by 21%
A Singapore-based deep tech firm claims to be able to increase the commercial yield of bokchoy by 18.5% just by treating the water with its ceramic alloy.
Decline in agtech investments plateauing, climate change driving innovation: PitchBook report
The trajectory of investment activity within the agtech sector — which saw a steady decline commencing in Q2 2022 — appears to be stabilising as of Q2 2023, according to financial data and software firm PitchBook.
Share the load: Why agtech collaborations would benefit from cross-disciplinary integration
Social scientists should play a critical role in agtech collaborations, thanks to their experiences across diverse disciplines that include science and technology studies (STS), food studies, sociology and geography, experts have argued.