Space Farming: Launching a New Era in Space Exploration
If the establishment of a permanent human settlement on Mars could actually become a reality in less than 20 years, so too could the ability to cultivate food in space. Scientists at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands researching space farming have successfully grown edible peas, radishes, tomatoes and rye using Moon and M
Read moreNew Agtech Venture Capital Firm Launches in DesMoines, Iowa
Prairie Crest Capital, a new agtech-focused venture capital firm, has launched in DesMoines, Iowa. Founded by Principals, Barry Adams and Mark White, the firm will focus investment on early to mid-stage investments in businesses that are developing cutting-edge agricultural technologies, noting the lack of available funding to both agricult
Read moreNestlé to Triple Infant Formula Output with Addition of Mexico Factory
Nestlé has officially opened its newest infant formula factory in Jalisco, Mexico which is expected to triple the company’s production. The company invested $245 million to see the 600,000 square meter plant built – its largest worldwide investment in the infant nutrition segment in the last 10 years. The factory, which is being called
Read morePaine & Partners Makes Fifth Acquisition for Fund IV
Paine & Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in the global food & agribusiness space, recently announced its acquisition of The Global ID Group, a platform focused on providing testing solutions for critically important food safety and quality assurance measures. This acquisition marks the fifth company added to the com
Read moreRobotics – Driving Better Farming Systems
Robotic innovation is set to drive positive change in the global farming sector by creating more efficient and productive farming businesses, according to Andrew Bate, CEO of Australian agricultural robotics start-up company SwarmFarm Robotics. Designed for intelligent spot spraying of weeds, particularly herbicide resistant weeds, the Swar
Read moreIndian Farm Management Software Company Raises $2M in Series A
Bangalore, India-based farm management software company CropIn Technology Solutions recently raised $2 million in Series A funding in an investment round led by Denmark-based Sophia Investment ApS. Utilizing data analytics, cloud computing, and mobile apps, CropIn’s mission is to help farmers “increase value per acre” and “make every f
Read moreChina Expands U.S. Grain Infrastructure Holdings Through Smithfield Foods Acquisitions
In a move to expand its grain operations, Smithfield Foods, the largest pork processor and hog producer in the world, announced that it has agreed to acquire grain facilities in Harpster and Morral, Ohio. The two buying stations will be folded into SmithfieldGro, the company’s existing fertilizer optimization program that is a collaborati
Read moreAddressing the Talent Challenge in AgTech [+PODCAST]
Finding and retaining good talent in any company is critical for success. But the challenge of accomplishing this is exacerbated for start-ups, who have limited capital resources and unsure futures. Greg Duerksen, president at executive search firm, Kincannon & Reed, explains that a big challenge facing agtech today is under-capitalis
Read morePartnership Launches Iowa Agtech Accelerator
The Greater Des Moines Partnership and Cultivation Corridor has partnered to launch a new agtech accelerator (The Accelerator) that will support the development of Central Iowa as a global hub and incubator of cutting-edge agricultural technology. The Accelerator will be modeled after the Global Insurance Accelerator that was launched by Th
Read moreMurray River Organics IPO Pegged for 2016 Listing
The highly anticipated sharemarket listing of Australian organic dried vine fruit company, Murray River Organics, is expected to value the company at around A$150 million, following an over subscription of its pre-Initial Public Offering (IPO) of A$15 million. Situated across more than 1,600 hectares in the Sunraysia region in north west V
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