$220M Pumped Into Food Tech, Jamie Oliver Partners With HelloFresh + More

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FEATURED

Food Tech Media Startup Funding, M&A and Partnerships: November 2015
$220M was raised via funding and acquisitions in November 2015, in addition to Square's $279M IPO. Activity in the delivery and on-demand sector was dominant.

10 Steps To Getting Into Whole Foods: #9 Staying On Shelves
Your specialty food product made it into some stores. Now the real work begins – getting customers to consistently buy your product off the shelf.

Danielle Gould’s Repurposed Chopping Block - New York Times
Our founder Danielle and her beloved butcher block are featured in The New York Times' Close at Hand series.

Our Most Popular Stories of 2015
From our 2014 food and ag funds roundup, to why Good Eggs couldn't scale, to 13 futuristic protein startups, these are our most popular stories of 2015.

UPCOMING FOOD+TECH MEETUPS

Join us TOMORROW NIGHT (Jan 12) for an inside look at the future of farming at LMHQ. Hear from Edenworks, Grove, Farm Hack, Agrilyst and AeroFarms, plus networking, snacks and drinks. We've only got a few spots left, so snag yours now!

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Join us for networking and an inside look at how ChowNow, SALIDO, Venga and more are simplifying restaurant operations on February 17 in NYC. A huge thank you to our presenting partner Dine Market and supporting partner BlueCart.

Working on a kick-ass restaurant technology? We're looking for one more presenter. Reach out to nina [at] foodtechconnect.com

LEARN MORE & RSVP!

CPG

Campbell First Big Food Company to Support Mandatory GMO Labeling - New York Times
It is also breaking with its peers by calling for federal action to make mandatory a uniform labeling system of foods that contain such ingredients.

KraveJerky Founder Jon Sebastiani Launches Incubator For New Food Brands - Forbes
Sonoma Brands, whose limited partner is Velocity Made Good (VMG) Partners, plans to launch three to five new CPG brands this year.

General Mills Takes Inspiration from Smaller Companies for New Efforts - FoodDive
It's trying to imitate the nimbleness that is more common among small companies to bring new products to market faster.

EPIC Provisions sells to General Mills: ‘We felt like we couldn’t walk away from this opportunity’ - Food Navigator
The startup hopes the acquisition will help it make high-quality grass-fed animal protein available to a broader audience.

Spindrift Sails Behind New $7.2 Million Raise - Bevnet
Investors were not disclosed. The funding will be used to support growth.

STARTUP RESOURCES

Want the best case studies, funding opportunities and events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our bi-monthly Food Startup Newsletter today.

RETAIL

Now You Can Get Jamie Oliver's Food Delivered To Your Home - Huffington Post
The celebrity chef has teamed up with meal kit startup HelloFresh.

GrubMarket Acquires Farmbox, Plans Nationwide Expansion - Forbes
Forbes chats with GrubMarket CEO Mike Xu about the acquisition and the e-grocery market.

Another Indian Start-up Hits Turbulence, LocalBanya's Website Taken Down As Crisis Grows - Indiatimes
Many former employees and vendors have not been paid, some calling the company "fraudsters".

Indian Hyperlocal Delivery Startup Grofers Pulls Out Of 9 Cities - TechCrunch
Grofers has raised about $165.5M so far from investors including SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, and Tiger Global Management.

Grocery Delivery Company HonestBee Launches in Taiwan - Post & Parcel
It's is also looking to expanding to Malaysia later this year.

MyWebGrocer Partners with MasterCard to Connect Consumers and Grocers via Smart Fridge - Benzinga
Built-in app enables consumers to order from their favorite grocers directly through the Samsung Family Hub refrigerator.

RESTAURANTS

Toast Raises $30M to Expand Hiring, Product in Restaurant Payment Tech - BetaBoston
The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners.

Chipotle Faces A Criminal Investigation Into Its Handling Of A Norovirus Outbreak - NPR
The company says it has received a subpoena from a federal grand jury in connection with a norovirus outbreak last fall.

This Catering Company Wants to Reinvigorate Work Lunch - Edible Manhattan
Sustainability-minded caterer, Ox Verte, already boasts over 80 regular clients all over Manhattan.

Food Startups Swiggy, TinyOwl & Foodpanda Raise Fee, Cut Discounts - Economic Times
These startups have to convince investors that they have changed tack and are focused on building sustainable businesses.

How a Vietnamese Refugee Is Rethinking Food Delivery In America - Bloomberg Business
Munchery CEO Tri Tran opens up about his harrowing journey to Silicon Valley.

FoodTech Startup, FreshMenu, Raises $16.5 Mn In Fresh Funding - Inc42.
It was led by Zodius Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners and will be used to expand its team and strengthen its brand.

AGRICULTURE

Closing the Farm-to-Table Gap in Alaska - New York Times
At Alaska Natural Organics in Anchorage, greens are raised hydroponically — in water, without soil or pesticides, under blue-and-red LED lights.

Methane-Guzzling Bacteria Could Feed Fish, Pets, Even People - CBC News
Digesting waste gas from garbage dumps could help save the planet.

Syngenta Ventures Invests in Phytech, the ‘FitBit for Irrigated Crops - AgFunderNews
The Series A will go towards expanding Phytech’s tech platform and supporting continued global commercialization beyond Israel.

Millennials Look to High-Tech Farms For Careers - Civil Eats
A new generation is looking to find jobs in warehouse farms and indoor agriculture as a way to change the food system while earning a decent living.

Tao Capital Leads Final Agtech Fundings of 2015 with $8m Investment in Cannabis Tracking Software - AgFunderNews
The company intends to use the funding to make aggressive investments in product development while expanding its sales team and business services.

Australia’s NFF to Launch Big Data Farm Management Tool, Agtech Incubator and Online Portal - AgFunderNews
The initiatives are designed to help the country’s agriculture industry take advantage of cutting-edge technological developments.

EATERS

The 10 Most Innovative Food Cities - Tech Insider
Burgen, Norway, Phuket, Thailand and Tuscon, Arizona top the list.

IBM, UnderArmour Team Up To Bring Cognitive Computing To Fitness Apps - Fast Company
The new app will help athletes develop personalized training regimens based on their individual needs.

What Should I Eat? Why No One Knows & How to Solve It - Medium
Ingredien1 founder Taryn Fixel shares her thoughts on the future of personalized nutrition.

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