Cassava Innovation Gains Momentum with Gates' Backing

AgriFood Signals: Farmbot unearths fresh funding, Homestead Capital nabs $150m, Gates backs ‘HeatSmart’ cassava
Veteran agtech Farmbot has secured $22 million in Series B funding for its US push. The company, which has been operating in Australia, is now expanding its operations to the US market.
Agtech Funding Roundup
| Company | Funding Amount | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanloop | up to $44 million | 🇩🇪 |
| Farmbot | $22 million | 🇦🇺 |
| Nbryo | A$10m | 🇦🇺 |
| Computomics | €6.3 million | 🇩🇪 |
| Mafix | $5.4m | 🇺🇸 |
| EcoNomad | £400K | 🇬🇧 |
Homestead Capital has raised $150m in the first close of its agriculture credit fund. The fund aims to provide financing to agriculture businesses.
Danforth Center has launched HeatSmart Cassava, a project aimed at developing cassava varieties that can thrive in hot and dry conditions. The project has received backing from Bill Gates.
HeatSmart Cassava Initiative
The HeatSmart Cassava initiative aims to develop cassava varieties that can withstand high temperatures and drought. The project has received funding from the Danforth Center and has been backed by Bill Gates.
The project is focused on developing cassava varieties that can thrive in hot and dry conditions, which is a major challenge for farmers in many parts of the world. The project aims to provide farmers with access to high-quality cassava varieties that can withstand these conditions.
Other News
Tufts has launched an innovation hub for new technologies in food and materials. The hub aims to bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to develop new technologies in the food and materials sectors.
dsm-firmenich has taken Protopia yeast protein to industrial scale, targeting fishmeal and whey. The company aims to provide a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources.
IIF is set to launch its farm investment platform across Canada following a new capital raise from Verdex. The platform aims to provide financing to farmers and agriculture businesses in Canada.
Physicians committee has sued over alleged industry influence on dietary guidelines. The committee claims that the industry has undue influence over the development of dietary guidelines.
Tyson Foods has cut 2,500 Illinois jobs in multi-state beef restructuring. The company aims to streamline its operations and reduce costs.
Quorn Foods' UK retail recovery is gathering pace, but foodservice 'likely to get worse before it gets better'. The company aims to recover its retail sales and improve its foodservice business.
BFG Supply and 16 affiliated companies have filed for Chapter 11 protection. The companies aim to restructure their operations and reduce debt.
Superbrewed Food has expanded beyond bulk protein with postbiotic launch. The company aims to provide a new product line for its customers.





