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.
Despite advances in innovation and technology in UK agriculture, attracting sufficient investment remains a key hindrance in achieving transformative change in the industry.
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 methane...
Founded in 2022, Cornell University spin out Orchard Robotics has engineered a vehicle-mounted, AI-powered camera system that gathers precision data about fruit on trees.
Agtech is set to play ‘a defining role’ as agri-food businesses look to adopt new technology to drive growth, claims a new report commissioned to mark the launch of the new UK Agri-Tech Centre.
Rock removal company TerraClear has announced its existing investors have poured an additional US$15 million into capturing the untapped US$2.7 rock management market. A 5,000-year-old problem finally has a solution, it says.
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’,...
McKinsey & Company survey reveals that 90% of US farmers are aware of sustainable practices, but widespread adoption remains low with compensation levels remaining a main concern.
Founded in 2014, Weenat provides the agricultural community with agro-meteorological data to monitor the climatic and agronomic conditions of its plots in real time, from sowing to harvesting.
Drones are unquestionably great tools for crop spraying, surveying and mapping, but their consequences are potentially grave if gotten into the wrong hands. US drone companies are warning about alleged, and strongly disputed, security risks stemming from...
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.
Tesco, the UK’s leading supermarket and NatWest, the largest UK bank for business and one of the largest for the farming sector, have launched a new discounted climate and sustainable finance scheme for 1,500 of the retailer’s farmers.
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...
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....
Lithuania-based agricultural finance provider HeavyFinance has raised €50 million to support sustainable farming in Europe. CEO and co-founder Laimonas Noreika tells AgTechNavigator why he foresees an increasing role of nature-based solutions like regenerative...
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,...
LiveEO, a Berlin-based provider of satellite analytics, has launched TradeAware Lite, a free version of its software platform, TradeAware, designed to help companies achieve compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Boomitra, a soil carbon marketplace and recipient of the 2023 Earthshot Prize, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Terra Carbono, a prominent sustainable land management organisation in Brazil. The collaboration will introduce regenerative...
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.
Precision pollination has the potential to boost crop yields up to 30%. That’s according to BeeHero, a data-driven technology company aiming to redefine pollination in commercial agriculture.
The FMCG giant has launched its first regenerative agriculture project in the UK, working with farms that grow mustard seeds and mint leaves used in condiments brand Colman’s products.
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...
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.
Varaha is further investigating the potential of Enhanced Rock Weathering – which boosts soil fertility and sequesters atmospheric carbon in the long term – after raising US$8.7 million.
From the US to Italy to Australia, feral pigs are harming agriculture across the world. A lack of solutions that exist to deal with the problem presents white space opportunities, AgTechNavigator finds.
Valagro Group's recently published Sustainability Report 2023 highlights some successes and a continued commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact and economic value distribution, but more details and data would be welcome to more...
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 surrounding...
Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at how Australian scientists are using sound to repair degraded soils. Elsewhere, Brazilian researchers have unveiled a new biodegradable sensor to detect pesticides...
In 2023, Israel's agriculture and food tech sector showcased resilience amidst global economic and local challenges, reveals the latest annual report from Startup Nation Central.
Biotech company HutanBio has just received £2.25 million to speed its plans to supply algae-based fuel to the global shipping and aviation sectors. We spoke to its chief executive Paul Beastall to learn how a new species of microalgae was found to enable...
Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate, according to research.
Damage to crops caused by birds costs millions of dollars each year. Now, researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Rhode Island in the US are investigating the effectiveness of laser scarecrows – a high-tech solution using light...
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.
While regenerative agriculture associated with strategies for reducing negative environmental impacts of ‘conventional agriculture,’ research has found that some strategies are better than others in improving soil productivity and, more importantly, maintaining...
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.
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.
In the second edition of our Look Who's Funding series, we assess how BASF Venture Capital is seeking to revolutionise agriculture and improve overall sustainability through advanced technological solutions.
Gathering crop information via a raft of satellite remote sensing innovations has been touted as a key agtech success strategy, but what are its constraints and how can they be best overcome?
US-based Lisi Global is showing how electricity can be used as a replacement for traditional pesticides with its patented Direct|Turf technology, company co-founder and CEO Jason Crisp told AgTechNavigator.
A recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlights the disproportionately low percentage of resources — just 6.1% between 2019 and 2021 — dedicated to agricultural knowledge and innovation in the EU, compared...
India-based Zuari FarmHub recently announced its partnership with global agritech firm CropX Technologies, which aims to 'revolutionise' farming practices and advance precision agriculture in the country.
