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AgriFood Signals: Ranch tech startup Ranchbot nets $15m, Target hires chief AI officer, plant cell culture megadeal

AgFunderNews roundup of agrifood funding raises, executive appointments, shutdowns and partnerships, including Ranchbot's Series B, ClimateAi and Cultimate shutting down, and Novonesis seeking sole control of MicroBioGen.

Cashback platform Cashrewards to close after 11 years

Cashrewards, a shopping rebates platform once bought by ANZ's venture arm, is shutting down and returning member balances. It had earlier acquired Little Birdie, previously backed with $30 million by Commonwealth Bank.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Why the next wave of unicorns will be female-founded consumer brands rather than tech

Opinion by F5 Collective's leaders arguing investors should back women-led consumer companies, citing the MCoBeauty, Rhode and Touchland deals as proof consumer exits now beat tech.

The Week in AgriFoodTech: EvodiaBio scores $7.5m, Microcaps raises $10m, Aleph Farm lays off 30% of staff

Roundup of agrifoodtech news: raises across Europe, Singapore and Australia, Collaborative Fund wraps a $125m vehicle, Neutral Foods merges with Zeal Creamery, SCiFi Foods shuts down, and Aleph Farms cuts staff.

Also LaunchVic·Forbes Australia

Startups Still See A Future In Familiar Foods Made With Weird Ingredients

Roundup of venture-funded startups reengineering everyday foods with unusual ingredients, detailing recent raises by Onego Bio, Planet A Foods, Savor, Perfect Day, Ripple Foods and Sydney-based Eden Brew.

The Week in AgriFoodTech: URB-E pivots to last-mile delivery, GoodBytz bags $12m, a new fund for regen ag

Weekly agrifoodtech roundup: raises for Overstory, FarmInsect, GoodBytz and others; Ever.Ag buys Austin Data Labs; grants for Wadhwani AI and Notpla; SLM and Impact Ag roll out a carbon fund; URB-E rebrands.

Also AgFunderNews

Reaching milestones with less runway: How this AI startup used venture debt to fuel customer acquisition

Partner content profiles an AI ecommerce startup that used OneVentures venture debt instead of equity to drive growth, also recalling its $10 million Series A from 2021.

Successful Closure of Shippit Co-investment Vehicle

Aura's venture arm has closed a $10 million special-purpose vehicle set up to co-invest in Shippit's planned Series B2 round, with support from existing and new institutional limited partners.