New in Funding: 🌱 $30M for molecular farming platform

🇯🇵 Japanese plant-based meat company DAIZ raised $47.4 million Series C funding to build a new 40,000sq ft facility for its ‘miracle chips’ for vegan analogues made via its proprietary soy germination tech.

🌱 Moolec Science secured $30 million to expand its molecular farming platform, which bioengineers plants such as yellow peas and soybeans to produce bovine and porcine proteins. Here’s what they’ll be up to next.

🤖 Agtech startup Zordi, which specialises in autonomous greenhouses equipped with AI and robotics, came out of stealth to announce $20 million of funding from Khosla Ventures.

🧂LA-based Salted, which develops and scales better-for-you QSR brands, secured $14 million Series B funding to accelerate its goal of having “thousands of locations” over the next few years.

🍜 The largest instant noodle and snack company in South Korea, Nongshim, plans to invest $7.4 million in venture funds to support startups developing cultivated meat and smart farms.

🌯 Tia Lupita Foods, based in San Francisco, raised $2.6 million seed funding to expand its presence in the better-for-you Mexican foods segment.

🪰 Scottish startup Beta Bugs, which genetically engineers black soldier fly eggs for large-scale alternative protein farming and for use as livestock feed, raised £1.72 million in a round led by Tricapital Syndicate.

🍙 Sustainable materials innovator Notpla, based in London, has been awarded a £1 million grant by Innovate UK to scale its Notpla Rigid solution, made from the fibrous by-product of industrially processed seaweed.