🧬 New in Funding: $55M for novel protein platform

🍼 New York-based ByHeart, which makes infant formula, secured $95 million to support its continued launch in the US, plus its plans for product development.

🧬 Californian biotech Prolific Machines raised $55 million Series B1 funding for its photomolecular platform, which uses light to develop novel proteins for the food and medicine industries at significantly lower costs.

💰 The Bezos Earth Fund awarded North Carolina State University $30 million over the next five years to establish the first Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein, as part of its $1 billion pledge towards food system transformation.

🐟 Indonesian aquaculture company eFishery secured $30 million from HSBC Indonesia to accelerate the roll out of eFeeder, its automatic feeding product for small-holder farmers, which speeds up the crop cycle by up to 74 days.

🇧🇷 Brazilian accelerator Darwin Startups announced a $20 million fund to support pre-seed and seed-stage startups working across sectors including health, agriculture, education, and logistics.

🇲🇦 Yola Fresh, based in Morocco, raised $7 million pre-Series A funding to further scale its platform, designed to directly connect the country’s small-holder farmers with fruit and vegetable retailers.

🍓 US-based IntelliCulture raised $3.5 million to expand its operations. Its farm management software helps growers plan equipment maintenance and labour, track activities such as sprays and harvests, and ensure compliance with industry and safety regulations.

🍫 Israeli startup Kokomodo emerged from stealth with $750,000 in funding from The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and the Israeli Innovation Authority to produce cell-based cocoa and chocolate products.