Camilla Ruth Marcus

A great article on the state of food tech investing by PeakBridge. The combination of consumer demand, lower capex strategies and large corporates driving M&A activity make for a great time to be investing in the future of food. #foodtech, #agtech, #venturecapital,

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🍷 Big shoutout to Archer Roose Wines, one of our SoGal Ventures portfolio companies, for their groundbreaking collab with Cornell University! They released a research with the Food Science Department on sulfite formation in canned wines and is getting serious attention in the media! 🥂 🔬 This is more than just a win for Archer Roose—it’s a huge moment for the whole canned wine industry. As Co-Founder & CEO Marian Leitner-Waldman puts it, “This study isn’t just about showing how Archer Roose ensures premium quality, it’s about pushing the entire industry forward. We’re breaking old perceptions and driving innovation.” This is how change happens—raising standards, sharing knowledge, and inspiring a whole category to evolve. 🍇🎉 Check out the research here: https://shorturl.re/7frkq #innovation #cannedwine  #foodscience #womeninbusiness #industrydisruption

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After the first deep dive discussion w/ founders I often hear a comment "I wish I had heard about this alternative [to all-in must-become-a-unicorn] way to build a startup earlier as I have wasted years in pursuing the wrong thing". Our mission is that no founder would ever need to say that again as it is such a waste. Us preaching the gospel 1:1 just doesn't scale, hence we use mass media to multiply our efforts - that's how Gorillacast came to be. The 1st episode is out, featuring yours truly. "How can you know what food you like unless you taste everything" said a chef. How can founders make informed choices about the best strategy for them to follow unless they know of all alternatives? This might not be of interest to you but pls spread the word so that the founders who should hear it can find it. I have a dream!

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NY friends! Please come see me at Tech Day on my panel discussing the future of the NY tech ecosystem and what I hope to bring to it!

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Indoor farming has attracted over $6 billion in investments since 2019: It's a year-round method of crop production that optimizes space through its use of vertically stacked layers. It’s projected to grow (10% by 2032, reaching $96 billion*), yet many are struggling to deliver returns. Notably, AppHarvest recently filed for bankruptcy after reporting a net loss of $177 million, highlighting the challenges in achieving profitability in this sector. ⬆️On the up - Plenty® is one to watch - they are flush with funding from SoftBank and have formed a JV with Abu Dhabi-based Mawarid Holding Investment .They are building a network of indoor farms, likely starting with an indoor strawberry farm in Abu Dhabi. If successful, it would help elevate indoor farming as a more marketable proposition - particularly in locations that are too dry for traditional farms. Indoor farming has appeal for sure..but they an infrastructure-heavy, pricey endeavor that has proven incompatible with venture exit time frames. This begs the question around the sustainability of funding models in industries focused on longer-term growth. #VentureCapital #IndoorFarming #Investment #Sustainability #Agriculture *Statista

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What’s going on with the food and beverage tech industry? 🍔 Over the past decade, MAGNiTT has seen a increase in VC investment for F&B startups. However, the momentum slowed after mid-2022. Fast forward to H1 2024, and there's cautious optimism in the air. Early signs of recovery are showing, with 33 deals totaling $84M. Grubtech’s $15M raise and Anabolic's $9M seed funding from the MENA region are two of the standout investments leading the way. 🥙 Local investors are playing a pivotal role, contributing to 79% of all investments in the MENA F&B space since 2010. While international players like 500 Global made early waves—becoming the first to back an F&B startup in 2016—their activity has since declined. On the local front, key players like Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Flat6Labs, BY Venture Partners, Vision Ventures (VV), and Shorooq Partners are actively shaping the industry. Compared to other regions we cover, including Southeast Asia and Africa, MENA also leads in F&B exits, with the UAE accounting for eight exits 🇦🇪 🍦 Get the full scoop on F&B trends cooking in EVMs, MENA, and the GCC: https://lnkd.in/dhWPeirb Are you attending Expand North Star in 10 days? Let us know as the team will be around... #VC #FoodAndBeverage #StartupEcosystem #MENA #F&B #Investment #Innovation #Tech #Entrepreneurship #UAE #SaudiArabia #Egypt #EmergingMarkets #VentureCapital

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I spend a lot of my day giving advice to business owners - our unique perspective on creating value, where capital is going and the strategy of competitors can help any business owner. A good chunk of my focus are food businesses, and this quarterly report is a very high level view of what's going on across CPG, manufacturing, ingredients, "healthy" and of course a focus on Canada. Check it out if you're in the food industry. Reach out if you want to dive deeper into any topic or subscribe to get the quarterly report directly. #foodindustry #ingredients #foodtech #innovation #investment #growth

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In Part Two of Third Nature Investments' June blog series dedicated to the opportunity of Ocean-Based Investing, we’re spotlighting one of our portfolio companies – Atlantic Sea Farms! With sustainability built into their business model – and by working in partnership with the ocean – Atlantic Sea Farms, led by CEO Briana Warner, is proving that companies can be economically viable whilst restoring the environment. By leveraging kelp as the base ingredient for delicious food products, they are driving meaningful climate action, diversifying food systems, improving ocean health, alleviating pressure on terrestrial resources, bolstering coastal economies, and creating entirely new and profitable markets.They are a shining example of the great opportunity that lies in ocean-based investing! Check out the full blog here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eNTmcJh8 #earthsystemsinvesting #climatechange #systemschange #sustainability

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Have a story to tell... Use Narratize AI Co-Authoring platform to tell your stories in an impactful manner. Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD and the entire team is committed to helping you in becoming amazing storytellers. Check out their impressive work at https://lnkd.in/gnNYHSSX Start telling your stories with Narratize AI as your co-author. #generativeai #storytelling #innovation #aicoauthoring #innovators #researchers #impactstories #startups #problemsolvers #AI #AIStartup

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Over the years, we at GFR Fund have solidified our investment thesis, which is that we invest in "emerging digitally native communities." These communities can be built around games, social media, and any consumer applications. Now, founders have many easy-to-use tools to build user communities, such as Discord, X/twitter, Instagram, etc, and we believe the founders should start building communities even before they launch a product. The communities can help founders: - reach PMF faster - acquire users cheaper - retain and engage users longer - build better UX/UI, and - hire early employees Below, you can see how RTFKT and Omeda Studios built the community and then worked with them to create a product the users really wanted. We would love to talk to the founders who think the community is essential in building a product!

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Hi friends and colleagues, I've attached an application for the $50k MAD Business Awards - Food Innovation. It's the first in a series of business awards that we will run each year that will cover various aspects of our MAD investment mandate. If you have anyone in your network that you think could be a good applicant, feel free to forward this on. Together we can Make A Difference. +++++++++++ MAD Business Award – $50k Food Innovation MAD Ventures is looking for an outstanding Australian company that is bringing exceptional innovation to the Food sector. This competitive award is designed to: Support entrepreneurs & innovators addressing the global problem of food security Support the development or commercialisation of a product that can drive Australian food exports and/or food technology particularly to the Asian region. The MAD Business Award – Food Innovation - will recognise: Innovation through product development, enhancement or commercialisation in the food sector within Australia.  Businesses that are actively enhancing Australia’s regional and global role in solving food security. The first-place winner will receive: A grant of $50,000.00 (sponsored by ACFEA) to assist with a specific project that enhances, improves or commercialises your product/s An in-depth review and analysis of your business by MAD Ventures utilising the MAD Venture Compass™ assessment process that will assist with your ongoing capital strategy and funding requirements 6 x monthly mentoring calls with the Managing Partners of the MAD Hyperscalers Fund 1 to help you get investor ready The potential for MAD to invest in your business (up to $10m*) from the MAD Hyperscaler Fund 1 (*investment will be subject to your company meeting the MAD Hyperscaler Fund 1 investment requirements and mandate) Application Process Download the application form attached and complete the application process prior to September 11th 2024 Rules and conditions apply. Please see details in formal application form. Macleay Christopherson Gary Flowers

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Check out this article on Food Cycle Science (a Power Sustainable Lios portfolio company) featuring CEO Bradley Crepeau! We’re very proud of the work Brad and his team are doing to combat #FoodWaste.

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LP predictions are not just for VCs. This is a great piece in Forbes “LP Predictions for VCs” in which the author Maren Bannon offers an insightful overview of the current fundraising environment… I believe this take could be relevant for #entrepreneurs as well. My thoughts on the piece:   I agree with the writer that next year will continue to be a challenging year for VCs to fundraise. This is driven by the change in market dynamics, the cycles VCs operate in (we’re now in the lower end of the cycle), and the fact that we ‘brought this upon ourselves’ due to our approach during the period of 2020-2021.   The author covers many relevant points in the article (and aligns with our approach at StageOne Ventures), in particular:   Returning cash is important (#1, re DPI – distributions to paid in), and should be the top KPI we’re measured against (alongside net IRR). Small funds perform better, and we can connect this to Israel where it is even more so the case (small = sub 200). #AI could be a big change to our industry, and investment in AI could create outsized returns (if done properly). 2025, like 2024, could be very meaningful years – mainly as some of the valuations slightly returned to normal. If you agree/disagree with my take, let me know in the Comments section below! #2025trends #venturecapital #artificialintelligence

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Agriculture is responsible for a massive 25% of greenhouse gas emissions but receives just 3% of climate finance. Technology offers tangible, scalable solutions for reducing GHG emissions, which should be prioritized. Our new report with Triple Helix examines the sources of agricultural emissions and the technological solutions which can help combat them. Full Report: https://lnkd.in/ef5HQ7ha Synthesis Capital Insights Post: https://lnkd.in/eRcW5PdX #climate #climatechange #sustainability #ghg #emissions #ghgemissions #agriculture #foodsystems #alternativeprotein

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Insightful look into bioplatform strategy, and what it takes to raise a Series A from my partner, Omri Amirav-Drory: https://lnkd.in/dFv7GbF6

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Interesting conversation today highlighting how innovation happens today, different than it used to happen. The modern ecosystem approach nurtures startups with capital, affordable access to research and validation, HR, legal, etc. The established corporations instead of investing into more employees and more R&D assets to steer for low probability outcomes, start to reveal strategy and gaps in their tech that they need to solve, they need to be approachable with a visible and responsive onramp, they need to collaborate to facilitate networking events, and help the ecosystem help them. Innovation looks different today whether it's AgriFood, Energy, Tech, Healthcare, etc.

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Interesting conversation today highlighting how innovation happens today, different than it used to happen. The modern ecosystem approach nurtures startups with capital, affordable access to research and validation, HR, legal, etc. The established corporations instead of investing into more employees and more R&D assets to steer for low probability outcomes, start to reveal strategy and gaps in their tech that they need to solve, they need to be approachable with a visible and responsive onramp, they need to collaborate to facilitate networking events, and help the ecosystem help them. They can invest into, license, test, or acquire. Lower cost, higher probability, faster. Innovation looks different today whether it's AgriFood, Energy, Tech, Healthcare, etc. Plug and Play Canada

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Bleu Capital had 2 majors fundraises in its portfolio the last 3 weeks. 🔥 We're seeing early signals that our climate strategy is working. Both in the food industry, a nice little throwback to my previous role as a food operator. Indeed, the 2 companies that raised 25Me and 15Me are both in the food sector and both in climate! LA VIE™ 🐷 ☘ No need to introduce you to the fast-rising plant-based startup that makes turning vegan finally cool and without taste compromise. As I often tell Nicolas Schweitzer ⓥ🥓, its CEO, he has developed much more than a solid, fast-growing plant-based business in Europe, but a company with three major assets:  1 - A very inspiring brand 2 - An exceptional management team 3 - Great internal systems that offers total sales visibility and exceptional execution This fundraising will help La Vie to further accelerate in France and the rest of Europe, leveraging its efficient partnership with Sodebo, which allows the team to focus on the sales/marketing execution to continue to promote more plant-based consumption. More to come but definitely one of our favorite investments. HUBCYCLE: Turning food waste into tomorrow's Ingredients. ♻ When we invested in the company less than 18 months ago, the company was still figuring out a great GTM strategy and was missing an experienced execution team around Julien Lesage to deliver his brilliant vision to focus on B2B upcycling. Things have now dramatically evolved; the product fit was found, and a number of great managers came on board. The $100M sales target is achievable in the coming years with their newfound positioning, market understanding, business model and global presence. This new fundraise, with ETF Partners, RAISE Venture, Techmind and all historical investors, will give them all the necessary support to make Hubcycle a fast-growing, profitable company, the Graal! We are pleased to have several companies with promising trajectories in our concentrated portfolio, which currently supports 13 active investments. However, as you're all aware, the past 18 months have been challenging for venture investors, including us. We continue to focus on execution and are committed to assisting our portfolio in navigating these difficult times with boldness and support. Special thanks to Marc OIKNINE and @Julien-Jack RAGAZ of ALPHA CAPITAL PARTNERS UK. Thanks to all our great co investors in these 2 companies for their active supports. ZINTINUS Capagro SONAE Partech Oyster Bay Management GmbH Seventure Partners Anne-Valérie Bach Fabio Ziemssen daphni Citizen Capital SWEN Capital Partners Julien Lepleux Pierre-Eric Leibovici Stanislas Lot Remy de Tonnac Stéphane PESQUE Olivier Tilloy Olivier Mougenot Anatole Maizières Laurence CHAMBAUD

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The Washington Post just posted an article about "mushrooms as the darling of sustainability" and showcased various industrial applications of fungi. Among other, they showcased the pioneering work of our friends on MycoWorks with philip ross, and Ecovative - the mycelium technology company, both paving the way for fungal applications for a more sustainable trajectory. It was also mentioned how scientific researchers are "pioneering new ways for fungi to better manage environmental problems such as transforming food waste into novel edible materials, eliminating toxins like heavy metals at contamination sites, devouring plastic pollution, or improving soil as an impressive organic fertilizer". I caught one new solution that was new to me - PACT Outdoors makes kits for backpackers with mycelium tablets that breaks down 💩 quickly, killing bacteria that can disturb ecosystems. The usecases of mycelium and fungi are - endless! https://lnkd.in/diZPyqYY #Fungi #Mycelium #Biotechnology #Pioneeers #NewFuture

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