Agtech seedlings: Saudi startup raises $16M to grow produce in deserts | Danone joins AB InBev accelerator

Saudi agtech startup iyris raises $16M to farm in harsh climates

Agtech company iyris raised $16 million from investors to develop innovative solutions to grow fresh produce in some of the world’s harshest climates.

The company, formerly known as RedSea, said the funding will support the sales pipeline for its SecondSky greenhouse covers, which act as a heat-blocking roof. The investment will also go toward the development of resilient plant genetics and other innovative products to mitigate the impact of heat on crops.

The fundraising round was led by San Francisco-based Ecosystem Integrity Fund. Other investors included Global Ventures, Dubai Future District Fund and Kanoo Ventures.

“There are few companies that have such tremendous potential to become a critical partner for a mass market of growers, as they seek to adapt their operations to withstand and mitigate changing climate,” Sasha Brown, partner at EIF, said in a statement. 

— Sarah Zimmerman

Danone joins CPG startup accelerator

Dairy giant Danone is teaming with major consumer product goods companies to invest in innovative startups focused on sustainable agriculture and other climate goals.

Danone will become the fifth member of 100+ Accelerator, a program launched by AB InBev to advance sustainable innovations across supply chains. The accelerator — which also includes Coca-Cola, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive — has invested in 148 companies across 38 countries to date.

The accelerator opened applications for its sixth cohort of startups. Within farming, the program is looking for startups focused on training, carbon capture tools and other innovations in regenerative agriculture.

“At Danone, we believe that strong partnerships are essential to help us stay one step ahead of global challenges, while continuing to honor our mission of shaping the food of tomorrow,” said Isabelle Esser, Danone chief research, innovation, quality and food safety officer.

— Sarah Zimmerman

Cibo Technologies unveils platform to power Scope 3 emissions reporting for agriculture

Minnesota-based software developer Cibo Technologies is looking to help agriculture companies monitor and reduce their carbon emissions across supply chains with new features to its existing platform, including a way to connect farmers to more funding.

Cibo Technologies introduced CIBO Impact, a “comprehensive end-to-end Scope 3 offering” that allows companies to identify, measure and report on carbon emissions. It also connects farmers to additional financial incentives, such as the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program, to cover sustainable transition costs.

Additional Cibo Impact Scope 3 features include designing strategies to help companies meet their emissions reduction targets, measuring carbon intensity year over year and developing farmer-facing programs to achieve their sustainability targets. 

“We have engineered an end-to-end platform solution that gives companies complete visibility across their supply chains to optimize reporting and reduction,” Cibo CEO Daniel Ryan said in a statement.

— Nathan Owens

Farmers Edge to help sorghum growers monitor emissions

Farm management platform Farmers Edge is partnering with the National Sorghum Producers to help growers monitor their environmental impact.

National Sorghum Producers will tap Farmers Edge’s platform FarmCommand for a $65 million project under the Climate-Smart Commodities grant, which in part looks to quantify the climate impact of incorporating sorghum into crop rotations. 

FarmCommand allows growers to visualize farm data and make informed decisions on everything from crop health to sustainability. 

“Through our customized technology solutions, we’re committed to supporting NSP in simplifying sustainability reporting and assisting their growers in accessing new revenue streams for climate-smart farming practices,” Vibhore Arora, CEO of Farmers Edge, said in a statement.

— Sarah Zimmerman