Crunch Time in Food & Ag: Funding Smarter, Farming Smarter

Big bets, tighter metrics, and climate-smart tools reshaping Asia-Pacific’s food future

Author

Team Further
June 03, 2025

Welcome to Further Insights 2nd edition!

In recent months, we have been meeting with dozens of Food & Ag investors, startups, and scaleups, and can see that capital is flowing - but only to what proves to work at scale. From record profits to precision pollination, this week’s stories show an industry under pressure to scale solutions that are both commercially sound and climate-ready.

What’s inside today’s issue:

  • 💸 Agtech VC cools but backs startups solving real-world problems

  • 📈 CP Foods rides local strength to a 642% profit surge

  • 🌾 Regenerative ag and ESG face calls for clearer proof

  • 🤖 AI and biotech rise as tools for yield, resilience, and food security

The future belongs to those who build smarter and back it up with results, in the field and on the books.

Cheers, Renato & Jen

Agtech VC: From hype to hard truths

Funding is down, due diligence is up. The winners? Startups solving real, painful agri problems

Tenacious Ventures | VC | Funding

Denso bets $500M on Southeast Asia’s agtech

Japanese giant to acquire Temasek-backed Axia in a move to deepen agri-tech reach

Tech in Asia | Denso | Axia | Funding

CP Foods rides “international local” strategy to 642% profit jump

Thai company’s Q1 earnings soar on strong ops. FY2025 forecast: cautiously bullish

Food Navigator Asia | Thailand | CP Foods

Brazil’s soil science pioneer wins $500K prize

Biological fertilization breakthrough slashes chemicals in soybean farming

AP News | Brazil | Biologicals | Prize

Regenerative farming meets ESG skepticism

Backers still believe, but demand measurable proof to avoid greenwashing claims

AgriInvestor | RegenAg | ESG

⏰ Other News

Turion Labs boosts Asia’s food biotech backbone

New Singapore hub gives early-stage startups critical infra and regulatory support

Vegconomist | Biotech | Turion Labs | Infrastructure

BeeHero launches solar-powered pollination grid

‘HeroLink’ system connects hives and farms, boosting crop yields with smart data

AgroSpectrum Asia | Pollination | Smart Farming | Agri Tech

Trump-era farm policies spark rural backlash

Tariffs and USDA cuts leave small farmers reeling despite political promises

The Guardian | USA | Farmers | Tariffs

AI transforms farming in the Global South

New tools improve yields, reduce risk, and empower smallholders across regions

CGIAR | AI | Smart Farming | Global South

Novotel adopts climate-friendly menus worldwide

All 600 hotels roll out plant-based and sustainable seafood options this month

Green Queen | Novotel | Plant-Based | Seafood | Climate Action

Agrifood science seeks a new path post-donor era

As aid shrinks, R&D groups push for private-sector models to fund food innovation

IFPRI | Funding | R&D

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