The Spoon team is packing their bags for New York, where we’ll be for next week’s Customize summit! If you’re interested in the effect that personalization will have on the food system — in CPG, grocery, nutrition and the home kitchen — you should really join us. Good news! Spoon readers can snag one of the last remaining tickets for 15 percent off with code SPOON15.
But first, let’s catch up on some intriguing food tech tidbits from the week. Our latest dispatch includes stories on office lunch delivery fundraises, a new AI accelerator, and synthetic wine grown in a lab. Enjoy!
Endless West debuts synthetic “wine” and “sake”
Two years ago Endless West came out with Glyph, a spirit that’s constructed on a molecular level to taste like whiskey, without the aging. This week the San Francisco-based startup unveiled two new products: molecular wine and sake. The products, which are made in a lab, don’t contain any grapes — instead, they consist only of water, ethanol, and chemical compounds which mimic the flavors and aromas of the beverages. If you’re curious, you can buy Endless West’s first wine and sake products on their website.
Danone and Microsoft team up for AI accelerator
CPG giant Danone and Microsoft announced the launch of AI Factory for Agrifood, a startup accelerator targeting early-stage companies working on sustainable food and beverage projects (via FoodNavigator). The program is part of Microsoft’s AI Factory, so it will focus on companies leveraging AI. Target projects include regenerative agriculture, food waste reduction and supply chain optimization. Applications have closed and selections will be announced on March 6.
Office lunch delivery company Peach raises $5 million
A new SEC filing reveals that Peach, the Seattle-based startup offering discounted office lunch delivery, has raised $5 million as part of a larger round (h/t Geekwire). The company, which was founded in 2014, has raised $15.75 million thus far. This news comes two years after Peach cut a third of its staff in an attempt reach profitability.
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