There was much ado about food tech funding this week. Seriously. Between Cooks Ventures’ Series A, Zuul’s $9 million round, and all the figures in between, we barely had time to write about anything else. With that in mind, here are a few more bites of food tech news before another weekend of staying at home starts.
Shelf Engine raises $12 million.
Seattle-based Shelf Engine, whose AI tech manages grocery store inventory to cut down on food waste, announced this week it had raised $12 million. The round was led by GGV Capital and included participation from Initialized Capital, Foundation Capital, Correlation Ventures, 1984, Founders’ Co-op, and Liquid 2 Ventures.
Ikea sets launch date for plant-based meatballs.
This one’s for fans of DIY furniture who also happen to love plant-based meat. Ikea finally unveiled a plant-based version of its famous meatball made from yellow pea protein. Meatballs will be available on August 3 in the U.K. and September 28 in the U.S. in the frozen food section of its stores as well as in the cafeteria. That’s assuming, of course, that the pandemic hasn’t shut us all down again.
Image via Shock Ink/Pamela Springsteen.
Willie Nelson backs regenerative agriculture.
Last year it was CBD-infused coffee. This year, Willie Nelson is making his contribution to the food industry by backing regenerative agriculture. AFN reported this week that regenerative ag business TerraPuerzza has partnered with the country icon to bring regenerative land, water, and resource management techniques to Willie’s 500-acre Luck Ranch in Texas.
Domino’s launches a website for recycling pizza boxes.
Domino’s and its main box supplier, WestRock, launched recycling.dominos.com this week to better educate consumers on how to recycle their pizza boxes. That includes clearing up some recycling myths (yes, you can recycle a box with grease on it) as well as helping folks understand what to do if their area does not accept recycling.
