Is There a Foodpocalypse, Costco Founder Invests in Organic Fast Food, Future of Digital Farming & More

Our bi-weekly newsletter tracks the latest food tech and innovation news, trends and research across agriculture, CPG, retail, restaurants, cooking and health, so it’s absolute easiest way to stay on top of the emerging sector.

Are we at the beginning of a foodpocalypse? What is the future of digital farming? Can we produce dairy from floating farms?Read about all of this and more in last week’s top food tech and innovation stories.

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1. Announcing The 10 Startups Pitching at FoodBytes! San Francisco

We are thrilled to announce the 10 food, agribusiness, beverage & tech startups that will demo at FoodBytes! San Francisco.

2. Food Tech Media Startup Funding, M&A and Partnerships: March and April 2016

Is there a foodpocalypse underway? Not just yet. While companies like Dinner Lab and Kitchit have shuttered, $2.02B was invested in food tech startups in March & April, although a large portion of that is due to Ele.me’s $1.2B raise. Read more about Brita’s thoughts on the future of food tech.

3. Costco Executives Are Pouring Money Into a Fast-Food Chain That’s Unlike Anything Else in America – Business Insider

The Organic Coup, the first organic fast-food chain run by two former Costco execs, raised $7M in a round by Costco founder Jim Sinegal to expand the chain.

4. How Restaurants Know What You Want to Eat Before You Do – Boston Globe

An look inside how startups like Upserve are creating new ways to use big data and analytics to update both the restaurant operator and the diner experience.

5. How Small Grocers are Banding Together to Change Food Retail For the Good – Civil Eats

Cultivating an independent grocery space can be challenging, but a group of retailers are building a collaborative to change the conversation.

6. Is Digital Farming the Future of Food? – Food Tank

At the MIT Media Lab, a team of engineers, architects, urban planners, economists, and scientists are on a mission to revolutionize and digitize agriculture.

7. DNA Sequencing & Big Data Could Make Food Recalls a Thing of The Past

We can save billions of dollars annually by using DNA sequencing and Big Data to identify food safety issues and stop food recalls, says Clear Labs.

8.The World’s First Floating Urban Dairy Farm Will Be Built In Rotterdam – Fast Company

The Floating Farm will be home to 60 urban dairy cows that will produce local milk, cheese, cream, butter, and yogurt.