Source: VegNews

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines.

After witnessing Beyond Meat’s successful IPO last May, Oatly is now looking into various funding options and possible exit scenarios, including an IPO in the next 18 to 24 months. The brand could raise as much as $100 million from international investors, along with $20 million from existing investors.

Major headlines in retail this week, with news of DTC company Brandless shutting down less than two years after SoftBank’s Vision Fund said it would invest $240 million in the startup. Row 7 announced a partnership with Wegmans to bring their specialty produce into supermarkets.

Lastly, Sweetgreen has partnered with chef David Chang to launch a kelp bowl, available across all US locations until March 26.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

1. Oatly Considering IPO, Sale and Additional Funding – Food Dive

Oatly could raise $100m in growth capital from international investors, along with $20m from existing investors. The company is reportedly considering to sell itself to a large CPG company such as Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola or Saputo.

2. SoftBank-Backed Brandless Shutters Less Than 2 Years After Investment – Bloomberg

The company will stop taking orders and cut about 70 employees, less than two years after SoftBank’s Vision Fund said it would invest $240m in the startup.

3. Dan Barber Bets on Grocery Stores to Bring Better Vegetables to the Masses – Civil Eats

A new partnership with Wegmans brings Row 7’s bred-for-flavor produce—and conversations about seeds—into supermarkets.

4. For Sweetgreen, 2020 Is the Year Kelp Becomes Cool – The Washington Post

The salad chain has collaborated with chef David Chang to debut its kelp bowl, available coast to coast until March 26.

5. Alpha Foods Raises $28M for Its Vegetarian Prepared Foods – TechCrunch

AccelFoods led the round. Funding will go towards new products, making new hires and expanding its distribution channels nationally and internationally.

6. Freight Farms Raises $15M Series B Led by Ospraie Ag Science – AgFunder

Existing investor Spark Capital also participated in the round, which brings the company’s total funding to over $28m. Funding will go towards software updates and plant science R&D.

7. Verde Farms Receives $15M Investment – Meat + Poultry

Manna Tree Partners led the round. The company will introduce RTE mealtime options and continue to expand its product lines across the US in the near-term and internationally in the long-term.

8. Dirty Lemon Makes Mass Retail Push with Walmart Launch – BevNet

The launch will bring three of Dirty Lemon’s most popular SKUs to 500 Walmart locations nationwide.

9. State of Retail Tech: Ahead in 2020 – CB Insights

In 2020, funding to AI applications in retail and CPG will be increasingly important to bring precision, efficiency and personalization across physical and digital retail.

10. Half of Us Face Obesity, Dire Projections Show – New York Times

By 2030, nearly one in two adults will be obese, and nearly one in four will be severely obese.

11. Food Waste Is Worse Than We Thought and the Rich May Be to Blame – Bloomberg

The world is throwing away more than twice as much as previously thought, with the wealthy the worst offenders.

12. Snack-Maker Kind Takes Its Bars to Refrigerators and Freezers – CNBC

Kind is introducing frozen and refrigerated bars, chocolate bark and snack mix under its namesake brand. Its acquisition of Creative Snacks and joint venture with Mars helped bring about the new products. The company is actively looking for more acquisitions.

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