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Perennial: Welcome to the New Age
Perennial: Welcome to the New Age
Dear Friends – Let’s think about the following questions: How are we living in a world whereby someone like Tom Brady…
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Brent Taylor liked thisBrent Taylor liked thisBreaking the Cost Barrier in Biomanufacturing Great report by BCG and Synonym! Their recent report describes three keys (demand, scale, and strains) to achieving the potential of biomanufacturing. However, disappointingly there was nothing written about the strain technology side of equation in terms of reducing costs. In fact, from the engineering and technology side of things, the choice of organism is the first and most important consideration. All microbial technologies are not created equal, and the choice of organism massively influences the cost effectiveness and productivity of the manufacturing process. We agree with the statement in the report “Many designed for the lab. Few designed for scale”. Biomanufacturing is most typically done using bacteria, yeast, or filamentous fungi. Narrowing down the product areas, if the aim is to produce a protein product at the lowest cost and the highest volume possible, then filamentous fungi are the most sensible choice. In fact, the industrial enzyme industry recognized this decades ago and developed filamentous fungi such as Trichoderma reesei��and Aspergillus oryzae for use in large scale bioreactors (150 000 – 300 000L). Filamentous fungi are able cultivated at these large scales because they are comparatively less demanding organisms, in terms of oxygen consumption and cooling requirements and other energy requirements. Filamentous fungi are naturally hyper secreting organisms, which makes its feasible to maintain a low amount of biomass in the bioreactor and still get high secretion output. In fact, industrial strains of filamentous fungi are currently the world champions at protein secretion, capable of producing levels over 120 g/L. Thus, given the already high production level with a large bioreactor of 300 000L volume, then you have a biomanufacturing superstar technology. And this is what is currently possible. We have no doubt that the strain and fermentation technology will continue to improve over time. Ambitiously, we believe it’s possible to reach protein secretion levels of 200 g/L given the current tools and technologies available. Regarding building new megascale biofoundries, proposed in the report, that have millions of liters capacity, it makes a big difference which microbial technology is used to make the product. A megascale factory could cost, according to the report, up to 300-400 million dollars. Thus, understanding the advantages and using the most cost-effective production technology, it would be possible to keep the investment needed to a minimum.
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Brent Taylor liked thisBrent Taylor liked thisA huge milestone for Farmer's Business Network, Inc.! We may be one of the biggest silicon valley tech companies you haven't heard of.....This $300M fundraise led by Fidelity and with participation from many great new and existing investors will give us the ability to continue to invest in technology, IP and growth. The investors in this round are a list of the most world class, ethical and long term in the world. We will also be ramping up our fast growing FBN Financial platform which provides loans (land, operating, equipment) and insurance solutions for farmers. We are investing heavily in technology to become the go to resource for financial solutions for farmers all over the world. People ask me how we have managed to achieve scale at FBN while many others have gone away or not achieved the same scale. The persistence of the team and adherence to our focus on adding value for farmers. We have faced plenty of skepticism along the way, but have fought through all that to achieve meaningful scale. This is still the beginning of a long journey and a long trajectory of growth in fulfilling our mission globally. Finally, special thanks to our new partners at ADM. Thanks to Ian Pinner, Darren Streiler, Alicia Ralston and Greg M. among many other leaders on the ADM team. We have a shared vision of the future of technology in agriculture and ushering in a low carbon economy. There are many points of opportunity as our press documents outline but the goal is to continue to bring more and more value to our global network of farmer customers in all aspects of their business-- inputs, grain marketing, livestock and financing alike.FBN® Announces New Capital Raise of $300 Million from World-class Financial PartnersFBN® Announces New Capital Raise of $300 Million from World-class Financial Partners
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Brent Taylor liked thisBrent Taylor liked thisLet me be blunt; The ag industry is worse than the tech industry when it comes to anti-competitive practices. This article is timely because farmers and consumers alike should have a clearer understanding of this important industry and how it does business. It really makes the tech industry look like a cakewalk in comparison. And while we’ve been undermined by that behavior, the hard working family farms all over the world take the brunt of it. Persistently high seed and chem prices, limited channels and places to market grain, and the lack of any transparency on pricing and decisions is simply a means to transfer wealth to major ag businesses directly from family farms. There are some very tangible quotes in the article below - it is infuriating to see industry insiders, ag professionals, from places like Syngenta, Univar and Federated Cooperative misrepresent, bully (and attempt to intimidate) FBN and literally send threats to each other, our partners and farmers as a way of trying to stop FBN. #fbn #transparency #wsj # #farmersbusinessnetwork #agriculture #farm #farming https://lnkd.in/gNVDRVETech Startup, Trying to Be Amazon for Farms, Runs Into Ag GiantsTech Startup, Trying to Be Amazon for Farms, Runs Into Ag Giants
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Brent Taylor liked thisBrent Taylor liked thisSir Kensington's has reimagined ranch, America’s favorite dressing. Bloomberg Businessweek broke the news: https://lnkd.in/dkD9mdH Come by booth 5571 to try it if you're at #expowest this week
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Brent Taylor liked thisSeven years ago, I joined a fourteen-year-old “startup”. And yesterday, we were acquired! Excited to join the incredible @Solium team assembled by Marcos Lopez. Official press release here: https://lnkd.in/eCxR8ww Special thanks to Dee for your mentorship and guidance over the years.
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Brent Taylor liked thisProud to be part of this. Looking forward to exciting times aheadBrent Taylor liked thisWe're thrilled to announce our $30M Series B funding led by RRE Ventures with Thomvest Ventures Canaan Partners Lightspeed Venture Partners and Nyca Partners as we continue to make life insurance instant, simple and smart. Together, we can make life better. 🚀Ladder Secures $30M In Series B Funding To Fuel ExpansionLadder Secures $30M In Series B Funding To Fuel Expansion
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Antony Yousefian
Regenerative Organic Certified products saw 22% growth in buyers in 2025. Fair Trade grew 10.7%. USDA Organic 6.6% (Source Food Navigator). The consumer is waking up, and fast. What's driving this? ROC isn't just organic with better marketing. It goes further on three things most labels ignore: soil biology (not just what you don't spray, but what you actively build), animal welfare, and farmer fairness. The core principle is quite simple: healthier soil, healthier plants, means healthier food. Brands using ROC are going further and raising the bar. They're conducting third-party lab analyses of nutrient density and publishing the results. Philosopher Foods is showing measurable boosts in antioxidants and metabolomics between conventional, organic, and regenerative. Not marginal. Dramatic. That changes the economics. You can charge a premium when you can prove what's in the product, not just what's not in it. "Organic" tells you what was avoided. ROC, backed by lab data, tells you what was gained. The measurement layer is what makes this investable. Without it, regenerative is a story. With it, it's a margin. I know my personal AI assistant "Bev" will be hunting for foods like this going forward. I've programmed this as a hard rule: "Prioritise foods with higher nutrient quality and density, ensure there is data-backed evidence." #agrihealth #roc #regenerative #healthyfood #foodsystem https://lnkd.in/ex3wFeca
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Douglas Sabo
Meet Califia Farms… a leader in plant-based dairy alternatives and Seeing Green Solutionist of the Day for November 14. (Check out their new Seeing Green Podcast spotlight episode – link in comments) Califia Farms is a California-born pioneer in plant-based milks, creamers and coffee beverages, built on a simple idea: make dairy-free options taste great and work seamlessly in everyday life. The company has grown into one of the leading plant-based beverage brands in the natural channel, with a product lineup that now spans almond, oat and coconut milks, barista blends, cold brews, creamers and kitchen staples designed to make dairy-free cooking and coffee feel familiar rather than limiting. Califia’s products offer an accessible way for consumers to reduce the environmental footprint of their daily routines, as plant-based dairy uses significantly less land and water and generates far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional dairy. They’re also investing in more circular and sustainable packaging, renewable energy at their Bakersfield facility and partnerships with farmers who are adopting practices that improve soil health and resilience. Combined with simple, nutrient-forward ingredients that support heart health and meet the needs of people with lactose sensitivity, Califia Farms demonstrates how everyday food choices can add up to meaningful benefits for both people and the planet. Thank you to Dave Ritterbush, Suzanne Saltzman Ginestro, Ella Rosenbloom and the entire Califia Farms team for all that you do! To learn more, check out the attached video as well as their moment in the Seeing Green Podcast spotlight – links in comments.
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Proscovia Alando
January always reveals the same pattern in blue economy and food systems work. Significant capital is allocated with good intent, but weak sequencing. The most costly failures I’ve seen aren’t driven by technology gaps or lack of funding - they come from misreading local context, incentives, and timelines. This year, I’m particularly interested in how institutions are rethinking program design to reduce downstream risk rather than accelerate deployment. Curious what others are seeing. #blueeconomy #foodsystems
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