Ag biotechnologies and robotics are two segments in the upstream supply chain that have shown significant resilience in 2024 and attracted large deals from investors. Another key trend this year has been the emergence of developing economics in Asia as important players in the sectors of ag biotech. Even if the United States remains the largest beneficiary of 2024 agtech VC investments, garnering 47% of worldwide funding in upstream supply chains, India and China are now also prominent when it comes to funding. In 2024, six of the top 15 agtech rounds were for companies from Asia, which shows clear signs of the growing maturity of startup ecosystems in the continent. While you enjoy the holidays, the AgFunderNews team has already started sifting through the piles of data involved in the creation of parent company AgFunder’s Global AgriFoodTech Investment report, coming up in early 2024

Arbol, a climate risk solutions provider, has secured $60 million in Series B funding led by Giant Ventures and Opera Tech Ventures, with Mubadala Capital also participating. The funding will help scale their parametric insurance offerings, which use predefined climate data triggers for faster payout processes, addressing the increasing risks from climate-related disasters.