AgTech Digest

Featuring News From Mérieux NutriSciences, GrubMarket, Ever After Foods, SalMar, Mafix, Computomics, Above Food Ingredients, and FarmRaise

📺 Watch on YouTube and SpotifyWelcome back, listeners! In today's episode, we dive into the latest developments in AgTech — the latest consolidation analysis revealing where M&A is reshaping the industry, Diane Holdorf on why nature-positive agriculture requires measurable farm-level data, Corteva and FMC posting strong earnings, Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks partnering on next-generation biological crop protection, Terion launching its first commercial sustainability platform, Semios accelerating post-acquisition integration, and breakthrough advances in digital agriculture, electrification, and wheat genetics. Let's get started!Here’s a Quick Snapshot of What’s Making Headlines:Analysis: The Consolidation Map: which segments of AgTech are in active consolidation, which are still fragmenting, and what Q2 and Q3 2026 M&A activity reveals about where institutional buyers see durable valueInterview: Diane Holdorf of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development on the Nature-Positive Agriculture framework and what corporate sustainability commitments actually require at the farm levelEarnings: Corteva posts a strong Q2 beat with seed and crop protection both outperforming; FMC raises full-year guidance; Syngenta Group confirms H1 seed growth offsetting crop protection softness; Mosaic announces CEO transitionPartnerships: Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks sign a precision fermentation partnership for next-generation biological crop protection; Bosch Rexroth secures a major electrification deal for agricultural machinery with a European OEMData & AI: Terion — the Flagship Pioneering company — launches its first commercial data product, a sustainability verification platform connecting farm-level data to corporate supply chain commitmentsIntegration: Semios publishes its first post-Pessl Instruments integration update — iMETOS weather data now flowing into Semios pest and disease models across 10 countriesFunding: Aigen raises $28M Series B for solar-powered micro-robot weeding; Agrosphere raises $5M seed for satellite-driven insurance parametrics; Xarvio Field Manager reaches 50 million hectares under managementEvents: Commercial UAV Expo (Las Vegas, September 1st to 3rd), Taiwan Smart Agriweek (September 8th to 10th), Women in Agribusiness Global Summit (New Orleans), Global Agrovet Research Conference (Dubai), EIMA International (Bologna)Read The Full Summary On The Latest Issue Of IGROW NEWSConnect with Us!Be sure to subscribe to our other shows:Vertical Farming Podcast: https://vertical-farming-podcast.captivate.fm/listenGreenhouse Success Stories: https://greenhouse-success-stories.captivate.fm/listeniGrow Digest:Presented by iGrowNews.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/igrownews🎙️🎙️🎙️Discover the best podcast services in the world at The Podosphere: https://www.thepodosphere.com/===This is an AI-Generated showMentioned in this episode:2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews2025 Precision Ag Report2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews2025 Precision Ag Report

📺 Watch on YouTube and SpotifyUnlock the future of agtech and CRISPR with this deep dive into the world of soybean innovation and next-gen crop defense! Matt Begeman, a key voice from Confluence Genetics, unveils how his team is driving breakthroughs in seed genetics and leveraging cutting-edge technologies like CasClear. From transforming the profitability and sustainability landscape for growers to exploring the epic potential of CRISPR-based antimicrobials and cell-specific cancer therapies, this episode journeys across the science and strategy shaping global food and health systems.Listen in to discover:The intricate challenges and opportunities facing modern soybean growersHow AI and advanced breeding accelerate development of nutrient-rich, high-value cropsThe story behind CasClear and its powerful implications for agriculture—and even cancer treatmentWhy data, partnerships, and strategic tech licensing are changing the gameIf you’re passionate about the intersection of biology, technology, and agriculture, this episode is packed with thought-provoking insights you won’t want to miss!5 Key TakeawaysTake your agricultural strategy to the next level with these essential insights:AI-driven breeding models like CropOS can significantly accelerate soybean variety development and optimize desired traits—embrace technology to boost your crop outcomes.Creating higher-value soybean products with specialty traits unlocks premium markets for growers—seek out partnerships to increase your profitability per acre.Gene editing and CRISPR-based innovations, such as CasClear, are expanding possibilities for crop protection and quality—stay informed and engaged with cutting-edge solutions.Gathering and leveraging high-quality, connected sequence and phenotype data is key to successful breeding and product innovation—invest in your data strategy.Strategic collaborations and technology licensing can help expand the reach of impactful platforms—consider partnerships to amplify innovation and business growth.Memorable Quotes"So if we could take our CasClear technology, design it specifically for their cancer, deliver it to that individual, and basically deliver cell-specific chemotherapy where it only destroys the cancer cells and leaves all the normal cells intact. That's the conceptual idea we've built with CasClear in the oncology space.""Our goal is to enable as many different companies to use this technology as we can because I can't work on soybeans, antimicrobials, and oncology all at the same time. We've really got to partner with other companies to make this successful.""If you have decades worth of phenotype data but you've never sequenced your populations or understand your population structure, you're also kind of stuck. You've got to really pull both of these together to enable those AI tools to really drive your breeding organization forward and make better products at the end of the day."Connect with MattWebsite: https://confluence.ag/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-begemann/Resources Mentionedconfluence.ag – https://confluence.ag/castclear.com – https://castclear.com/University of Missouri – https://missouri.edu/University of Wisconsin–Madison – https://wisc.edu/University of Utah – https://utah.edu/UC Berkeley – https://berkeley.edu/Benson Hill – https://bensonhill.com/CropOS by Benson Hill – https://bensonhill.com/cropos/ChatGPT by OpenAI – https://openai.com/chatgptAnthropic – https://www.anthropic.com/Connect with Us!Be sure to subscribe to our other shows:Vertical Farming Podcast: https://vertical-farming-podcast.captivate.fm/listenGreenhouse Success Stories: https://greenhouse-success-stories.captivate.fm/listeniGrow Digest:Presented by iGrowNews.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/igrownews🎙️🎙️🎙️Discover the best podcast services in the world at The Podosphere: https://www.thepodosphere.com/===This is an AI-Generated showMentioned in this episode:2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews2025 Precision Ag Report2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews2025 Precision Ag Report