foodtech

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #2 - BrightFarms

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #2 - BrightFarms

Paul Lightfoot is a serial entrepreneur who has learned several lessons the hard way, from raising money to communicating purpose to hiring (and firing). After spending much of his career as a software CEO, Paul wanted to follow his “calling” to enter the world of sustainability and foodtech.

But this meant moving from a familiar career trajectory to an industry that, 10 years ago when Paul was entering it, barely even existed. In 2011, Paul founded BrightFarms, which uses hydroponic greenhouses to produce locally sourced packaged salads in the US. Along the way, he has made several critical decisions for his startup’s success, including voluntarily stepping back from the role of CEO.

Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming

Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming

Does the average citizen actually need to care about how their food is produced? This is the central question Australian author and journalist, Gabrielle Chan, set out to answer. Her latest book, “Why you should give a f*ck about farming” details her firm conclusion, that yes, if you eat food, you should in fact care about agriculture.

While the old days of agriculture as the top contributor to GDP is over for most Western countries, Gabrielle argues the future of food and farming is becoming increasingly important for a raft of other reasons such as climate change and food security.


Episode 11: Zack Armen on agtech commercialization and the intersection of food and tech

Episode 11: Zack Armen on agtech commercialization and the intersection of food and tech

Zack Armen, formerly a senior associate at venture development firm Flagship Pioneering, is currently Director of Business Development at Incredible Foods. In this episode Zack talks about Flagship's unique model for commercialization, the intersection of foodtech an agriculture, and how VCs look at agtech.