Latest news with #Meat
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide
Venture-capital deals in food-tech are likely to decline sharply this year in both value and transaction terms, Pitchbook research has suggested. Presenting its latest food-tech VC trends report, which includes deals in the beverages segment, Pitchbook painted a tough picture for the investing environment from both the buy and sell sides, with valuations still proving to be problematic. While the data set only covers the first quarter, the numbers look bleak for the rest of 2025 if extrapolated out over the full year, with the slope of the declines suggesting a substantial recovery would be needed to gain ground on 2024. Food-tech venture-capital deals slid 49.6% quarter-on-quarter to $1.4bn and the number of transactions fell 15.1% to 202, according to PitchBook, which provided perspective on previous years as a whole: 2024 at $10.3bn and 1,127 deals; Covid-19 'era highs' in 2021 of $49.8bn/2,721; and pre-Covid figures in 2019 of $22.4bn/1,591. 'Investor caution remains elevated, with a marked shift toward more mature start-ups boasting proven business models. This has led to a sharp reduction in seed and early-stage funding,' PitchBook noted in the report commentary. PitchBook indicated VC investors remain selective, although it highlighted the functional foods sector 'emerged as one of the strongest near-term opportunities in food-tech amid the broader funding downturn'. PepsiCo's sizeable deal for US beverage group Poppi in March was singled out as one that 'could spur further acquisitions as major brands look to expand their functional food portfolios'. Valuations continue to be a headwind, with VC funds more demanding when it comes to the investment criteria. 'For investors, the sharp rise in median valuations signals a flight to quality, with capital being concentrated in fewer, more mature start-ups that can demonstrate proven business models and scalability,' the report, led by PitchBook's senior research analyst for food-tech Alex Frederick, suggested. 'For start-ups, the environment is increasingly challenging, especially at the early stage, where median valuations have dropped to $6.1 million from $12.1 million in 2021, reflecting tougher fundraising conditions and elevated expectations from investors.' The insights report added: 'Start-ups must demonstrate not only innovation but also clear market traction, operational efficiency, and alignment with major trends such as sustainability, health, and supply chain resilience to stand out.' Despite the ongoing challenges in alternative proteins – Beyond Meat being one such example given by PitchBook – there are some areas in the space that are grabbing investor attention. 'Early-stage dealmaking in alt-proteins remains robust, particularly in fermentation,' or what PitchBook refers to as 'enabling infrastructure' in the development of the category. M&A benefited as stock market swings 'kept the IPO window closed' in the first quarter, PitchBook said, adding a note of optimism. 'As public markets begin to stabilise, IPO momentum is building across the broader VC ecosystem. While no food-tech IPOs are imminent, successful listings in other sectors will serve as important market tests.' Besides the cited PepsiCo deal being a bright spot in functional food and drinks, Frederick said: 'Alt-proteins, particularly fermentation, remained active as well despite broader headwinds for the space. 'Meanwhile, strategic M&A continued to dominate the exit landscape. With the IPO window beginning to open, companies like Trax Retail, GrubMarket, and Apeel are positioned as potential candidates for public listings.' With the growing interest in AI overall, PitchBook also suggested the food-tech sector may be losing out as interest is overshadowed from elsewhere. 'PitchBook data shows that 71% of all venture capital deployed in Q1 went to AI and machine learning (ML) start-ups. Food-tech, by contrast, has seen fewer AI-native start-ups close major rounds,' according to the report. 'As capital increasingly gravitates toward AI, generalist investors may be overlooking attractive food-tech opportunities to get AI exposure.' "Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide – research" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide
Venture-capital deals in food-tech are likely to decline sharply this year in both value and transaction terms, Pitchbook research has suggested. Presenting its latest food-tech VC trends report, which includes deals in the beverages segment, Pitchbook painted a tough picture for the investing environment from both the buy and sell sides, with valuations still proving to be problematic. While the data set only covers the first quarter, the numbers look bleak for the rest of 2025 if extrapolated out over the full year, with the slope of the declines suggesting a substantial recovery would be needed to gain ground on 2024. Food-tech venture-capital deals slid 49.6% quarter-on-quarter to $1.4bn and the number of transactions fell 15.1% to 202, according to PitchBook, which provided perspective on previous years as a whole: 2024 at $10.3bn and 1,127 deals; Covid-19 'era highs' in 2021 of $49.8bn/2,721; and pre-Covid figures in 2019 of $22.4bn/1,591. 'Investor caution remains elevated, with a marked shift toward more mature start-ups boasting proven business models. This has led to a sharp reduction in seed and early-stage funding,' PitchBook noted in the report commentary. PitchBook indicated VC investors remain selective, although it highlighted the functional foods sector 'emerged as one of the strongest near-term opportunities in food-tech amid the broader funding downturn'. PepsiCo's sizeable deal for US beverage group Poppi in March was singled out as one that 'could spur further acquisitions as major brands look to expand their functional food portfolios'. Valuations continue to be a headwind, with VC funds more demanding when it comes to the investment criteria. 'For investors, the sharp rise in median valuations signals a flight to quality, with capital being concentrated in fewer, more mature start-ups that can demonstrate proven business models and scalability,' the report, led by PitchBook's senior research analyst for food-tech Alex Frederick, suggested. 'For start-ups, the environment is increasingly challenging, especially at the early stage, where median valuations have dropped to $6.1 million from $12.1 million in 2021, reflecting tougher fundraising conditions and elevated expectations from investors.' The insights report added: 'Start-ups must demonstrate not only innovation but also clear market traction, operational efficiency, and alignment with major trends such as sustainability, health, and supply chain resilience to stand out.' Despite the ongoing challenges in alternative proteins – Beyond Meat being one such example given by PitchBook – there are some areas in the space that are grabbing investor attention. 'Early-stage dealmaking in alt-proteins remains robust, particularly in fermentation,' or what PitchBook refers to as 'enabling infrastructure' in the development of the category. M&A benefited as stock market swings 'kept the IPO window closed' in the first quarter, PitchBook said, adding a note of optimism. 'As public markets begin to stabilise, IPO momentum is building across the broader VC ecosystem. While no food-tech IPOs are imminent, successful listings in other sectors will serve as important market tests.' Besides the cited PepsiCo deal being a bright spot in functional food and drinks, Frederick said: 'Alt-proteins, particularly fermentation, remained active as well despite broader headwinds for the space. 'Meanwhile, strategic M&A continued to dominate the exit landscape. With the IPO window beginning to open, companies like Trax Retail, GrubMarket, and Apeel are positioned as potential candidates for public listings.' With the growing interest in AI overall, PitchBook also suggested the food-tech sector may be losing out as interest is overshadowed from elsewhere. 'PitchBook data shows that 71% of all venture capital deployed in Q1 went to AI and machine learning (ML) start-ups. Food-tech, by contrast, has seen fewer AI-native start-ups close major rounds,' according to the report. 'As capital increasingly gravitates toward AI, generalist investors may be overlooking attractive food-tech opportunities to get AI exposure.' "Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide – research" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Calgary Herald
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Vancouver theatre: Here are the six best plays to see in June
Article content Ah, June. Summer sunshine (maybe) and summer theatre. Musicals, comedies, more musicals and comedies, and a few outliers. June in Vancouver means Bard on the Beach — three shows this year are comedies. And Theatre Under the Stars — two musicals. And the Arts Club's summer musical. Funnyman Colin Mochrie at the Improv Centre. Theatre in the Country's musical. A post-apocalyptic musical from Renegade Arts. An embarrassment of musical and comic riches. Article content Article content Article content Article content No one is funnier than Oscar Wilde, who here applies his incomparable wit to a fin de siècle tale of political scandal and blackmail. The kind of material the Vancouver Playhouse would once have produced now frequently gets done, and done well, by United Players. Starring Hayley Sullivan, Cat Smith and Chris Cope. After 11 seasons at the Shaw Festival, director Moya O'Connell knows the period style. Article content Article content Haus of Yolo Article content From New Zealand's The Dust Palace, The Cultch's season-ender features acrobats creating their own costumes onstage in real time: 'from sewing machine to circus routine.' In this 'anti-cabaret cabaret,' the show's four performers take turns playing the designer and the Sexy Meat Puppets who wear the clothes and do the routines. One reviewer described it as a celebration of 'the half-naked body in the tiniest leotards I have ever seen.' Article content Article content Article content Bard on the Beach opens its season with one of Shakespeare's finest romantic comedies, featuring witty lovers Beatrice and Benedick. A couple of Bard veterans, the divine Jennifer Lines as Beatrice and hilarious Scott Bellis as goofy Constable Dogberry, make this a guaranteed winner. I don't know about the 'additional text by Canadian playwright Erin Shields' to enhance the near-serious subplot. But director Johnna Wright has a good track record with Bard comedies. Article content Article content Waitress Article content Local TV star Rachel Drance (The Flash, Virgin River) plays a pregnant small-town waitress in a bad marriage whose pie-baking skills save her. Warning: Extramarital sex! Adapted from the 2007 movie, the stage play has music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles and an A-list supporting cast including Ben Elliott, Josh Epstein, Jennie Neumann and Tom Pickett. The Arts Club's Ashlie Corcoran directs.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tehama District Jr. Livestock Auction sets record
The Tehama District Jr. Livestock Auction successfully sold 446 animals with averages as follows: • 48 Market Steers averaged $6.24 per pound • 234 Market Hogs averaged $10.17 per pound • 95 Market Lambs averaged $16.38 per pound • 31 Market Goats averaged $23.55 per pound • 38 Rabbit Meat Pens averaged $670.26 Tehama District Fair set a number of records this year from the number of attendees, to the total sales at the Jr. Livestock Auction and the number of animals sold. Between May 1-4 more than 20,000 attendees passed through the Tehama District Fairground gates, along with the $1.3 million-plus in livestock sales, the event lived it to its theme of Fairtime is Funtime. That sales total continues to rise as 'add-on money' is still coming in. Last year's sale of 426 animals had a total sales of $1,177,924. Additionally, FFA Exhibitors showcased some stunning projects in the Vocational Silent Arts Auction. Notably, Bronc Joanette was awarded Best of Show for his Horseshoe Cactus, which sold to Commercial Vehicle Permit Registration for $510. 'We would like to thank each and every business and individual that supported the Junior Livestock Auction, our top ten volume buyers were Outback Contractors, Lamb Unlimited General Engineering, Corning Ford, Triple R Gas, Redding Kia, Crown Motors, Crain Walnut Shelling, Inc., Green Waste of Tehama, Red Bluff Motor Sports, and Willows Vet Clinic, Inc.,' reported the Tehama District Fair Board. 'Additionally, the buyers who supported the highest number of exhibitors were Cornerstone Community Bank and Taco Bell, each donating to 57 exhibitors. They were followed by Furtado Ag Construction, Dr. Katrin Purdue-Eglian DMD, Lamb Unlimited Engineering, Gillet Electric, All American Emergency Services, Banner Bank, Shasta Farm & Equipment, Don Brown and the Scott Moore Memorial Fund.' Brittany Camacho, Molly McGiffin, and Tehama District Fair Manager Mandy Staley spent hours compiling the names of buyers, and add-ons, as the sale's auctioneers, Jake Parnell, Randy Parnell, and Kyler Radelfinger, did a great job moving the event along and helping the youth handlers get the best price for their animals. Taking the bids were ring-men Brian Ronayne, Jake Pickering, Brett Friend, and Kyler Radelfinger. The 2025 Sale of Champions: • Supreme Champion Steer, Jordyn Staley, Independent, at $8.75 a lb. to Western Video Market & JN Cattle Co; Reserve Supreme Champion Steer, Alex Betancourt, Los Molinos FFA at $7.50 a lb. to Capex; 4-H Champion Steer, Maci Diaz, Flournoy, Paskenta 4-H at $5 a lb. to Triple R Gas & Wright Brothers Construction; 4-H Reserve Champion Steer, Beverly Wilson, Olive 4-H at $5.50 a lb. to Greg Long Ranches. • Supreme Champion Swine, Jayden Byrd, Corning FFA (who sold his, brothers and sister's animals as auctioneer), Schene Enterprizes paid $30 a lb; Reserve Supreme Champion Swine, Gia Amen, Independent sold to Lassen Canyon Nursery and Vestra Resource at $23 a lb; FFA Reserve Champion Swine, Bronc Joanette, Red Bluff FFA to California Giant Berry Farms at $9 a lb; 4-H Reserve Champion Swine, Kole Ellis, Westside 4-H sold to Joe and Anibo Verska at $ 10 a lb. • Supreme Champion Lamb, Hayley Byrd, Corning FFA sold to Schene Enterprises at $31 a lb; Reserve Supreme Champion Lamb, Sophia Berbena, Independent to Dudley's Excavating at $37 a lb; 4-H Champion Lamb, Averee Fox, Independent to Red Bluff Motor Sports at $17 a lb; 4-H Reserve Champion Lamb, Katie Thomas, Westside 4-H to Byrd Cattle Co. at $21 a lb. • Supreme Champion Goat, Rhett Byrd, Lassen Colony 4-H to Shasta Farm & Equipment at $31 a lb; Reserve Supreme Champion Goat, Braxxton Byrd, Lassen Colony 4-H to Staley Livestock at $26 a lb.; FFA Champion Goat Harrison Hamre, Los Molinos FFA to Les Schwab Tires, Red Bluff and Corning at $21 at lb; FFA Reserve Champion Goat Clayton Raimer, Los Molinos FFA to Dave, Cindy Stroing Livestock and Stroing Creations at $13 a lb. • Supreme Champion Pen of 3 Rabbits, Zoee Tollison Sloan, Corning FFA to The Embroidery Shoppe at $800 a pen; Reserve Supreme Champion Pen of Rabbits, Alekzandro Ramirez, Lassen Colony 4-H to David and Lance Ferreira, at $500 a pen; FFA Reserve Champion Pen of Rabbits, Iris Neevel, Red Bluff FFA to Bell Carter Foods at $500 a pen; 4-H Reserve Champion Pen of Rabbits, Katie Junge, Los Molinos 4-H to Accurate Clipper Sharpening at $900 a pen.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
YouTube turns 20: From 'Lazy Sunday' to 'Hot Ones'
Live Events The video is short -- just 19 seconds -- and not particularly compelling. A viewer would be forgiven for clicking away before it grainy footage, uploaded on April 23, 2005, of a man standing in front of the elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo -- "All right, so here we are in front of the elephants" -- does not look like the sort of thing that would touch off a video yet, two decades after that inauspicious start, YouTube is now a cornerstone of the media ecosystem. It's where people go for music videos and four-hour-long hotel reviews. It is a platform for rising stars and conspiracy theorists. It's a repository for vintage commercials and 10 hours of ambient noise. It has disrupted traditional television and given rise to a world of video creators who make content catering to every imaginable niche every YouTube video you have watched, there are hundreds of millions you will never a look back at some of the biggest moments in YouTube first video uploaded on YouTube is titled "Me at the zoo," and it shows one of the platform's founders, Jawed Karim, admiring the elephants at the San Diego Zoo. Karim founded YouTube in February 2005 with Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, but left the venture in "Saturday Night Live" music video "Lazy Sunday" was perhaps the first YouTube video to go viral. The video, featuring the cast members Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg rapping about cupcakes and movie snacks, was immediately uploaded by fans after it aired December 17, 2005. The spread of bootleg clips prompted NBC Universal to ask YouTube to remove the clip and other NBC footage for copyright reasons in February swiftly became a home for viral hits, which in 2006 included "Flea Market Montgomery," "Charlie the Unicorn" and "Evolution of Dance."Viacom, Microsoft and Yahoo expressed interest in buying YouTube, attracted by its growing audience. In October 2006, Google announced that it was acquiring the platform for $1.65 billion."Chocolate Rain," "Charlie Bit My Finger," "Shoes" and "Leave Britney Alone" were among the YouTube videos that caused a stir in did home videos of a little Canadian kid with a big voice, who was building a small legion of fans. Crucially, they also attracted the interest of the R&B singer and songwriter Usher, and an aspiring music manager, Scooter Braun. Braun signed the kid, Justin Bieber, and Bieber Fever DeVore Sr. posted a video of his 7-year-old son, David, after a tooth extraction to share with family, but the video of the loopy and screaming child, "David After Dentist," shot around the younger David said in an interview on Tamron Hall's talk show in January that learning he was famous "came to me in pieces.""I was 7 when it first happened, and a week later we were in New York for the first time," he crabs. Tapping fingernails. Whispering the names of items on a grocery receipt. For some, these sounds trigger a brain-tingling sensation now recognized as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR, a term coined in was already filled with terrible songs by amateurs when a music video for "Friday," by 13-year-old Rebecca Black, caught the attention of the public and was eviscerated by armchair critics is still making music and working as a DJ. This spring and summer, she is a guest on Katy Perry's tour and on the Solid Pink Disco tour headlined by drag artist Trixie Mattel."Kony 2012" did not fit into an existing mold for viral content. It was 30 minutes long, created by a nonprofit group, Invisible Children, and was about a Central African warlord, Joseph yet, the video had 100 million views only a week after it was released, with help from celebrity supporters including Bieber, Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey."Kony 2012" ultimately had a mixed legacy, and Kony's location remains unknown. A hearing on the war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against him is scheduled for Sept. 9 at the International Criminal Court at The a South Korean singer and rapper, released a music video for his song "Gangnam Style" in July 2012, and by the end of that year it had become the first video on the internet to reach 1 billion views. In 2022, Psy told The New York Times that the song's success haunted him."The songs are written by the same person, the dance moves are by the same person and they're performed by the same person. Everything's the same, but what was so special about that one song?" Psy said. "I still don't know, to this day."The musician T-Pain was for years best known, and often criticized, for hits that leaned heavily on Auto-Tune. That changed when he appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series, singing beautifully without digital effects in a performance that silenced his online Tiny Desk series, which began in 2008, continues to produce pop culture moments. In the past year, popular Tiny Desk performances have included Doechii and Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso.A popular YouTube genre is unboxing, which features people taking cellphones, makeup, vacuum cleaners and other products out of their packaging and describing them in clinical of the most successful creators of unboxing videos is Marques Brownlee. He has unboxed items including an original, sealed iPhone, a PlayStation 5 and AirPods Max headphones. After years of reviewing technology for a growing audience, he graduated from college and became a full-time YouTube creator in May 2015. Today, he has 19.9 million subscribers and is a respected voice on consumer world domination of "Baby Shark" began quietly, when a video of the song was posted on YouTube in November 2015 by SmartStudy, a Seoul-based company that produced children's videos under the Pinkfong remixed the song, adding a new beat, and dropped the inescapable version of "Baby Shark" in June 2016. In November 2020, it became the most viewed YouTube video ever. At 15.8 billion views, it still videos dominate YouTube's most-watched lists, but none have topped "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi, featuring Daddy Yankee. The video was filmed in Puerto Rico, where both artists are from, and is the most watched music video on YouTube. It is also one of the most watched videos ever, with more than 8.7 billion all social media platforms, YouTube has been in a constant struggle to determine what content it will allow. In 2018, it joined several other companies in removing most posts and videos from the right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his website, prominent voices who have been restricted on the platform include President Donald Trump and Andrew Tate, an influencer known for his misogynistic views and ostentatious displays of wealth. (YouTube reversed its suspension of Trump's account in March 2023.)Countless video call gaffes were lost to history during the coronavirus pandemic. One that was preserved featured a Texas lawyer, Rod Ponton, who could not figure out how to turn off a Zoom filter that made him look like a gray cat with sad eyes when he joined a virtual hearing in civil forfeiture case. "I'm here live," Ponton told the court. "I'm not a cat."Ponton has since embraced his brush with internet fame. "It did let everybody have a moment of humor and a moment of sanity during the dark days of the pandemic," he told the Times this year. "I'm glad it happened, even at my expense."Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, created a YouTube account when he was in middle school, in 2012. He eventually found success with a video format that involved giving money to people in need, and he has for years been one of the most popular creators on the platform. His most popular video is "$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!" from November once an audio-only medium, are now frequently recorded on video and posted on the final quarter of 2023, 16 of the top 30 podcasts were available as filmed videos, according to a Times analysis of data published by Edison Research. In the same period two years earlier, seven of the top 30 podcasts were available as filmed videos."Hot Ones," the interview show in which guests sample increasingly spicy hot sauces on chicken (or vegan) wings, had several hit episodes by the time Conan O'Brien, a fixture of traditional television, made an unhinged performance -- he appears to come unglued as he swigs sauce straight from the bottle -- had "Conan O'Brien" trending online for days. "Many of my friends went online and thought I died," he interview shows are now a recognized stop on the celebrity PR circuit, with "Chicken Shop Date," hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, producing its own set of viral moments.
