Radar Companies Food and Agriculture Tech · Austin
Radar · Food and Agriculture Tech in Austin

Best Food and Agriculture Tech Companies in Austin, United States

The 145 best Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: inKind.

145companies tracked
$967.3Mdisclosed funding
0unicorns
54have raised
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · FOOD AND AGRICULTURE TECH × AUSTIN

Our analysis of 81 Food and Agriculture Tech companies

$13.5b in tracked funding; 93% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.

81companies analysed
93%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
7unicorns
2016median founding year
110kcombined LinkedIn audience
38%of audience held by top 3
4companies hiring publicly (12 mo)

Ranked: Best Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin

#CompanyDisclosed fundingLast roundEmployeesFounderTech stackWeb popularityPatents & IP focusRecent signals
1inKind
Digital dining rewards platform that allows users to earn cashback and perks when paying
60Customers top 20%Funding top 23%Tech top 33%News top 36%
All 10 signals ▾
Customerstop 20%
Fundingtop 23%
Techtop 33%
Newstop 36%
Growthtop 37%
Talenttop 38%
Producttop 40%
Marketbottom 39%
Moatbottom 38%
Globalbottom 32%
Customers: Play-Store rating 4.86★ across 13,870 ratings (2 apps) · Review volume +110% in 6 mo
Funding: Raised $455M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 8 yrs (0.2/yr)
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100
$455M4 mo ago65Jonathan De Wolff
Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer
Cart FunctionalityApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+30Top 5M1 job opening
2Illumitex
LED grow lights for horticulture, industrial, and architecture
$78M101 mo ago22Paul Winberg
Co-Founder
91 patents
LED horticultural lighting and optical systems for plant growth and insect monitoring
3Aspire Food Group
Producing and marketing insects based food as alternative protein source
50Funding top 25%Moat top 31%Growth top 35%Talent top 38%
All 10 signals ▾
Fundingtop 25%
Moattop 31%
Growthtop 35%
Talenttop 38%
Marketbottom 47%
Patentsbottom 45%
Techbottom 44%
Innovationbottom 40%
Globalbottom 40%
Newsbottom 20%
Funding: Raised $77.5M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 13 yrs (0.5/yr)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 20 patents
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100
$77M18 mo ago94Mohammed Ashour
Co-Founder and Chairman
WordPressMySQLPHP+22Top 10M20 patents
Automated insect farming, habitat design, and spray‑dry processing technologies
4 job openings
4Season Health
Online platform offering dietician virtual consultation services
$52M30 mo ago50
50 → 83 (+66%)
Mustafa Shabib
Co-Founder & CTO
Framer SitesApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+15Top 1M
5TabbedOut
Mobile Payment and Marketing for Hospitality
$41M126 mo ago40WordPressMySQLPHP+32Top 10M
6Favor
Online food order and delivery platform
$37M105 mo ago111Keith Duncan
Chief Executive Officer
Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceEnvoy+21Top 500k2 job openings
7Conversenow Ai
Developer of voice artificial intelligence solutions for the restaurant industry
$29M46 mo ago80Vinay Shukla
Co-Founder & CEO
WordPressMySQLPHP+19Top 50M
8Lucky Beverage
Provider of zero sugar energy drinks
53Funding top 22%Tech top 32%Growth top 35%Talent bottom 49%
All 7 signals ▾
Fundingtop 22%
Techtop 32%
Growthtop 35%
Talentbottom 49%
Moatbottom 48%
Globalbottom 37%
Marketbottom 32%
Funding: Raised $26.5M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 3 yrs (1.3/yr)
Tech: 38 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100
$26M7 mo agoRichard Laver
Founder & CEO
Amazon WebstoreCart FunctionalityShopify+32Top 5M2 partnerships
9HeatGen
Provider of ready to drink beverage packaging
$26M48 mo ago7
10Union
Provider of point of sale, guest ordering, and loyalty solutions
$22M54 mo ago89Alex Broeker
Founder & CEO
WordPressMySQLPHP+37Top 1M1 expansion
11Nadamoo
Manufacturer and brand of dairy-free ice cream
$14M53 mo ago18Cart FunctionalityShopifySwym Wishlist Plus+30Top 10M
12Bypass Mobile
Commerce solutions for sports and entertainment venues, enhancing guest experience
$11M136 mo ago71SentryAtlassian StatuspageTailwind CSS+9Top 10M
13Kickfin
Provider of tip payment solutions for hospitality
$11M47 mo ago15
15 → 29 (+93%)
Justin Roberts
Co-Founder
WordPressSentryMySQL+37Top 1M1 award
14Grazzy
Digital tipping solutions for businesses
$11M22 mo ago8Russell Lemmer
CEO
WordPressMySQLPHP+29Top 1M
15BOXT
Platform offering wine delivery services
$9M56 mo ago15
16Green & Grow
Syndicator of product information via open catalog
$9M98 mo ago2Alan Sobba
ex-President & CEO
17Greenling
Local Texas grocery delivery service offering fresh produce and curated meals
$8M161 mo ago50
18HotSchedules
Provider of workforce management, human capital management, and inventory management software
$7M134 mo ago804Clinton Anderson
CEO
VimeoYouTubeEnvoy+17Top 500k
19Exo
Sustainable protein snacks and powders fueled by Acheta (cricket) protein
$6M121 mo ago1Matt Beck
CEO
Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+34Top 10M6 patents
Repair, reinforcement, and load transfer solutions for utility pole structures
20Agex
Livestock custodial management and in-barn financing solutions for buyers and sellers
$6M12 mo ago76 patents
Enables agricultural data exchange and management platforms.
21prado
Online platform for restaurant management system
$6M42 mo ago22Cart FunctionalityVevSentry+32Top 10M
22Funga
Provider of forest fungal microbiome improvement solutions using DNA sequencing
$4M18 mo ago101 partnership · 1 award
23Joyride Sweets
Internet first brand offering a wide range of sugar-free candies
32Tech top 35%Talent top 38%Growth top 45%Funding bottom 46%
All 6 signals ▾
Techtop 35%
Talenttop 38%
Growthtop 45%
Fundingbottom 46%
Globalbottom 30%
Marketbottom 22%
Tech: 38 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100
$3M13 mo ago1Tyler Merrick
Founder
Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+33Top 500k
24Hotplate
Platform offering software solution for meal prep businesses
$3M52 mo ago6Rishi Talati
Co-Founder
Cart FunctionalitySentryCanny+30Top 500k
25Ghost Financial
Provider of financing platform to support ghost kitchen and restaurant
$2M52 mo ago8John Meyer
Founder & CEO
26Assembly
Platform offering meal kit delivery services
$2M56 mo ago17William Ball
Co-Founder & CEO
3 patents
Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation
27Goodybag
Platform offering food ordering and delivery services
$1M120 mo ago15
28Xook
Platform offering meal preparation robot
$1M48 mo ago23
23 → 33 (+43%)
Rajagopal Natarajan
Co-Founder & CEO
29Vital Herd
Animal monitoring solution for livestock farmers
$1M144 mo agoBrian Walsh
Co-Founder & CEO
30Otrafy
Provider of an AI platform for supplier management and regulatory automation
$1M44 mo ago9Lucas Cunha
Co-Founder
31Rosso & Flynn
Online store for meat products
$910K96 mo agoLisa Flynn
Founder
32Fieldcraft
B2B marketplace offering multi-category grocery products
$827K39 mo ago4Node.jsAnimate.cssTailwind CSS+15Top 10M
33Lettuce
Develops a network of urban farms, engages in cultivation, package and delivery of fresh produce
$541K104 mo agoVed Prakash
Co-Founder & CTO
34Crossover Meats
Platform offering plant-based meat substitutes
$250K51 mo ago5Michelle Adelman
CEO & Founder
2 awards
35Ovabrite
Developing non-invasive systems for early in-ovo fertility and gender detection of avian eggs
$250K102 mo ago1Matthew OHayer
CEO
2 patents
In‑ovo avian embryo sex determination technologies for poultry breeding
36Burpy
Food blog offering recipes, cooking tips, and culinary inspiration
$198K145 mo ago8Aseem Ali
Co-Founder & CEO
WordPressMySQLRedis+20Top 5M
37Fleksa
Provider of an AI-powered operating system for restaurant management needs
$196K30 mo ago14Bhagwati Mishra
Founder
Cart FunctionalityWordPressApple iCloud Mail+32Top 50M
38GrubTubs
Provider of an online platform offering food waste recycling services
$180K94 mo ago11Robert Olivier
Founder & CTO
39MechanicalMoon
Developer of smart aeroponic growth chambers
$160K124 mo agoChris Beauvois
Founder
40AquaSprouts
Indoor aquaponics and hydroponics systems for home, office, and classroom
$150K93 mo ago3Michael McAlister
CEO
Cart FunctionalityShopifyBootstrap+23Top 5M10 patents
Integrated hydroponic and aquaponic systems for indoor, water‑efficient plant cultivation
41Local Plant Source
Provider of open-source and proprietary digital assessment platforms
$150KAndy Fletcher
Founder & CEO
42ViaGen
Provider of animal genetic preservation and cloning services
$150K185 mo ago28Blake Russell
CEO
7 patents
Patents concentrated in health & consumer products
43Avocado
Provider of POS software solutions for restaurants
$125K65 mo ago7Node.jsFirebaseReact+13Top 10M
44Haywheel
Artisan whole sale food supplier - B2B
$125K120 mo agoMykel Pereira
Co-Founder

Top 12 Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin

#1
Series B · Austin, Texas · founded 2018 · 65 employees
$455.3Mraised

Digital dining rewards platform that allows users to earn cashback and perks when paying. It allows seamless bill payments through an app, while offering rewards, bonuses, and promotional offers across a large network of partner locations. Users can discover venues, unlock dining benefits, and enhance their restaurant experience through integrated payment and loyalty features, all managed within a single digital interface.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 60how this company ranks against its industry peers
Customers
top 20%
Funding
top 23%
Tech
top 33%
News
top 36%
Growth
top 37%
Talent
top 38%
Customers: Play-Store rating 4.86★ across 13,870 ratings (2 apps) · Review volume +110% in 6 mo
Funding: Raised $455M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 8 yrs (0.2/yr) · Last round Series B (Feb 2026)
Tech: 44 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services · Devops: Envoy, Nginx
Audience (LinkedIn): 6k LinkedIn followers — 5.7% of this cohort's audience · 35 engagements/post (3.1× cohort median)
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Sales, Onboarding
Funding rounds
  • Feb 2026Series B$450M
  • Feb 2026Conventional Debt
  • Apr 2018Conventional Debt
  • Apr 2018Series A$5.3M
Founders & team
Jonathan De WolffCo-Founder & Chief Sustainability OfficerJohann MoonesingheCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
Firebrand Ventures, Hammerstone Capital, Fabrice Grinda
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesApache Http ServerApexcharts.JsApple Icloud MailAws Certificate Manager
#2
Series B · Austin, Texas · founded 2023
$26.5Mraised

Lucky Energy offers a zero sugar, zero aftertaste energy drink with only 5 calories, providing freedom to fly. Their products are crafted with Beta-Alanine and Maca for sustained physical and mental endurance.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 53how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 22%
Tech
top 32%
Growth
top 35%
Talent
bottom 49%
Moat
bottom 48%
Global
bottom 37%
Funding: Raised $26.5M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 3 yrs (1.3/yr) · Last round Series B (Nov 2025)
Tech: 38 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Observability: Microsoft Clarity
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 7k LinkedIn followers — 6.0% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Distributor Sales Partner (DSP)
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 product launches · 3 partnerships (incl. Matthew) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Nov 2025Series B$25M
  • Jun 2025Series A
  • Mar 2025Series A$14.2M
  • Sep 2024Series A$11.8M
Founders & team
Richard LaverFounder & CEO
Investors
Brand Foundry, Imaginary, Sapphire Ventures, Sugar Capital, Maveron, DMG Ventures
Tech stack
AliaAmazon AdvertisingAmazon WebstoreApple PayCart FunctionalityCloudflare
#3
Series B · Austin, Texas · founded 2013 · 94 employees
$77.5Mraised

Producing and marketing insects based food as alternative protein source. It is engaged in the breeding of edible insects and the production of insect-based food and food ingredients and markets them as an alternative source of protein compared to livestock.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 50how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 25%
Moat
top 31%
Growth
top 35%
Talent
top 38%
Market
bottom 47%
Patents
bottom 45%
Funding: Raised $77.5M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 13 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Series B (Dec 2024)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 20 patents
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 7k LinkedIn followers — 6.0% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 4 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +4 · hiring: Electricalian, Industrial Electrician
Funding rounds
  • Dec 2024Series B
  • Feb 2021Grant (prize money)$13.2M
  • Jun 2020Grant (prize money)$10M
  • 2019Series B$40M
Founders & team
Mohammed AshourCo-Founder and ChairmanGabe MottCo-Founder & COO
Investors
Sustainable Development Technology Canada, NGen, JC2 Ventures, FoodBytes
Tech stack
AutoptimizeCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsEqualwebGenesis Theme
#4
Series A · Austin, Texas · founded 2015 · 7 employees
$6Mraised

Livestock custodial management and in-barn financing solutions for buyers and sellers. This company offers financial solutions for the livestock industry, streamlining operations for sale barns and providing financing options for buyers. The company's services eliminate financial headaches related to payments and custodial accounts for barns. Buyers benefit from short-term, in-barn financing, enabling them to purchase livestock without immediate cash constraints. The company's platform facilitates trade and provides clarity in financial transactions. It is a B2B company that acts as a third-party finance provider, offering a marketplace for livestock trading. The company also provides a mobile app for herd management, improving producers' bottom line. The company's solutions address cash flow challenges and enable full-time trading opportunities.

Funding rounds
  • May 2025Series A$6M
Tech stack
WebflowStripeJqueryGoogle Tag ManagerGoogle Hosted LibrariesGoogle Analytics
#5
Series A · Austin, Texas · founded 2008 · 1 employees
$3.4Mraised

Internet first brand offering a wide range of sugar-free candies. The product catalog includes gummy bears, gummy worms, and fruit gummies. The company claims that all its products are made of natural and plant-based ingredients.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Tech
top 35%
Talent
top 38%
Growth
top 45%
Funding
bottom 46%
Global
bottom 30%
Market
bottom 22%
Tech: 38 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Observability: Sentry
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Growth: Web rank 500,000 → 1,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 10k LinkedIn followers — 8.7% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
  • May 2025Series A$30M
  • Jul 2022Seed$3.4M
Founders & team
Tyler MerrickFounderAngela ShepherdCEO
Tech stack
AosApple PayCart FunctionalityCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot Management
#6
Seed · Austin, Texas · founded 2021 · 8 employees
$10.8Mraised

Digital tipping solutions for businesses. Provides cloud-based payment security with customized payment platforms, and payout daily tips by scanning a QR code. All tips and feedback are connected directly to that team member or team, depending on individual preference. Payment for hotels, food and beverages, bars, and more.

Funding rounds
  • Jul 2024Seed$4M
  • Dec 2022Seed$6.8M
Founders & team
Russell LemmerCEO
Investors
Next Coast Ventures, AZ-VC, Tuesday Capital, n Revenue Capital
Tech stack
Amazon S3Amazon Web ServicesBabelBootstrapCdnjsCloudflare
#7
Series A · Austin, Texas · founded 2021 · 10 employees
$4Mraised

Provider of forest fungal microbiome improvement solutions using DNA sequencing. It combines DNA sequencing and machine learning technology for improving the forest microbiome and putting the biodiverse communities of mycorrhizal fungi in the right place. This process results in enhanced wood creation and helps in carbon sequestration.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 11k LinkedIn followers — 10.2% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 1 partnerships · 1 awards (incl. landsowners) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Dec 2024Series A$5.1M
  • Feb 2023Seed$4M
Investors
Azolla Ventures, Better Ventures, Trailhead Capital, Shared Future Fund, Positive Ventures, Superorganism
#8
Acquired · Austin, Texas · founded 2019 · 50 employees
$52Mraised

Online platform offering dietician virtual consultation services. It provides one-on-one consultations with board-certified dietitians who specialize in specific health conditions. It combines clinical nutrition care, meal recommendations, education, and food delivery into one comprehensive solution.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 11k LinkedIn followers — 10.4% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Dec 2023Series A$7M
  • Apr 2022Series A$34M
  • Feb 2020Seed$11M
Founders & team
Mustafa ShabibCo-Founder & CTOJosh HixCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
Company Ventures, LRVHealth, Andreessen Horowitz, Coalition Operators, Springbank, Inception Health
Tech stack
Amazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsEnvoy
#9
Series C · Austin, Texas · founded 2007 · 7 employees
$26.5Mraised

Provider of ready-to-drink beverage packaging. It offers a unique heater formulated to deliver reliability and a controlled heat transfer to maximize the increase in beverage temperature. its materials are food-safe, before and after use, and are well isolated from the beverage inside the can the entire package is composed of environmentally-safe materials, which are recyclable before and after activation.

Funding rounds
  • May 2022Series C$8.7M
  • Feb 2021Series B$2.5M
  • Jun 2018Series B$6M
  • Jul 2017Series B$5.9M
Investors
Artis Ventures, ALMANAC, Texas.gov, National Science Foundation, Houston Angel Network, Seedinvest
#10
Series A · Austin, Texas · founded 2018 · 80 employees
$28.8Mraised

Developer of voice artificial intelligence solutions for the restaurant industry. The company provides customizable voice AI designed to improve customer satisfaction and drive spending frequency. The AI solution offers configurable tone, persona, upselling logic, localization, and coupon options. It provides multilingual voice support and adapts to customer interactions. The AI aims to reduce staffing pressure through automation.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 4k LinkedIn followers — 3.9% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 1 partnerships (incl. Brownect) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Aug 2022Series A$10.5M
  • Jul 2021Series A$15M
  • May 2020Seed$3.2M
Founders & team
Vinay ShuklaCo-Founder & CEORahul AggarwalFounder
Investors
Tensility Venture Partner, Knoll Ventures, 2048 Ventures, Bridge Investments, Bala Investments, Live Oak Ventures
Tech stack
CdnjsCloudflareFastlyFont AwesomeGithub PagesGoogle Font Api
#11
Deadpooled · Austin, Texas · founded 2005 · 22 employees
$77.8Mraised

LED grow lights for horticulture, industrial, and architecture. It also offers LED lights for vertical farms, greenhouses, and indoor gardening that are specially tuned to plants' photosynthetic needs by saving energy and increasing yields. They also make patented-LED white light fixtures for industry and architecture.

Funding rounds
  • Dec 2017Series C$7M
  • Nov 2016Series C$4M
  • May 2015Series C$16M
  • Oct 2014Conventional Debt$4M
Founders & team
Paul WinbergCo-FounderDung DuongCo-Founder
Investors
New Enterprise Associates, Morgan Creek Capital Management, Apex Venture Partners, WP Global Partners, Syngenta Group Ventures, Aweida Venture Partners
#12
Series B · Austin, Texas · founded 2017 · 89 employees
$22Mraised

Provider of point of sale, guest ordering, and loyalty solutions. It offers tools for venues to manage operations and improve guest experiences. The platform includes digital menus, kitchen display systems, and handheld POS options. It also provides customer support and on-premise insights for beverage brands.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 10k LinkedIn followers — 9.2% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 1 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Dec 2021Series B$22M
Founders & team
Alex BroekerFounder & CEO
Investors
Clerisy, Roth Capital Partners, Aquila Capital Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Wellington, Fiserv
Tech stack
ActivecampaignAmazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesAmerican ExpressAmplitude

Funding & investor landscape

$967.3Mtotal disclosed funding
48companies funded
119disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
MassChallenge7 rounds
Techstars5 rounds
Capital Factory4 rounds
Y Combinator4 rounds
New Enterprise Associates3 rounds
Next Coast Ventures3 rounds
Right Side Capital Management3 rounds
Silverton Partners3 rounds
Tarmac TX3 rounds
ALMANAC2 rounds

Notable founders

Jonathan De Wolff
Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer · inKind
Johann Moonesinghe
Co-Founder & CEO · inKind
Richard Laver
Founder & CEO · Lucky Beverage
Mohammed Ashour
Co-Founder and Chairman · Aspire Food Group
Gabe Mott
Co-Founder & COO · Aspire Food Group
Tyler Merrick
Founder · Joyride Sweets
Angela Shepherd
CEO · Joyride Sweets
Russell Lemmer
CEO · Grazzy
Mustafa Shabib
Co-Founder & CTO · Season Health
Josh Hix
Co-Founder & CEO · Season Health
Vinay Shukla
Co-Founder & CEO · Conversenow Ai
Rahul Aggarwal
Founder · Conversenow Ai
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 2,677,195 docs

Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage

Share of Food and Agriculture Tech coverage by sub-theme.

Regulatory-risk over time rising

Funding & growth over time

funding rising · growth rising

RESEARCH SIGNALS · United States

How research on Food Technology is moving in the United States

A read on the academic research around Food Technology — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 4,142 United States-affiliated papers.

research sentiment over time
200820172026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and intensifying — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 17% → 34% across 2008–2026.
top research entities
  • Cornell University153
  • Purdue University West Lafayette134
  • University of Georgia82
  • Michigan State University81
  • University of California, Davis79
leading researchers
David Julian McClements · Martin Wiedmann · Prabhu Pingali · Valquerizo, Pamela Cristina · Semakula, Henry Musoke · Liang, Song · McKune, Sarah Lindley · Mukwaya, Paul Isolo
Breakthroughs283 · 7%
▲ 3%→7% share
▲2.3× share momentum0 median citations93% since 2021mostly methods-led
Food safety breakthrough research surged from 4 to 52 papers, signaling rapidly intensifying upstream discovery activity.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Food safety4→52
  • Food processing2→31
  • Food science1→13
  • Contamination1→12
  • Food products1→12
Newly emergingFood security 0→37 · Agriculture 0→30 · Production (economics) 0→21
Landmark Development of a Paper-Based Analytical Device for Colorimetric Detection of Select Foodborne Pathogens · 460 cites
Advancements1,178 · 28%
▲ 19%→29% share
▲1.5× share momentum0 median citations90% since 2021mostly empirical
Food safety advancement papers tripled from 16 to 214, reflecting sustained, deepening applied progress across U.S. institutions.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Food safety16→214
  • Food processing12→174
  • Agriculture14→135
  • Production (economics)7→122
  • Food security3→117
Newly emergingSustainable agriculture 0→41 · Fermentation 0→40 · Food packaging 0→30
Landmark Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States · 1,126 cites
Concerns1,665 · 40%
▼ 52%→39% share
▼0.8× share momentum0 median citations83% since 2021mostly empirical
Food insecurity newly emerged with 60 papers, while food security concern papers rose from 40 to 307, intensifying sharply.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Food safety56→397
  • Food security40→307
  • Agriculture35→233
  • Food processing54→215
  • Food systems28→180
Newly emergingFood insecurity 0→60 · Human health 0→37 · Risk assessment 0→23
Landmark Ultra‐processed products are becoming dominant in the global food system · 1,762 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · United States

Where food tech is researched across United States

Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.

New York206 · +0.07
Hot · Food systemsAdvancing · Greenhouse gasOpportunity · Food wasteConcern · Livelihood
Boston121 · +0.04
Hot · AgricultureAdvancing · Food scienceOpportunity · Food supplyConcern · Sustainability
SF Bay Area101 · +0.05
Hot · Fermentation in food processingAdvancing · Food scienceOpportunity · Food productsConcern · Agriculture
Philadelphia35 · -0.05
Hot · Table (database)Advancing · Food safetyOpportunity · Beverage industryConcern · Food insecurity
Chicago26 · +0.00
Hot · SodiumAdvancing · Food safetyOpportunity · Food productsConcern · Food insecurity
Los Angeles24 · +0.00
Hot · Food systemsOpportunity · Public healthConcern · Agriculture
Seattle24 · +0.13
Hot · Agricultural productivityAdvancing · Food securityOpportunity · Production (economics)Concern · Food processing
Atlanta23 · +0.05
Hot · Public healthOpportunity · Psychological interventionConcern · Food security
San Diego17 · +0.36
Hot · Novel foodAdvancing · Food productsOpportunity · Sustainability
Pittsburgh16 · -0.16
Hot · Food intakeOpportunity · Replication (statistics)Concern · Food safety
PATENT SIGNAL · United States

Who's filing food tech patents in the United States

United States food tech patent filing is cooling — 817 filings from 475 assignees (2016–2025), led by Whirlpool, Sharkninja Operating, Provisur Technologies; annual filings 80→68.

817 filings475 assigneespeak 93/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
  • Whirlpool185
  • Sharkninja Operating151
  • Provisur Technologies51
  • Smartwash Solutions39
  • LYCO MFG32
  • SAFE Foods32
  • Massachusetts INST Technology20
  • Island Oasis Frozen Cocktail18

Common questions

How many Food and Agriculture Tech companies are there in Austin, United States?
Radar tracks 145 indexable Food and Agriculture Tech companies headquartered in Austin, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin, United States?
The Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin, United States on this list have raised a combined $967.3M in disclosed equity funding across 48 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Food and Agriculture Tech company in Austin, United States?
inKind is the highest-funded Food and Agriculture Tech company in Austin, United States, with $455.3M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin, United States are funded?
48 of the 145 Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Food and Agriculture Tech unicorns are there in Austin, United States?
None of the Food and Agriculture Tech companies in Austin, United States on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in Austin, United States Food and Agriculture Tech companies?
The most active investors in Austin, United States Food and Agriculture Tech companies on this list include MassChallenge, Techstars, Capital Factory, Y Combinator, New Enterprise Associates.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories

Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.

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