In 2025, deeptech innovations captured 32% of all agrifoodtech investment, even as overall sector funding remained stable at US$16.2 billion, according to Proteinproductiontechnology. A significant allocation of capital to high-risk, long-term ventures highlights a strategic pivot in the agrifood sector.
Global agrifoodtech funding remained stable in 2025, but deeptech accounted for a substantial 32% of that investment. Capital is strategically reallocated towards a specific, high-risk segment, rather than indicating broad sector growth.
The launch of equity-free deeptech accelerators like Eatable Adventures' NOVO Agrifoodtech suggests a growing industry consensus that radical technological breakthroughs, rather than incremental improvements, are essential for future food security and sustainability.
What are the NOVO Accelerator program details?
- The NOVO accelerator is an equity-free program that will select 10 international startups, according to proteinproductiontechnology.com.
- The program targets start-ups developing technologies in AI, biotech, robotics, advanced materials, and quantum computing, according to FeedNavigator.
- The accelerator program runs for 12 weeks and operates on a hybrid model, based in Bilbao.
The program's specific duration, hybrid model, and focus on critical deeptech areas like AI and biotech underscore its ambition to cultivate truly transformative solutions within the agrifood sector. Eatable Adventures is effectively subsidizing the riskiest, most foundational innovations in agrifoodtech.
Deeptech's Growing Share in Agrifood Funding
Global agrifoodtech funding remained stable at US$16.2 billion in 2025, according to proteinproductiontechnology.com. However, deeptech accounted for 32% of that total agrifoodtech investment in 2025. A significant 32% allocation of stable global agrifoodtech funding to deeptech reveals a critical market pivot.
Investors are no longer chasing incremental gains. Instead, they concentrate capital on high-risk, long-term bets that promise truly disruptive, rather than merely additive, solutions. The selection of ten international startups for the NOVO program further indicates an industry focus on scaling disruptive innovation globally.
NOVO's equity-free model for deeptech startups, while seemingly generous, indicates a strategic move by Eatable Adventures to de-risk early-stage deeptech development. The model recognizes the longer gestation periods and higher capital requirements before traditional equity investment becomes viable. Such a model suggests that traditional venture models are insufficient for unlocking the next wave of industry transformation.
The accelerator's focus on highly specialized areas like quantum computing and advanced materials, alongside more common AI and robotics, reveals an industry-wide push for truly disruptive, foundational shifts rather than incremental improvements. The pursuit of these technologies occurs even if they are years from commercialization. The stability of overall agrifoodtech funding, coupled with deeptech's significant share, suggests investors are consolidating their bets on foundational, high-impact technologies rather than spreading capital across a broader, less differentiated market.
What is the NOVO Accelerator program?
The NOVO Accelerator program is an equity-free initiative by Eatable Adventures designed to support deeptech startups in agriculture and food production. It specifically targets innovations in areas such as quantum computing and advanced materials, aiming to foster foundational shifts in the industry.
What kind of companies join Eatable Adventures?
Eatable Adventures generally supports international startups focused on agrifoodtech, with the NOVO Accelerator specifically targeting deeptech companies. These companies are developing high-risk, high-reward technologies in fields like AI, biotech, robotics, and advanced materials.
What are the goals of the NOVO Accelerator in 2026?
The NOVO Accelerator in 2026 aims to cultivate truly transformative solutions by supporting deeptech startups through an equity-free model. This strategy seeks to de-risk early-stage deeptech development, recognizing the substantial capital and extended timelines required for such innovations.
