Auckland-based food startup Sunfed has raised NZD $10 million ($9.38 million) in Series A funding, to lead the charge towards a solar-powered planet.

A former software engineer, Sunfed founder Shama Sukul Lee turned her hand to the meat-free foods market in 2015.

Over the past three years, the startup has secured a small amount of funding to complete research and development, building its own hardware to replicate the look, feel and texture of meat, using only “clean” plant products.

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The Accident Compensation Corporation of New Zealand (ACC) is now an investor in Rocket Lab, the US rocket technology company founded in New Zealand.

“Rocket Lab’s success is a global effort, but our story started in New Zealand, so we’re thrilled to have ACC on board as an investor,” said Rocket Lab’s Invercargill-born chief executive officer and founder, Peter Beck.

“In addition to the 200-plus highly skilled roles Rocket Lab has created in New Zealand, the investment from ACC enables us to help more Kiwis share in the company’s success.”

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Australia is one of the best places in the world to launch a startup, as long as you’re prepared to think globally, according to Right Click Capital partner Benjamin Chong.

Speaking on a Founder Institute webinar on how to grow the startup ecosystem in Australia, Chong, who is also managing director of the Founder Institute in Sydney, said there are more and more people starting their own businesses in Australia, and there is a lot of capital up for grabs.

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“Chicken-Free Chicken” maker Sunfed Foods says it has raised $10 million in a Series A funding found.

The Auckland-based startup sells a chicken-substitute made from chickpeas.

The round was led by Australian venture capital fund Blackbird Ventures, which now holds an 11 per cent stake.

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Robotics Plus, a New Zealand agricultural robotics and automation company, today announced a US$8M investment from Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. (Japan) to support its ambitious growth plans. The investment brings Yamaha Motor’s total investment in Robotics Pus to $US10M, following a partnership agreement and investment of US$2M announced in March 2018.

“We are very pleased to have continued strengthening our partnership with Yamaha Motor and secured additional investment to support our vision to grow into a truly New Zealand, global business that will transform a number of industries,” says Steve Saunders, Co-Founder and Chairman of Robotics Plus who is currently establishing a US subsidiary for the company.

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