Announcing Hack//Dining NYC
The Food+Tech Connect hackathon is back, and this year we’re tackling dining at Hack//Dining NYC (June 27-29)!

In partnership with Applegate, Google and Chipotle, we’re bringing leading restaurant and foodservice industry rabble-rousers together with tech and design nerds to re-engineer the future of dining.

Applications open on April 21. Click here for more info. 

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#OMGFoodTech: The Food Startup Fundraising Frenzy
Over the past few months, investors have poured an astounding $177 million into food delivery startups. So to help you get a handle on the investment bonanza, we’ve complied a handy roundup of all the recent $5 million+ action. 

Ag Tech Startup Raises $15M To Harnass Microbes To Increase Crop Yields
BioConsortia’s unique system uses the latest genetic tools to identify the best combination of microbial consortia, diverse, tiny organisms that live on crops and in soil, to improve crop productivity.

How Instacart Is Growing By 20% A Week, Q&A With The Hospitality Industry’s LinkedIn + More
From Kitchensurfing’s $15 million fundraise to a look at how seafood traceability technologies are making waves, these are our top stories from last week in food tech.

The Problem With Profitless Start-ups - New York Magazine
Startups like Lyft, SpoonRocket and Handybook have formed the backbone of a strange urban economy: one in which massive venture-capital injections allow money-losing start-ups to flourish, while providing services that no traditional, unsubsidized business can match.

Why Your VC Funding Is Worthless Without A Plan - VentureBeat
Before taking funding, you have to know if you’re ready to light that fire. Founders need to have a specific plan for what to do with all that cash because too often, startups go guns blazing after a Series A just because it’s the logical next step.

3 Reasons Why Startups Should Consider Launching in the Midwest - Entrepreneur
Startups like GrubHub, Dwolla and Farmlongs, along with many more, are expanding the Midwest’s reputation into an area for exceptional business, a growing tech culture and a cost-friendly lifestyle.

Restaurant Finder App Zomato Fully Revamped With New Social Skills and FoodFeed - The Next Web
One of the key updates is FoodFeed, a scrolling list that shows updates from users you follow, as well as restaurant reviews, ratings and more.

“Peach” Streamlines Restaurant Industry - TechZette
The new iPhone app lets sellers advertise their products and restaurant managers quickly browse and order what they need.

Following GrubHub IPO, Online Food Ordering Platform EatStreet Raises $6 Million - TechCrunch
The Series B round included participation from Series A investors Cornerstone Opportunity Partners, Independence Equity, Great Oaks Venture Capital as well as from CSA Partners, Silicon Valley Bank and other angels.

Innovation in Food Products: Foodpreneurs Look to Serve Indian Foodies Through New and Efficient Business Models - Economic Times
The market for food services, which includes models as varied as QSR and fine dining chains, is expected to growth from Rs 5.6 lakh crore in 2013 to Rs 8.68 lakh crore in 2017, according to data from Euromonitor.

Davis Startup RezKu Has No Reservations About Challenging OpenTable - Sacramento Bee
With RezKu, front-of-house teams can manage online and phone reservations, arrange tables, assign servers, take notes on guests’ personal preferences, check wait-lists and more.

Everything You Need to Know About Egg Labels - TakePart
If you've been wondering what all those terms printed on egg cartons mean, this should clear things up.

Video Exclusive: What 3-D Printed Food Tastes Like - Motley Fool
Last week, the ChefJet was on display at the Inside 3-D Printing Conference in New York City, where attendees were able to sample an array of 3-D printed treats.

A German Company Is Printing Food For The Elderly - USA Today
Biozoon is working on a 3D-printed food extruder that creates food that literally melts in your mouth, allowing elderly patients with dysphagia to eat without choking.

Bezos Confirms AmazonFresh Expansion Plans, Says Drones Are for Real - re/code
It plans to expand its AmazonFresh offering beyond its current three markets, CEO Jeff Bezos confirmed in his 2013 letter to shareholders published last week. 

Amazon Introduces The Dash, a Wand Device to Aid AmazonFresh Shopping - Los Angeles Times
The Dash is a black-and-white, wand-shaped gadget that adds to a customer's shopping list when he or she uses it to scan an item's barcode or holds down a microphone button and says a product's name.

Vengo Labs Raises $2M To Take Its Digital Ad/Mini Vending Machines Beyond NYC - TechCrunch
The NYC-based maker of mini vending machines, which also doubles as an ad network, will use the funding to expand its business to new markets.

OnFarm, The First Crowdfunding Investment From AgFunder, Closes Seed Round - TechCrunch
Crowdfunding platform AgFunder wrapped up its first successful campaign with the close of an $800,000 seed investment for OnFarm, a provider of data and analytics software for farmers.

When Farmers Get Arrested for Foodborne Illnesses - Modern Farmer
When tainted lettuce gets put in American salads or listeria breaks out in your supermarket fruit aisle, who is responsible? Until recently, if you said “the farmer,” you’d be wrong.

Investors Skittish About 'Modified' Fish - Trib Live
Proponents of genetically engineered fish and meat say they expect FDA approval and hope to find a market for it. However, the retailers' caution and lengthy regulatory delays have made investors skittish.

How Big Data is Sparking Social Change - Cisco
A look at how activists are harnessing mobile technology and big data to fight poverty and the food crisis.

Peres – A Unique Device To Test The Quality & Freshness Of Your Food - The Gadget Flow
It is the world’s first portable ‘e-nose’ – a unique and innovative electronic device and mobile application which enables users to determine the quality, freshness and nutritional value of meat.

New App Turns Food Pictures Into Calorie Counts - The Independent
The technology is being developed by the team behind Apple's Siri and they're currently looking for partners to bring the app to the mainstream.

Diabetes Management Platform Dario Teams Up With FatSecret To Integrate Nutrition Data - The Next Web
The partnership means integration of FatSecret’s nutritional information platform within Dario, allowing users to more easily track and manage food intake, blood insulin and glucose levels.

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