2020 was a year which turned even optimists into skeptics. Yet those working in China's agrifoodtech ecosystem have a lot to feel positive about.

While general private equity and VC investment levels sank 50% in China compared to 2019, agrifood startup investing increased 66.1% year-on-year, next to a 34.5% rise globally.

Last year saw a shift of investor interest toward technologies that boost agricultural efficiency and food self-sufficiency. Startups in upstream categories secured a greater share of Chinese funding than in previous years, as investors become more comfortable with agrifood opportunities in farm-related tech and alt-proteins.