Ag Startup Engine, an Ames-based program that offers seed investment and investor connections to early-stage agriculture startups, announced Feb. 21 it has added Indianapolis, Ind.-based Croft to its portfolio companies. According to a news release, Croft has developed an online Agribusiness Workforce Platform to help address challenges around seasonal labor, worker productivity and farm operations optimization. Croft founders Scott […]
Ag Startup Engine, a fund for agtech startups, hosted its 2023 Unconference event in Des Moines touching on the themes of data, artificial intelligence and sustainable agriculture. Speakers from this year’s event shared their thoughts on agricultural innovation currently and in the future. Bill Northey, CEO of Agribusiness Association of Iowa and former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture“When […]
Ag Startup Engine, a seed capital program for agricultural startups, on Wednesday announced Farmwave as the latest company to join its portfolio. According to the news release, Farmwave offers a solution to monitoring and managing mechanical harvest loss. Using AI software, the company has developed a system of cameras that mount on the combine in […]
The current hiring landscape is on nearly every business leader’s mind. The Ag Startup Engine’s fifth annual Ag Innovators Unconference sought to inform and support agricultural startups in their hiring journeys and working to attract tech talent to Iowa. Ag Startup Engine co-director Joel Harris moderated a panel discussion titled “Crap. I just raised a bunch […]
Ames-based Genvax Technologies, a startup bringing advances in self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) for animal vaccines, will move toward getting regulatory approval of its vaccines with $6.5 million in new series seed funding. According to a press release, the company is seeking U.S. Department of Agriculture and international approval “in anticipation of any foreign animal disease outbreak in order […]
Ag Startup Engine has announced a new initial investment in Le Clair, Iowa-based Haggle, an online marketplace where farmers can lend equipment and services they aren’t using to other farmers. “Haggle makes it easy for farmers to earn a passive income with idle equipment,” founder and CEO Nathan Greuel said. “We look to improve agriculture […]
The Ag Startup Engine has invested an initial $50,000 in Ames startup Haber Technologies Inc., which is commercializing a grain bin drying technology called DRI-Stack to reduce damage and spoilage once corn is harvested. The system will allow farmers to harvest earlier, reduce utility costs, increase safety and make drying a faster process, ASE said […]
Ag Startup Engine at the Iowa State University Research Park has made an investment in Ames-based VetMeasure, Inc., a producer of technology monitoring dogs in post-surgery recovery. VetMeasure’s MeasureON! harness is designed for dogs and detects key health metrics to continuously monitor critical care patients and those recovering from surgery, according to the Ag Startup […]
Ag Startup Engine at the Iowa State University Research Park has announced an initial seed investment of $50,000 in Chicago-based ClearFlame Engines – a company integrating low-carbon alternative fuels into diesel engines uses a high-temperature combustion process. ClearFlame Engines is the first company outside of Iowa to join the Ag Startup Engine Fund portfolio, which […]
LEAH (Lifengine Animal Health) Laboratories: $50,000 seed investment by the Ag Startup Engine at Iowa State University. LEAH Laboratories’ technology enables precision gene editing for treatment of B cell lymphoma in dogs, the most commonly managed cancer in veterinary oncology. LEAH Labs is the eight startup Ag Startup Engine has invested in since forming in […]