Growers Edge, a Johnston-based company providing financial products and data-driven tools for agricultural retailers, manufacturers and lenders, announced this week a first close of a new $25 million financing round. The round was co-led by S2G Investments, Cibus Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, with additional participation by Otter Creek, iSelect and…
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…
International startups looking to prepare for U.S. market entry can now apply for the third cohort of Cultivo Virtual Academy in spring 2022. Applications are open through Feb. 1, and cohort sessions begin March 22. All participants who have completed one of the three cohorts will also be eligible to…
Cultivo Virtual Academy announced Wednesday that six international startup companies have completed its six-week virtual Global Innovation Program. Hosted by America’s Cultivation Corridor, the program provided an online curriculum and mentorship and networking opportunities with Iowa’s agricultural leaders with the goal of helping the companies prepare to enter the U.S. market. The…
Two agtech startups affiliated with Cultivo Virtual Academy are among the 15 finalists selected to pitch their products at Foodbytes Pitch 2021 on Nov. 10. AgriDigital is an Australia-based company and alumnus of the spring 2021 Cultivo cohort providing a digital platform serving the grain supply chain. U.K.-based company and member of Cultivo, BioLevel’s microbial products allow for…
America’s Cultivation Corridor launched its second iteration of Cultivo Virtual Academy Tuesday with a cohort of six startups from around the world. The six-week virtual program connects the participating companies with mentors and Iowa’s agricultural leaders and provides a curriculum focused on entering the U.S. market and navigating regulatory and finance systems. “It…
Ankeny-based PowerPollen has successfully patented its pollination-on-demand technology, the company announced last week. PowerPollen’s pollination technology applies collected pollen to female plants directly rather than relying on the male plant’s pollen shedding window, which maximizes yield and reduces the impact of adverse weather, PowerPollen said in a statement.
A mockup of the mobile Farmmee platform, expected to launch this spring. Contributed image A new mobile app launching for agricultural producers this spring is designed to connect farmers with equipment to farmers with jobs, the founders say. The Farmmee app is expected to launch after April 1 following a…
FarmlandFinder is launching a sale-leaseback program of agricultural land as part of its online marketplace for farmland, CEO Steven Brockshus announced on Tuesday. The program allows an investor to acquire the land from the farm owner-operator and then lease it back on a long-term basis, which provides liquidity to farmers…
John Deere announced four new companies to its 2021 Startup Collaborator program: Nori (developing a carbon market), NVision Ag (developing nitrogen management decisions), Scanit (offering detection and classification of airborne plant pathogens) and Teleo (converting construction and mining equipment into tele-operated robots). Launched in 2019, the yearlong program enables John…