AgLaunch, a Memphis-based initiative dedicated to advancing agricultural innovation, has announced the selection of ten pioneering agtech startups for its 2024 AgLaunch365 Accelerator Program.
This program emphasizes a farm-centric approach, directly involving farmers in the development and implementation of new technologies.
The selected startups were chosen through a rigorous six-month process that included evaluations by farmers, ensuring the technologies address real-world challenges in agriculture. The 2024 cohort features a diverse range of innovations, including biologics, robotics, genetics, and remote livestock monitoring.
Here are the ten startups selected for the 2024 AgLaunch365 Accelerator Program:
Earnest Ag
Develops probiotics aimed at increasing crop yields by protecting against diseases, insects, and weeds, while promoting nutrient uptake, soil health, and drought tolerance.
Gather
Builds simplified robotic tools for specialty crop farms, including an affordable crop transportation robot designed to enhance harvest efficiency and farmworker safety in table grape farming.
Gripp Ag
Offers a QR code and mobile app system that streamlines farm activity and equipment tracking, making it easier to document previously unrecorded events.
Quorum Bio
Engineers next-generation microbial bio-fertilizers using a novel gene-editing platform to enhance nutrient availability and improve seed vigor and yields with reduced fertilizer use.
Reazent
Provides a patented agri-biological technology platform offering sustainable alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals, enhancing plant growth and crop protection.
RhizeBio
Delivers a cost-effective, high-tech soil testing approach that deciphers the soil microbiome’s complexity, revealing vital characteristics for improved plant growth and production.
Share Farm
Integrates advanced technologies to boost farming sustainability and profitability through predictive analytics, image recognition, and natural language processing for traceability and equitable market transactions.
These startups will collaborate directly with AgLaunch farmers to conduct on-farm trials, ensuring their technologies are practical and effective in real-world agricultural settings. The program also includes business development sessions covering funding options, go-to-market strategies, and customer discovery, along with ongoing coaching and mentorship from AgLaunch and its national network of agricultural and business experts.
Margaret Oldham, Vice President of Innovation at AgLaunch, highlighted the importance of farmer involvement in the selection process, stating, “This is truly an outstanding cohort thanks to our network of diverse, innovative farmers, who not only help us select the most promising, relevant ag technologies but they become a vital business partner with the entrepreneur.”
The startups will be featured in upcoming events, including a pitch at Farm Journal’s Top Producer Summit from February 5-7 in Kansas City, and the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show Innovation Station on March 1 in Memphis.
For more information about AgLaunch and its initiatives, visit their official website.
