Grow-NY is an unprecedented food and agriculture startup competition that identifies, supports, and funds the top food, beverage, and agriculture innovations from across the globe to create opportunity in Upstate NY. The competition includes a $1 million top prize, two $500 thousand prizes and four $250 thousand prizes. In addition to the contributions made by Grow-NY winners, the competition itself has directed the attention of over 1,000 startups to the innovation ecosystem in New York.
Grow-NY Winner Stories
Since 2019, Grow-NY Winners Have:
Increasing performance and decreasing environmental impact for dairy farms
ProAgni, an Australian startup and 2022 Grow-NY grand prize winner, produces antibiotic-free supplements to improve animal performance and decrease the negative environmental impact of agriculture. In October 2023, ProAgni was invited to participate in a three-year, $3.2 million project as a part of the Greener Cattle Initiative, a consortium of research and industry leaders within the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.
ProAgni has set up an office in Ithaca, a part of the Grow-NY region, and is partnering with local dairy farms to expand research and local business development. This year, ProAgni will add to their NY-based team to support paid product trials with New York dairy farmers.
Boosting productivity for egg producers world-wide
Soos Technology, an Israeli-based company and the 2020 Grow-NY grand prize winner, created an incubation platform that mimics nature, increasing productivity for egg producers globally, improving nutritional security, and saving the lives of billions of male chicks in the process.
The company opened a lab in Cayuga County in partnership with Syracuse University to launch the New York Poultry Research Hub that created high-quality research and engineering jobs in the region. Soos Technology closed a $6 million Series A round in 2022 that they will use to further develop their technology both at their home base and here in the U.S.
Creating sustainable, plastic-free insulation
Hempitecture, a sustainable building material company that provides plant-based insulation solutions derived from carbon capture, agricultural industrial hemp, and non-toxic renewable feedstock, won $500,000 in round four of the Grow-NY competition. The startup recently announced its newest consumer product, FiberPad, is on the market. It is a thin material sold as a roll-good that replaces synthetic, unhealthy underlayment for carpets in residential homes.
The amount of support and infrastructure around this ecosystem has been pretty transformational. We’ve spent hours and hours with our Grow-NY mentor, and I think we are in a really strong position to contribute back to the region. - Sam Jactel, Hypercell Technologies – Grow-NY 2023 $1 million winner
Using innovative technology to solve pressing issues in food & ag
Eliminating pathogens & safeguarding lives
AvantGuard, a $250,000 winner during the 2020 Grow-NY competition, develops antimicrobial coating products that make most any surface into an antimicrobial surface that can protect against pathogens for as long as thirty days. Their innovations provide continuous, long-lasting surface protection capable of eliminating pathogens, safeguarding lives, and transforming industries.
In 2023, AvantGuard was chosen as a Hello Tomorrow Deep Tech Pioneer and CEO Ted Eveleth was recognized as the most influential chemical manufacturing CEO in the country. The startup raised a $2.85 million seed round and won a $1 million Phase III award from USDA.
Connecting rural and remote areas
Zetifi, a $500,000 winner during the 2020 Grow-NY competition, designs and manufactures ruggedized wireless network devices that solve connectivity problems in rural and remote areas.
Zetifi recently raised $12M in a Series A round to ready on-farm and remote area connectivity solutions for mass-market launch. The company is finalizing their next generation ZetiRover which will begin field trials in early 2024.
Managing growth, predicting yield, and diagnosing threats
Vivid Machines‘ X-Vision system captures the visible and chemical details of every plant across an entire crop from bud to harvest to manage growth and predict yield, and provide means for early diagnosis of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies.
After winning a $250,000 prize at the 2022 Grow-NY Competition, Vivid Machines Inc. closed a $5.8 million funding round to further develop the technology and expand into additional fruit crops. CEO Jenny Lemieux, spoke on the “Digital AG Tech on Small and Mid-Sized Farms” panel with experts at the 2024 Grow-NY Summit.
Protecting crops without toxins
Ascribe Bioscience, a $500,000 winner in the 2021 Grow-NY competition, uses naturally occurring signaling molecules from the soil microbiome to produce a novel class of broad-spectrum, non-toxic biopesticides that prime the plants’ immune systems to enhance resistance to pathogens and increase crop yields.
Ascribe Biosciences has entered into a joint development and supply agreement with Loveland Products, Inc. who will commercialize two new crop protection products with Ascribe’s biofungicide.
Expanding the Grow-NY region’s top-notch food and beverage industry
Growing jobs, facilities, and services
Craft Cannery takes cherished recipes from your kitchen to the shelves of grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets and beyond, specializing in the contract manufacturing of sauces, dressings, marinades, and more.
After winning the $500,000 Grow-NY prize in 2022, Craft Cannery has created four new jobs in the Grow-NY region and is expanding their Apple Tree Acres facility by 4,0000 square feet to accommodate more packaging and canning services.
Extending shelf life, minimizing food waste
SoFresh, a $500,000 winner during the 2020 Grow-NY competition, manufactures packaging materials that extend the shelf life of fresh foods such as bread, berries, and cheese. Their innovative packaging products allow food producers, wholesalers, and retailers to naturally extend the shelf life of fresh foods and extend the consumable life for their consumers.
SoFresh was named a Packaging Innovation Awards Platinum Winner and endorsed by Oprah Winfrey for Equii Foods, a company that relies on SoFresh packaging to keep their baked goods fresh longer.
Harnessing the power of plant-based nutrition
Sweet Pea, a $250,000 winner during the 2022 Grow-NY competition, is a plant-powered kitchen creating transformative paths to wellness, combining the benefits of its plant-centric food meal service and nutrition coaching to help people to sustain a healthy life. Sweet Pea launched a packaged bar that was served at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit and is available for purchase in select Upstate NY grocery stores.
We can't overstate the importance of the Grow-NY effect. We secured $1 million in the competition and raised another $1 million within two months. The impact and the reputation that Cornell, the state of New York, carries is nothing short of profound for companies like ours. - Lachlan Campbell, ProAgni – Grow-NY 2022 $1 million winner
All Grow-NY Finalists
Afterlife Ag
Afterlife Ag
New York City, NY, USA
Afterlife Ag upcycles food establishment scraps into fresh, local, and sustainable mushrooms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from food waste.
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2024, Finalist
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Agri-Trak
Agri-trak
Williamson, NY
Agri-Trak is a farm management application suite, developed especially for the apple industry. The suite includes customizable modules that provide real-time information in easy-to-read widgets allowing farms to make daily data-informed decisions.
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2021, Agtech, Audience Choice, Finalist, New York
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AgriWater
Agriwater
Champaign, IL, USA
Agriwater uses electrolysis to precipitate contaminants from on-farm manure liquid, resulting in the elimination of odor, toxins, and GHGs from wastewater, maintaining environmental compliance, creating an additional water source, and providing recurring revenue streams from the sale of carbon credits.
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2023, Finalist
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AgTrace
AgTrace
Florianopolis, Brazil
AgTrace provides a traceability solution that incorporates farming information and captures, stores, and processes data while connecting stakeholders.
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2020, Finalist, International
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AGVoice
AgVoice
Norcross, GA
AgVoice enables food and ag workers to use management tools on-the-go. This software is the world’s first voice-driven, hands-free, workflow management and analytics platform for mobile workers in the food and agriculture industry.
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2019, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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ARPAC
ARPAC
Porte Alegre, Brazil
Arpac creates and integrates heavy-lifting drones that apply pesticides in a fast and localized manner, with uniformity and precision.
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2020, Agtech, Finalist, International
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Asarasi
Asarasi
Katonah, NY
Asarasi recovers the wasted 97% maple water by-products of the maple industry, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional bottled water and helping family farms double their profits on their existing maple crops.
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2021, Finalist
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Ascribe_Logo_Green
Ascribe Bioscience
Ithaca, NY
Ascribe Bioscience uses naturally occurring signaling molecules from the soil microbiome to produce a novel class of broad-spectrum, non-toxic biopesticides that prime the plants’ immune systems to enhance resistance to pathogens and increase crop yields.
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$500K, 2021, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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AvantGuard
AvantGuard
Ithaca, NY
AvantGuard develops antimicrobial coating products that make most any surface into an antimicrobial surface that can protect against pathogens for as long as thirty days.
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$250K, 2020, Finalist, Foodtech, New York
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Beemmunity
Beemmunity
New York City, NY
Beemmunity uses microparticle detoxification to provide solutions that protect and preserve pollinator species, changing the impacts of agrochemicals, preserving pollinator species for future generations.
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2021, Finalist
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Benchmark Labs
Benchmark Labs, Inc.
Rochester, NY, USA
Benchmark Labs provides AI-based weather forecasts, recommendations, and alerts to help farmers increase production and yield, improve management activities, and protect against extreme weather events such as frost, heat spikes, or powdery mildew.
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2024, Finalist
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Bialtec
Bialtec
Delft, The Netherlands
Bialtec designs microencapsulated feed additives tailored to specific breeds, ensuring optimal nutrient delivery and improved livestock health outcomes while promoting environmentally friendly and economically viable farming practices.
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2024, Agtech, Audience Choice, Finalist, International
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BYG
Big Yield Growers
Endicott, NY
Big Yield Growers is a soil-based vertical farm operation that works with local communities to establish long-term livelihood and organic farming practices while providing the local area with fresh, high quality produce.
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2023, Audience Choice, Finalist, Food/Beverage, New York
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Blue-Cove
Blue Cove Fish, LLC
New York, NY, USA
Blue Cove Fish is a low-volume craft seafood cannery that partners with local and sustainable suppliers of seafood, therefore contributing to the development of local aquaculture and food systems, while manufacturing canned seafood products with artisanal techniques and climate-smart packaging.
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2023, Finalist
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Bon AppéSweet
Bon AppéSweet
Leonardtown, MD, USA
Bon AppéSweet uses simple, ethically sourced ingredients to make date-sweetened chocolate products. Free of sugar and artificial sweeteners, the company’s chocolate bars, trail mix, chocolate-covered almonds, raisins, and espresso beans are all organic, vegan, and non-GMO.
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2024, Finalist
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Botaniline
Botaniline
Buffalo, NY
Botaniline creates ground proteins that are lower in salt, saturated fat, and calories, by utilizing plant-based ingredients to replace some of the meat, producing flavorful, more sustainable meat products.
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2022, Finalist
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Brekland
Brekland
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Brekland is building a novel, biodegradable foam coating that brings new, in-field functionality to crop protection products.
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$1 million, 2025, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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brytlife-foods
Brytlife Foods
Kerhonkson, NY
Brytlife foods crafts sustainably sourced, vegan artisanal cheese and yogurt with next level nutrition from 100% plants.
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2020, Finalist, New York
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Cajou Creamery
Cajou Creamery
Baltimore, MD, USA
Cajou Creamery is handcrafting cashew-based frozen desserts with whole superfoods for ice cream you can feel good about.
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2024, Finalist
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Candidus
Candidus
Hull, Georgia
Candidus develops cost-effective supplemental lighting strategies and control systems for commercial greenhouse operations.
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$250K, 2020, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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Capro-X
Capro-X
Ithaca, NY
Capro-X has created a sustainable fermentation technology to upcycle dairy wastewater into valuable biofuels and bioplastics.
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$250K, 2019, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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Cattle-Scan
Cattle Scan
Toronto, Canada
Cattle Scan’s cattle monitoring bolus allows dairy farmers to facilitate real-time monitoring of individual cattle, improving overall herd health, increasing production efficiency, and helping advance business sustainability and operational excellence.
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$250K, 2023, Agtech, Finalist, International
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ChopLocal
ChopLocal
Wayland, IA, USA
ChopLocal’s online farmers’ market makes buying and selling regionally farmed, high-quality meat easier for home consumers.
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2024, Finalist
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Clean-Crop-Technologies
Clean Crop
Holyoke, MA, USA
Clean Crop’s technology combines electricity and food-grade gases to remove pathogens from seeds before they are planted, increasing yields, reducing waste, and improving food safety without preservatives.
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$250K, 2024, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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Clean-Label-Solution
Clean Label Solution, LLC
Ithaca, NY, USA
Clean Label Solution has proprietary technology that improves protein and fat digestibility and reduces CO2 emissions and energy consumption in the production of soy-based animal feeds for livestock such as dairy cattle, poultry, deer, and fish farms.
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$250K, 2023, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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ClearLeaf
ClearLeaf
San José, Costa Rica
ClearLeaf’s line of safe fungicides and bactericides protects soil and crops from a wide range of pre- and post-harvest pathogens, without harming the environment or your health.
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$250K, 2024, Agtech, Finalist, International
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Combplex
Combplex
Ithaca, NY
Combplex solves the primary problem driving honey bee population decline by eliminating the invasive Varroa mite that threatens the health of honeybee hives.
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$250K, 2019, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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Craft-Cannery
Craft Cannery
Bergen, NY
Craft Cannery takes cherished recipes from your kitchen to the shelves of grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets and beyond, specializing in the contract manufacturing of sauces, dressings, marinades, and more.
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$500K, 2022, Finalist, Foodtech, New York
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Crover
Crover
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Crover is on a mission to help grain storage operators reduce losses and maintain optimum storage conditions, efficiently and remotely monitoring and maintaining the quality of grain bulks through its “grain swimming” robotic technology.
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$500K, 2023, Agtech, Finalist, International
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Crystal-Creek-Organics
Crystal Creek Organics
Rochester, NY
Crystal Creek has a patented process that converts soluble phosphorus in dairy farm manure into by-product that can be sold to generate additional revenue. The remaining, phosphorus-free liquid is left on the farm, dramatically lowering the farm’s spreading costs.
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2021, Finalist
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DeepAgro
Deepagro
St. Louis, MO, USA
Deepagro develops artificial intelligence solutions for selective agrochemical spraying, sowing, and monitoring and diagnostics.
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2025, Finalist
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DraughtLab
DraughtLab
Webster, NY
DraughtLab produces high-quality sensory tools for every level of sensory expertise, offering practical and approachable sensory analysis solutions that deliver real-world value to companies of any size.
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$250K, 2021, Finalist, Foodtech, New York
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Dropcopter
Dropcopter
Syracuse, NY
Dropcopter uses drones to pollinate crops and is the first company in the world to offer automated pollination as a service.
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$500K, 2019, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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DAC
Dynamic Air Cooling (DAC)
Elblag, Poland
Dynamic Air Cooling (DAC) is an environmentally-friendly air conditioning and refrigeration technology that uses no synthetic HFC coolants and features no thermal emissions, bringing a breakthrough cooling technology to fight climate change.
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2022, Finalist
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thumbnail_ES_Logo_StackedLogomarkWordMark_Standard
EarthSense, Inc.
Champaign, IL, USA
EarthSense’s autonomous, AI-powered robots accurately sense plant health and productivity of a diversity of crops, minimize chemical use with targeted precision applications, and make regenerative practices like cover cropping far more effective and economical.
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2024, Finalist
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Edenesque
Edenesque
Kingston, NY
Edenesque curates clean, simple, and delicious artisanal plant-based milks that foster health and nutrition, made with whole ingredients that support and strengthen bodies without any fillers or additives.
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2022, Finalist
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EmGenisys
EmGenisys
Houston, TX
Emgenisys is a state-of-art embryo health assessment platform that provides the most comprehensive embryo evaluation system, improving pregnancy outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies in livestock.
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$250K, 2021, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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Ergo Bioscience
Ergo
Sunchales, Argentina
Ergo pioneers plant cell culturing via a proprietary platform combining AI, genetic engineering, and automation to create plant-based proteins.
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2025, Finalist
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Every-Body-Eat
Every Body Eat
Chicago, IL
Every Body Eat makes, markets, and sells delicious food that is free from the most common 14 allergens, corn, and sugar so that people can enjoy it, together, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences.
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$1 million, 2021, Finalist, Food/Beverage, United States
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Farmer Lifeline Technologies
Farmer Lifeline Technologies Ltd
Nairobi, Kenya
Farmer Lifeline Technologies produces solar-powered, AI-equipped crop monitoring devices for real-time detection of pests and diseases.
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2024, Finalist
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FaunaTech
FaunaTech
Bangalore, India
Fauna is the first smartphone-connected, hand-held diagnostic platform to measure important biomarkers in meat, poultry, and grains, leading to the early detection of critical herd diseases, reducing antibiotic usage, and monitoring food quality at the farm gate.
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2023, Finalist
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Finger Foods Farm
Finger Foods Farm
Bloomfield, NY, USA
Finger Foods Farm produces a line of vertically-integrated, health-forward frozen soups, made with local ingredients, processed at regional businesses, and branded to celebrate New York’s bounty.
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2025, Audience Choice, Finalist, Food/Beverage
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FoodNerd
FoodNerd
Buffalo, NY, USA
FoodNerd creates positively processed plant-based food with a purpose. Their sprouting process maintains and increases the nutritional content found naturally in food, rather than degrading it.
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2023, Finalist
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For Bitter or Worse
For Bitter For Worse
Portland, OR, USA
For Bitter For Worse is a distillery using certified organic, locally farmed ingredients to create a healthier, more inclusive culture with their non-alcoholic cocktails.
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$250K, 2024, Finalist, Food/Beverage, United States
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Updated Forte-Protein
Forte Protein
Trumansburg, NY
Forte Protein uses a plant-based technology to produce a broad spectrum of meat, fish, and dairy proteins without the need for animals, eliminating the carbon footprint involved in animal agriculture.
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2022, Finalist
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FreshSource
FreshSource
Giza, Egypt
FreshSource empowers smallholder farmers by connecting them to fair, modern, and transparent markets
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2020, Finalist, International
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Frost Methane Labs
Frost Methane
Juneau, AK, USA
Frost Methane partners with livestock farmers to neutralize methane from manure ponds, earning carbon credit revenue and preventing water ingress.
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2025, Agtech, Finalist
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Full of Beans
Full of Beans
New York, NY, USA
Full of Beans is building a vertically integrated fava bean platform — starting with regenerative New York-grown crops and ending with high-protein, ready-to-eat foods.
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2025, Finalist, Minority-owned, New York, Woman-owned
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Stilbene
GR8PE by Stil-Bène
Geneva, NY, USA
GR8PE by Stil-Bène transforms grape pomace, the skins and seeds left over after pressing grapes, into a powdered dietary supplement designed to improve digestive health.
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2023, Finalist
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Grape.ag
Grape.ag
Cupertino, CA, USA
Grape.ag gives plants a voice with its sensors and communication devices, allowing for the unique care of each plant in a vineyard and providing valuable atmospheric and soil information that enables vintners to visualize hyper-local conditions in real-time, find trends, and make better decisions.
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2023, Finalist
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Grape.Ag
Grape.ag
Cupertino, CA, USA
Grape.ag’s sensors and communication devices allow for the unique care of each plant in a vineyard, providing valuable atmospheric and soil information that enables vintners to visualize hyper-local conditions, find trends, and make better decisions.
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2024, Finalist
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Hago-Energetics
Hago Energetics
Camarillo, CA
Hago Energetics uses innovative decarbonization technology to convert animal and agricultural waste into green hydrogen and biochar.
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2022, Finalist
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Heat-Inverse
Heat Inverse
Ithaca, NY
Heat Inverse has developed a photonic metamaterial that offers cooling solutions with none of the energy input or waste heat associated with conventional cooling—it has the power to revolutionize cooling technologies in agriculture and food production.
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2021, Finalist
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Hempitecture
Hempitecture
Ketchum, ID
Hempitecture is on a mission to create healthy, energy-efficient building materials that positively impact people and the planet by capturing carbon dioxide and replenishing farmland. Its biobased insulation makes construction projects more sustainable, healthier, and higher-performing.
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$500K, 2022, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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HempWood
HempWood
Murray, KY, USA
Fibonacci’s HempWood Organic Flooring is an engineered hardwood flooring that is sustainable, healthy, durable, and made in America using a plant-based, no added formaldehyde adhesive, which emits no VOCs, is renewable and carbonnegative, and water and scratch resistant.
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2023, Finalist
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Holmes-Mouthwatering
Holmes Mouthwatering
Cleveland, OH, USA
Holmes Mouthwatering is an all-natural, elevated applesauce brand delivering homemade-inspired products made with real fruit.
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2024, Finalist
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Humati
Humatico
Mysłowice, Poland
Humatico technology creates high quality organic fertilizer from any available organic raw materials, including agricultural waste, algae, sapropel, peat, and brown coal.
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2022, Finalist
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Hypercell-Technologies
Hypercell Technologies
Peachtree Corners, GA, USA
Hypercell Technologies provides rapid point-of-care diagnostics for the food chain, ensuring early identification and management of biological contaminants from production to transformation with increased speed and accuracy.
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$1 million, 2023, Finalist, Foodtech, United States
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Independent-Barley-Malt
Independent Barley & Malt
Litchfield, MI
Independent Barley & Malt (IB&M) is growing new supply chains to provide world-class malt for the craft food and beverage market.
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2019, Finalist, United States
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InnerPlant
InnerPlant
Davis, CA
InnerPlant genetically transforms plants into living sensors to increase yield and reduce agrochemical wastecodes sensing capabilities into plants’ DNA to turn them into living sensors.
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2020, Finalist, United States
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KEHO
KEHO
New York, NY, USA
KEHO makes complex science deliciously digestible, curating savory snack bars that are keto-friendly and 100% plant based. With no sugars, sweeteners, or artificial flavors or colors, KEHO packs up real food for real lives.
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2023, Finalist
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Knead
Knead Technologies
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Knead’s software platform leverages technology to streamline food rescue operations, enabling businesses to redirect surplus food to those in need while quantifying environmental impacts.
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2025, Finalist, Foodtech
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Kyomei-Proteins
Kyomei
Oxford, UK
Kyomei has developed a first-in-class protein production platform using plants as bioreactors to grow animal proteins at scale for the alternative meat industry. Kyomei’s platform is sustainable, carbon negative, and produces proteins identical to those found in meat.
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2021, Finalist
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Labby
Labby
Cambridge, MA
Labby’s technology provides rapid, accurate, and affordable solutions for dairy farms, leveraging AI-enabled optical sensing for raw milk testing that delivers instant insights to your fingertips.
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$250K, 2022, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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LeafSpec
LeafSpec, LLC
West Lafayette, IN, USA
LeafSpec is an accurate, affordable, and portable hyperspectral crop leaf imager that provides measurements of a plant’s physiological features such as leaf moisture content, chlorophyll content, nitrogen content, pathogen and insect diseases, and stresses from chemical sprays without damage to the plant.
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2023, Finalist
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Leep-Foods
Leep Foods
Rochester, NY
Leep Foods grows premium organic mushrooms using regenerative soil methods on nutrient-enriched American hardwoods for consumers and restaurants.
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$250K, 2020, Finalist, Foodtech, New York
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Livestock-Water-Recycling
Livestock Water Recycling
Alberta, Canada
Livestock Water Recycling’s manure management solution reduces the overall volume of manure, concentrates nutrients for better crop yield, and delivers a renewable, high-quality water source.
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2019, Finalist, International
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Living Ink Technologies
Living Ink Technologies
Berthoud, CO, USA
Living Ink repurposes renewable biomass waste, like algae, into sustainable black printing inks and pigments.
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$250K, 2025, Finalist, United States
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Lupii
Lupii
Brooklyn, NY
Lupii is unleashing the power of the small‑but‑mighty Lupini bean and disrupting the snack and meal bar category with its first snack-size line of flavors. Lupii Bars, the most unique, vegan protein bars on the block, offers one of the first whole bean based bars on the market.
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2021, Finalist
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Meala
Meala Foodtech
Haifa, Israel
Meala’s next-generation, naturally derived texturizing proteins can create gelling, binding, and emulsion, helping food manufacturers maintain a clean ingredient list without compromising texture, juiciness, and nutritional value.
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2024, Finalist
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Medium-Well
Medium Well
Tel Aviv, Israel
Medium Well Technological Solutions’ BioResin and BioBags are made from biodegradable materials, offering scalable and sustainable solutions for food and pharma.
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2025, Finalist
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Mi-Terro
Mi Terro
City of Industry, CA
Mi Terro is helping to protect the environment by upcycling agricultural waste and engineering it to replace plastic in the food, packaging, and fashion industries.
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2022, Finalist
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Mothership Materials
Mothership Materials
New York, NY, USA
Mothership Materials transforms agricultural waste into carbon-negative feedstocks — such as glucose and cellulose — that power the foods, fuels, and fabrics of the future.
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$500K, 2025, Finalist, New York
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Mush-Foods
Mush Foods
Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
Mush Foods harnesses the power and intelligence of mushrooms with its edible mushroom mycelium, creating a groundbreaking, sustainable, animal-free protein for the food and beverage industry.
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$250K, 2023, Finalist, Food/Beverage, New York
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MycoLogic
MycoLogic
Kennesaw, GA, USA
MycoLogic is a comprehensive solution for starting or expanding your specialty mushroom cultivation business. They provide hardware and software for semiautonomous cultivation of specialty mushrooms, as well as biological support and consultation.
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$250K, 2023, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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Neupeak
Neupeak Robotics
Surrey, Canada
Neupeak’s fully autonomous berry harvesters are designed to work in all weather and lighting conditions, alongside human workers, to save farmers money by charging a fixed rate per pound of berries collected.
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$500K, 2021, Agtech, Finalist, International
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Nordetect
Nordetect
Copenhagen, Denmark
Nordetect provides rapid chemical analysis for nutrients in the Agrifood industry. The company’s first product is a lab-on-a-chip test for nutrients found in soil, water, and leaf samples, aimed at optimizing the amount of fertilizer used to cultivate crops.
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$250K, 2021, Agtech, Finalist, International
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Norwhey
Norwhey Brewing
Ithaca, NY
Norwhey transforms New York state’s yogurt byproducts into a delicious, Nordic twist on hard seltzer by responsibly capturing and fermenting excess whey from the production of strained yogurt and turning it into sustainability you can taste.
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2020, 2022, Finalist
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Nuravine
Nuravine
New York, NY
Nuravine maximizes indoor and greenhouse crop yield via water nutrient solutions.
| Categories : |
2019, Finalist, New York
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Nutreat
Nutreat
Geneva, NY
Nutreat is a line of low glycemic, healthy sweet snacks that leverage science-driven innovation, 100% natural, real, whole food ingredients, and a commitment to uncompromising flavor, and can be enjoyed on the go.
| Categories : |
2021, Finalist
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Paragon-Pure
Paragon Pure
Princeton, NJ
Paragon Pure creates flavors, colors and nutrients protected within whole grain rice flour.
| Categories : |
2019, Finalist, United States
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Persistent-Biocontrol
Persistent BioControl
Austin, TX
Persistent BioControl™ produces biocontrol nematodes that attack, kill, and multiply inside Western Corn Rootworm larvae before they damage crop yield. They are compatible with all CRW management programs, traited corn varieties, soil insecticides, and soil types.
| Categories : |
2021, Finalist
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Pheronym
Pheronym
Davis, CA
Pheronym uses pheromones to control the behavior and development of microscopic roundworms called nematodes, offering a non-toxic, sustainable, and effective path for farmers as they transition away from conventional pesticides.
| Categories : |
2021, Finalist
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Picketa Systems
Picketa Systems
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Picketa Systems offers real-time plant analysis for precision nutrient management.
| Categories : |
2025, Finalist
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PittMoss
PittMoss
Ambridge, PA
PittMoss produces a next generation growing media that is proven to grow bigger, stronger plants than most peat-based mixes.
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2020, Finalist, United States
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Pollen Patrollers
Pollen Patrollers
Nairobi, Kenya
Pollen Patrollers empowers small-scale farmers and beekeepers through AI-powered smart hive technology and precision pollination services.
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2025, Finalist
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Pro-Agni
ProAgni
Lavington, Australia
ProAgni ProTect is a revolutionary range of supplements and feeds for livestock that lowers methane emissions from sheep and cattle without the use of antibiotics, decreasing a producer’s environmental footprint without increasing costs.
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$1 million, 2022, Agtech, Finalist, International
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PureNanoTech
PureNanoTech
Parsippany, NJ, USA
PureNanoTech develops membrane nanobubble technology solutions to maximize irrigation performance and optimize energy usage in the agriculture, pond and lake restoration, wastewater treatment, and disinfection industries.
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$500K, 2024, Agtech, Finalist, United States
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Purespace
PureSpace
Busan, South Korea
PureSpace extends shelf-life and improves food safety by decomposing ethylene gas, airborne mold, and viruses effectively and efficiently.
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$250K, 2020, Finalist, Foodtech, International
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Radical-Plastics
Radical Plastics
Beverly, MA
Radical Plastics developed a patented catalyst technology that renders conventional plastics biodegradable.
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2019, Finalist, United States
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Re-Nuble
Re-Nuble
New York, NY
Re-Nuble is an agtech company that transforms food waste into industrial-grade, water soluble, organic hydroponic nutrients for soilless farming.
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2020, Agtech, Audience Choice, Finalist, New York
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RealEats
RealEats America
Geneva, NY
RealEats is a mission-driven, innovative food-tech company that delivers fresh, healthy meals, while minimizing food waste.
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$1 million, 2019, Finalist, Foodtech, New York
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Renewal Mill
Renewal Mill
Canandaigua, NY, USA
Renewal Mill creates premium, gluten-free, vegan, and upcycled baking ingredients and snacks by transforming nutritious byproducts from food manufacturing into delicious, sustainable products.
| Categories : |
2025, Finalist
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|---|
Ripe-Technology
Ripe.io
New York, NY
Ripe.io provides a platform to access transparent and reliable information on the origin, journey, and quality of one’s food.
| Categories : |
2020, Finalist, New York
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|---|
Roca
Roca Water
Alameda, CA, USA
Roca has developed an electrochemical system that removes ammonium from wastewater and recovers it as nitrogen fertilizer, helping farms and food processors reduce pollution and lower fertilizer costs.
| Categories : |
2025, Finalist
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|---|
Seen
Seen Nutrition
Ithaca, NY, USA
Seen Nutrition is a food tech startup in the menopause market, initially focused on bone health, with a patented dietary calcium chew made with dairy produced in Central New York.
| Categories : |
$500K, 2025, Finalist, New York
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|---|
Seneca-Farms-Biochar
Seneca Farms Biochar
Odessa, NY
Seneca Farms Biochar’s technology produces biochar, pyroligneous acid (wood vinegar), and activated carbon at scale, sequestering carbon, reducing dependency on chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and optimizing financial outcomes.
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2022, Agtech, Audience Choice, Finalist, New York
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Shire’s Naturals
Shire’s Naturals
Peterborough, NH, USA
Shire’s Naturals offers clean-label, dairy-free foods made entirely from whole-food, plant-based ingredients.
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2025, Finalist
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|---|
Simply-Good-Jars
Simply Good Jars
Philadelphia, PA
Simply Good Jars produces and distributes chef-crafted meals in convenient ways, expanding access to sustainable, restaurant quality meals in a convenient, pre-packaged format.
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2020, Finalist, United States
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|---|
SkyAcres
SkyAcres
Surrey, Canada
SkyAcres’ energy-efficient vertical farming system and AI-powered marketplace allow anyone with under-utilized space to grow and sell produce, creating the Airbnb of indoor farms.
| Categories : |
2024, Finalist
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|---|
Slate
Slate Chocolate Milk
Boston, MA
Slate is crafting the world’s first all-natural, lower sugar, higher protein line of canned, lactose-free chocolate milks for millennials and adults.
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2019, Finalist, United States
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|---|
SoFresh
SoFresh
Pleasant Prairie, WI
SoFresh manufactures a unique packaging material with an organic vapor to extend the shelf life of fresh bread.
| Categories : |
$500K, 2020, Finalist, Foodtech, United States
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SomaDetect
SomaDetect, Inc.
Halifax, NS, Canada
SomaDetect’s cutting-edge sensor and software system provides farmers with the information they need to make the best milk possible, offering dairy producers automatic and reliable milk-based data directly from their milking line to streamline day-to-day operations of dairy farms.
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$500K, 2023, Agtech, Finalist, International
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|---|
Soos
Soos Technology
Kidron, Israel
Soos Technology mitigates male-chick culling by transforming male chickens into egg-laying females.
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$1 million, 2020, Agtech, Finalist, International
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|---|
Sweet-Pea
Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen
Rochester, NY
Sweet Pea is a plant-powered kitchen creating transformative paths to wellness, combining the benefits of its plant-centric food meal service and nutrition coaching to help people to sustain a healthy life.
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$250K, 2022, Finalist, Food/Beverage, New York
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|---|
Tainr
TAINR
Los Angeles, CA, USA
TAINR modernizes the grocery store’s outdated bulk aisle with a smart refill kiosk that moves inventory efficiently, reduces restocking times, and eliminates product losses and single-use plastic packaging waste.
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2023, Finalist
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|---|
Terra
Terra Bioindustries
Toronto, Canada
Terra Bioindustries upcycles agrifood waste into sustainable, value-added products with broad market appeal, starting by converting Brewers Spent Grain into a sugar for fermentation and food applications.
| Categories : |
2024, Finalist
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|---|
The-Perfect-Granola
The Perfect Granola
Victor, NY
The Perfect Granola produces allergy-free, locally sourced, single-serve granola for NY schools. The company purchases raw ingredients and “seconds” from local farms, providing them with new revenue streams.
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$250K, 2019, Finalist, Food/Beverage, New York
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|---|
ThermoShade
ThermoShade
Los Angeles, CA, USA
ThermoShade’s shade panels absorb radiated body heat, making outdoor spaces feel up to 20°F cooler than under standard awnings.
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2025, Finalist
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|---|
Tiliter
Tiliter
Munich, Germany
Tiliter installs artificial intelligence technology at supermarket checkouts to recognize products, like fruits and vegetables, without barcodes.
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$500K, 2019, Finalist, Foodtech, International
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|---|
Tomgrow
Tomgrow
Tel Aviv, Israel
Tomgrow provides a programmable growth medium that can be customized for specific crops and plants, enabling plants to access water and nutrients on demand and combatting the wastefulness and environmental impact of traditional growing.
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2022, Finalist
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|---|
Trebe Biotech
Trebe Biotech
Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Trebe Biotech uses insect larvae to produce faster, more scalable, and cost-efficient bioproducts for animal health, such as recombinant proteins and vaccines.
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$250K, 2025, Finalist, International
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|---|
Tropos-Technologies
Tropos Technologies
North Tonawanda, NY
Tropos uses patented air control and state-of-the-art environmental controls to offer a superior climate management system, improving sustainability, operations, and food safety standards for greenhouses and indoor farms.
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2021, Finalist
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|---|
UdderWays
UdderWays
Albion, NY
UdderWays uses a unique, brushless technology to gently stimulate cows and ensure clean and dry teats. With the startup’s patented vortex-style application, farmers can achieve consistent stimulation and effortlessly promote milk letdown.
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$500K, 2024, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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|---|
Unibaio
Unibaio
New York City, NY
Unibaio offers naturally derived particles that trap the active ingredients of pesticides, fertilizers, and phytosanitary, enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently.
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$1 million, 2024, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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|---|
Unnico
Unnico Food
Mamaroneck, NY
Unnico Food offers plant-based yogurts and creams that taste and feel like a yogurt, but are jam-packed with probiotics and fortified with fiber, creating a vegan, dairy-free treat that tastes as good as it is for you.
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2022, Finalist
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|---|
Vivid-Machines
Vivid Machines
Toronto, Canada
Vivid X-Vision system captures the visible and chemical details of every plant across an entire crop from bud to harvest to manage growth and predict yield, and provide means for early diagnosis of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies.
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$250K, 2022, Agtech, Finalist, International
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|---|
We-Are-The-New-Farmers
We Are The New Farmers
Brooklyn, NY, USA
We Are The New Farmers brings the benefits of microalgae straight into smoothies with its fresh, frozen, farm-grown spirulina cubes that are packed with dense micronutrients and loaded with antioxidants.
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2023, Finalist
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|---|
WeRadiate
WeRadiate
Buffalo, NY
WeRadiate has a turnkey solution to improve soil quality using hardware, software, and data technology, offering a complete array of tools to create high-efficacy and high-quality compost end products at all composting sites.
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$250K, 2021, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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|---|
Whipnotic
Whipnotic
New York, NY, USA
With a patented nozzle technology, Whipnotic creates whipped creams infused with all-natural fruit juices and flavor essences.
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$250K, 2025, Finalist, Food/Beverage, Investment-ready, New York, Woman-owned
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|---|
Whole-Healthy-Food
Whole Healthy Food
Ithaca, NY
Whole Healthy Food creates therapeutic food ingredients and is currently focused on producing a white kidney bean protein that can be added to foods and beverages.
| Categories : |
$250K, 2019, Finalist, Food/Beverage, New York
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|---|
Wisely
Wisely, Inc.
Wilmington, NC, USA
Wisely has developed a smart food storage system that reduces waste by allowing users the ability to track the time and conditions in which their perishables are stored.
| Categories : |
2023, Finalist, United States
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|---|
Zalliant
Zalliant
Amsterdam, NY
Zalliant’s IoT and artificial intelligence technologies provide value and efficiency to farmers through improved decision making and management.
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$250K, 2022, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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|---|
Zetifi
Zetifi
New South Wales, Australia
Zetifi enables farmers to access fast and reliable connectivity across the entirety of their property.
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$500K, 2020, Agtech, Finalist, International
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|---|
ZILA Bioworks
ZILA BioWorks
Renton, WA, USA
ZILA converts vegetable oils into high performance, low carbon, recyclable bio-epoxy resins for use in industrial composites, coatings, and adhesives.
| Categories : |
$250K, 2025, Finalist, United States
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|---|
Zordi
Zordi
Oakfield, NY
Zordi builds autonomous greenhouses with robots and AI to make delicious, high-quality produce available anywhere.
| Categories : |
$250K, 2024, Agtech, Finalist, New York
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