Farming has been the age-old way of making a living and keeping people working. It’s also very sustainable if you didn’t notice. But what many don’t realize is that agriculture technology has been blossoming in recent years. Big “Farma” companies, along with venture capital firms and philanthropic organizations have been pouring money into startups that are producing new technology to make farming even more sustainable, profitable, and quality-oriented.
We might be prone to think that agtech is just about modifying the genetics of the plants we’re growing, but that is not the whole truth. There are startups that are developing drone technology specifically for farming and researchers creating living microbes that kill the pests that ruin the crops we eat. Agtech is really beginning to revolutionize farming, and it’s benefitting both the farmer and the consumer in a big way.
Since agtech is growing in potential, accelerators and incubators are sprouting up to make innovation easier. They are giving fertile ground to entrepreneurs by providing technical assistance, mentoring, networking, and resource access. In doing this, agtech accelerators are allowing new technology and innovation to enter into the market at breakneck speed. Check out a few burgeoning agtech accelerators below:
AgLaunch Accelerator
AgLaunch is a 15 week accelerator that will start on May 1. AgLaunch will take six different startups and provide them with up to $50,000 in investment as well as provide them with mentorship, training and other resources.
AgTech Accelerator
AgTech Accelerator strives to be unique by taking a hands-on approach to helping startups. Companies that participate in this accelerator will be exposed to a number of resources including incubation and additional research.
Agthentic
Though it’s not an accelerator, Agthentic helps agtech startups by refining their product-market fit and prepare them for potential investors. Agthentic helps startups jump the initial hurdles that end up compromising the success of any startup.
FARM2050
FARM2050 focuses on improving global food production. They bring together farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and distributors in order to bring new technology to fruition and break them into the market.
Royse AgTech Innovation Network
Royse AgTech connects startups with a network of investors, partners, and markets. They also host conferences that help train and connect agtech startups with other companies, farmers, and investors.
Sprout Agritech
Every year, Sprout picks eight startups to help out. They provide $25,000 in exchange for equity, training and mentorship, and access to investor groups across the globe.
Thrive
Thrive is an eight week accelerator that connects tech companies with the agriculture community, investors, and innovative entrepreneurs. Thrive forges these communities together in order to advance the cause of bringing more and better food to the world.
Yield Lab
Yield Lab started out of a desire to strengthen global food security. They believe that agricultural production must increase by 60% by 2050 to meet food demand. They provide $100,000 in funding to burgeoning startups as well as a nine month program geared toward mentorship and market preparation.
Photo: Flickr / cjuneau
