NEWS RELEASE: Israeli Ag Tech Companies Complete Cultivo® Virtual Academy Program

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Billi Hunt, executive director
bhunt@cultivationcorridor.org
515-294-1127 or 515-480-2394

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 21, 2023

• Agrematch is a data-science product discovery and development company that works with industries that require novel bioactive compounds for their products.
• BugEra is building an insect genetics platform to develop novel strains of the black soldier fly (BSF) to enhance biomanufacturing and produce higher quantities of high quality oil for biofuels.
• DriftSense is developing an evidence-based prediction tool to help growers know when to apply pesticides for optimal precision, efficiency and sustainability.
• Fermata Tech is a data science company developing computer vision solutions for outdoor and  controlled environment agriculture.
• PlantArcBio is an ag-biotech company engaged in research and development in the field of gene discovery and biological components for improving plant traits and controlling pests.
• ProJini is using a new pesticide-discovery engine to discover and develop new pesticides acting in a new mode of action and interfere with protein-protein interactions.
• Seed-X is an AI-driven agtech software company that is working to optimize seed and food supply chains by addressing quality attributes at the single seed level.

“I’m excited to congratulate the cohort members for completing the Cultivo program. Over the past six weeks they have experienced what I’ve seen after living around the globe: there is not a better place than the U.S. Midwest and America’s Cultivation Corridor to scale a company,” said Cory Reed, Chair of America’s Cultivation Corridor Board of Directors, and President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, Production & Precision Ag, John Deere. 

Applications for the next multi-nation cohort of Cultivo Virtual Academy are now being accepted, with plans to begin the program in October 2023.  For more information on the program, or to learn about opportunities to sponsor or participate in a future cohort, click here or contact Billi Hunt, executive director of America’s Cultivation Corridor at bhunt@cultivationcorridor.org.

“The Cultivo Virtual Academy is the best investment a scaleup company can make as they develop a path to entering the U.S. market,” said Billi Hunt, executive director of America’s Cultivation Corridor.  “Entering the U.S. marketplace can be overwhelming, but Cultivo’s focused curriculum, networking and connections with Iowa’s researchers, business leaders and farmers provide the knowledge and introductions to successfully navigate market entry.”  

Investors and partners of America’s Cultivation Corridor are working together to accelerate the development of new technologies, strengthen Iowa’s ag bioscience workforce, and attract economic development, all focused on meeting the challenge of feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way. 

Stakeholders in America’s Cultivation Corridor include Iowa State University, Corteva Agriscience, Deere & Company, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Economic Development Corporation, Iowa Pork Producers, Kent Corporation, MidAmerican Energy Company, Hy-Vee, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, ISG, Chevron REG, Scoular, and Sukup Manufacturing Co. 

2023 Sponsors of Cultivo include Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa State University Economic Development and Industry Relations, BioConnect Iowa, Beck’s Hybrids and Fredrikson & Byron P.A. 

More information is available at CultivationCorridor.org, or by following on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.