Startups to Watch

New Mexico has a diverse selection of startups making exciting moves in industries like biotechnology, aerospace and hydrogen energy.

And there are a lot of resources available to help these burgeoning young companies throughout the Land of Enchantment grow, whether they come from the south desert near Las Cruces or are tucked under the Jemez Mountains in Los Alamos.

Last year, New Mexico Inno highlighted 10 such companies in its inaugural Startups to Watch List. Now, that List is back, packed with 10 more startups that we think are primed for a big 2023.

Startups to Watch honorees were selected by the Albuquerque Business First editorial team. New Mexico Inno Reporter Jacob Maranda led the search, and when considering each honoree, looked at how the startups performed in 2022, as well as what they have planned in 2023.

All of the startups are featured in a special print edition of Business First published on Feb. 3. In the coming days online, you'll also have a chance to read about each business and learn about the work they are doing to grow their startups in New Mexico and beyond.

While some folks have turned to disposing of organic materials at home, most composting takes place on large farms across the country. This New Mexico startup is making a tool to help those large-scale compost farmers monitor the organic material they're disposing of.

Christian Chavez formed Vital Grow Inc. early last year. It's the latest venture by Chavez, who was an Inno Under 25 honoree in 2021 for his previous Internet of Things business called Internet Science Innovators. Originally focused on "smart agriculture," Chavez and business partner Casey Williams refined the idea to focus solely on composting technology in February 2022.

"When I was originally thinking of starting this company, we were thinking more farming in general, like soil moisture, things like that," Chavez previously told Albuquerque Business First. "But, we really decided that the compost industry really has a need for smart equipment like this."

Vital Grow sells a smart thermometer to large-scale compost farmers. The thermometer helps farmers keep track of the temperature of their compost piles, which is needed to maintain regulatory compliance, Chavez said.

The startup took on its first beta customer in March, Chavez said, and has since expanded to compost farms on the West Cost, including California and Oregon. That's where most of the composting in the country takes place, Chavez said, and thus provides the best market for Vital Grow's product.

Early customer testing helped Vital Grow develop a minimum viable product, which Chavez said is now ready. He wants 1,000 units of the smart thermometer to be in use by the fall of this year. But the startup needs more money to hit that mark and begin mass production.

Chavez said he's "leaning more toward grants" through the National Science Foundation or other organizations instead of seeking venture capital.

And while the West Coast has been its target market, Chavez said he's eyeing compost farmers in Texas and New Mexico as the startup's next customers.