Five startup companies were selected for the inaugural fall 2022 HudsonAlpha Agtech Investment Accelerator, including one Birmingham-based business.
A Spain-based company was also selected along with three additional out-of-state companies.
Kicking off on Oct. 13, the 12-week accelerator invests $100,000 in five startups at the forefront of the agtech industry.
The concierge accelerator aims to provide meaningful engagement with the program team, global community and regional resources from both the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and gener8tor. Participants also receive intensive and individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors.
The companies selected for the Huntsville-based program are frakktal, Shipshape, MiFood Robot, MicroMGx, AgTechLogic. Startups were recruited from around the world. This first cohort was selected from among hundreds of applicants because of their strong performance in four key elements: team, traction, product/service and market opportunity.
• Birmingham-based Shipshape designs and manufactures modular, hydroponic farms to make fresh vegetables accessible in markets year-round. Shipshape training allows urban “agripreneurs” to produce 5.1 acres of crops within a 500 square foot “Smart Farm” that is digitally and automatically controlled through the “Digital Farmer” app. Shipshape provides continued support through ongoing training, data analysis, systems performance reporting and monthly supplies.
• Mesa, Arizona-based AgTechLogic provides smart “RetroFIT & Go” technology that transforms existing spray equipment into an intelligent precision spraying platform. This technology reduces herbicide use along with providing savings of water, fuel and labor with a strong ROI.
• Houston-based frakktal develops biobased polymers from agricultural overages. It allows entities to integrate healthy materials into green building spaces.
• Chicago-based MicroMGx harnesses microbial chemistry to create more effective and sustainable products for the agricultural, pharmaceutical and animal health industries. Using $3 million of National Institute of Health grants and 10 years of research, MicroMGx developed a platform using genomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics to discover new natural chemistry.
• Madrid, Spain-based MiFood Robot automates harvesting and collecting food in farms. The robot collects and stores food items including fruit and vegetables in farms faster than workers while aiming to maximize crops produced and enhance sustainability, reducing food waste and CO2 emission on harvesting.
“Agriculture innovation has been prevalent throughout Alabama’s history, dating back to George Washington Carver’s work in soil health and peanuts,” said Alex Cate, director of entrepreneurship programs for HudsonAlpha. “We’re incredibly pleased to be able to support agriculture innovators as they look for new ways to feed our world. This accelerator will bolster Alabama’s ability to translate agriculture technologies into commercial products that will help producers in Alabama and beyond."
The HudsonAlpha Agtech Investment Accelerator is also supported by the Growing Alabama Credit program through the Alabama Department of Commerce.
The accelerator will conclude on Dec. 15 with a showcase event at HudsonAlpha, highlighting each of the five startups. Founders will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public.
Another Birmingham company, Nia, was recently selected for the gBETA Huntsville Accelerator, which provides a range of support, mentorship and access to venture capital for startups seeking to grow their businesses.
