A new startup is cropping up in the North Texas scene with its eyes on plant growth.
Southlake-based PureAcre, an agriculture innovation company focused on crop nutrient management products, emerged from stealth this week. The company says its proprietary technology can help farmers create a better harvest in an eco-friendlier way.
“There’s all sorts of different things that are naturally occurring that are widely used in the united states and the world now… but we’re trying to add some consistency and add some efficacy,” David Coorts, PureAcre technical director, told NTX Inno. “And we're focused on how do we mitigate and be part of the solution to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus that ends up entering our watersheds and ultimately winding up down in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Led by president John Appel, PureAcre’s OpusMAX aqueous host chemistry product increases the nutrient assimilation in the delivery of biostimulants like seaweed extract and nutritionals like phosphorus. According to Coorts when incorporated with a biostimulant or nutritional, OpusMAX can increase plant mass by up to 35 percent, helping to reduce the environmental footprint of farming without the use of harmful chemicals.
As the company itself grows, PureAcre is looking at multiple go-to-market strategies, with a focus on landing direct sales deals with agriculture retail distributors. Coorts said it is also looking at creating its own label product and licensing options.
“From a farmer’s perspective, he can either maintain his current nutrient application rates and get more bang for his buck… or reduce the amount of nutrients he’s using to maintain a similar yield. Either way the environment benefits,” Coorts said. “It’s about creating an environmentally sensitive and environmentally sound series of products that increase the ability of growers to make more with less.”
The launch of PureAcre marks the third venture to emerge from local agriculture holding company BPS Agriculture, all of which focus on plant growth product. Its portfolio company Verano365 launched in 2018 and focuses on the greenhouse industry. And its company Farm Shield, which launched in June this year, focuses on the pesticide industry. Appel also serves as Farm Shield’s president. And Coorts also serves as technical director for both companies.
Coorts said the typical nutritional and biostimulant products can be easily lost in the environment, leading to pollution. In the EU, measures have been passed to reduce nutrient application use. And Coorts says it’s a trend that will likely continue in the U.S., aided by technology and economic factors. In an effort to help in that process, PureAcre is planning on continuing R&D and product development of OpusMAX. It is planning to move its operations to a new facility in Argyle in the coming month, along with the other BPS portfolio companies.
“[As a former farmer],I was always looking for something that would leave the ground in better shape than when I first came onto it,” Coorts said. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to figure out how do we make our small mark on the world, where we are providing a solution to…. reduction to pollution in the environment.”
