IRVINE, CA - The sharks are circling, and I’m not talking about great whites. Western Growers (WG) is preparing for the 2021 AgSharks® Competition, hosted in tandem with S2G Ventures at the WG Annual Meeting on November 9, 2021. Out of more than 100 applicants, five agtech start-up companies have been selected to vie for a shot at new ag seed funding, a $250,000 minimum investment, as well as potential access to farm acreage to pilot their technologies.

These startups are all developing systems and technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system. At the event, they will pitch their inventions to a panel of AgSharks Judges in front of 400 fresh produce farmers and industry leaders, a press release stated.

The selected companies are as follows:

• 3Bar Biologics: 3Bar Biologics provides farmers with the most cost-effective, sustainable, and biological products that are activated in a self-contained package, delivering 100 percent fresh microbes at the time of application
• Boost Biomes: Using state-of-the-art DNA sequencing to identify microbial products that could be sold in the commercial marketplace, Boost Biomes’ solutions can be used in both the food and agriculture sectors
• Global Water Innovations: Global Water Innovations brings to market a basket of emerging breakthrough technologies that will undercut current market pricing by 30 percent for desalination of both brackish groundwater and produced water
• Naïo Technologies: Naïo Technologies develops autonomous software for agriculture, enabling autonomous field operations, fleet management, and “intelligent farming” while providing fast ROI for growers as well as facilitating more sustainable farming practices
• Vivent SA: Vivent SA uses unique, patented, electrophysiology sensors and artificial intelligence to give farmers instantaneous insight into crop health

The winning startup(s) will also receive international recognition, mentoring from S2G and WG, and access to WG’s expansive network of leading fresh produce companies. WG and S2G also announced the slate of AgSharks Judges who will be offering feedback, equity investment offers, acreage for use in pilot programs, or a combination of the three.

The panel—which is comprised of growers, shippers, processors, and venture capitalists—is as follows:

• Alexandra Allen, Compliance Counsel, Main Street Produce
• Audre Kapacinskas, Vice President, S2G Ventures
• Frank Maconachy, President and CEO, Ramsay Highlander
• Dominic Muzzi Jr., CEO/COO, Muzzi Family Farms
• Cristina Rohr, Principal, S2G Ventures
• Matthew Walker, Managing Director, S2G Ventures

We wish the best of luck to these distinguished start-ups!

Western Growers