The following is a press release from our partners at AgStart.
AgStart in partnership with Bayer announced yesterday a new competition for AgriFoodTech startup companies to accelerate the commercialization of their innovations and advance innovation in our global food system. The winner of the competition will gain access to lab facilities and equipment in AgStart’s laboratory facility in one of the premier U.S. AgriFoodTech innovation ecosystems, and connect with Bayer mentors and experts in Bayer’s global innovator network.
The Bayer LifeHub California @AgStart – Golden Ticket III Competition is open to startups from any country in the world, from pre-seed to Series A, in the areas of biological crop protection, nutrient use efficiency, yield enhancement, and plant growth promotion under environmental stress. The winner of the competition will receive a year of fully-paid use of lab space, shared instruments and equipment, and other facilities at the Bayer LifeHub California @AgStart facility, hosted by AgStart, in Woodland California. The Lab@AgStart offers early-stage companies access to specialized infrastructure, scientific expertise, and participation in a thriving AgriFoodTech ecosystem. This partnership provides startups with the facilities, support, and connections needed to accelerate the development and commercialization of novel biological products advancing crop protection, improving agricultural efficiency, and contributing to the long-term sustainability and resilience of global food systems.
“Following the success of prior editions, we are excited to join forces with AgStart to launch the third edition of the Golden Ticket program,” said Alberto Iandolino, LifeHub California Lead in Woodland, California, for Bayer's Crop Science Division. “This LifeHub California initiative is intended to support startups developing the next generation of biological products as they advance their innovative solutions from the lab bench to the grower’s field. We anticipate that the selected company will fully leverage the extensive resources available in a leading AgTech innovation hub like the Greater Sacramento region."
“Bayer has been a long-time partner of our AgStart program, and we’re pleased to continue our collaboration with this edition of the competition”, said Sudhee Lakshmana, Lab Director of AgStart. “Our two organizations share the same desire to enable innovative startups to bring their products and solutions to market, with the potential to significantly boost the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of our food system. The non-dilutive funding provided to the winner of this competition through this LifeHub California Golden Ticket program will further lower the costs to bring their technology to market.”
Applications from startup companies will be accepted until September 26. More information about the LifeHub California Golden Ticket competition, and the link for startup companies to apply, can be found at https://www.halo.science/startup_program/lifehub-california-agstart-biologicals. A webinar providing more information to startup companies looking to apply will be held August 26 – more information about the webinar will be available at the link above.
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About AgStart
AgStart is a 501(c)(3) non-profit incubator focused on supporting entrepreneurs and startups advancing innovation in AgriFood technologies in our global food system. Since its inception in 2012, AgStart has supported hundreds of AgriFood startup companies through its combination of mentorship, education, community building, and its nearly 13,000 sq.ft. Lab@AgStart incubator facility. Located in downtown Woodland California, The Lab@AgStart offers wet-lab, food lab, fermentation and tissue-culture facilities to lower development costs for early-stage startup companies. AgStart is well-connected among AgriFood incubators, having been a founding member of the AgTech Nation collaborative, a network of collaborating AgriFood-focused entrepreneur-support organizations in key innovation hubs across the country focused on quickly connecting startup companies to the resources they need to succeed. Learn more at www.agstart.org.