AgTech Startups

For startups and emerging agribusiness technology innovators, the toughest challenge is securing the necessary investment to power up their business capabilities and outputs. How do you gain traction and support in a competitive market?

Rethink Events, hosts of the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit have announced a groundbreaking new partnership with Radicle Growth, the San Diego-based acceleration fund dedicated to growing early stage agricultural and food technology startups into proven industry leaders.

In a pioneering move, Radicle has put forward $250,000 (US dollars) in equity investment, to be presented to the winner chosen from a selection of eight finalists at the upcoming World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco (March 20-21, 2018). Every year, a host of technology startups with agribusiness solutions are invited to present in a special preview Pitch Day to a group of high ranking investors and agribusiness experts; the winner will go through to present as part of the major Technology Showcase during the two-day Summit.

The launch of The Radicle Challenge with its significant, trajectory-changing investment funding opportunity marks a significant change for the Pitch Day competition, offering an unprecedented catalyst for growth for one impressive early stage startup.

“We are making a meaningful seed stage commitment to ensure that we attract the best entrepreneurs” said Kirk Haney, CEO & Managing Director of Radicle Growth. “The $250k is tailored to the unique needs of agtech entrepreneurs to ensure they have enough capital to get to the next level. If we believe in them, we move fast, and the World Agri-Tech event attracts a great global cross-section of the most exciting and interesting innovators. We’re really excited to meet the start-ups who could be the future of the industry”.

The Radicle acceleration fund focuses on the areas of Digital Agriculture, Biologicals, New Farm Systems and Seed Technology. Founding members include Finistere Ventures, Bayer, OurCrowd and Cloud Break Advisors.

Radicle’s goal is to transform the speed of innovation in agriculture by ensuring seed stage companies have the right amount of capital and resources. Their global approach to discovering new technologies provides a virtual solution to innovation development and support to grow businesses through expert advisory services and introductions to partners, VCs and investors.

The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit is an international networking and deal-making event for agribusinesses, solution providers, entrepreneurs and investors. The Summit accelerates the commercialization of advanced agricultural technologies by generating global partnerships and collaborations. The summit runs for the 4th year in San Francisco from March 20-21, 2018.

Entries are welcomed now from early and seed stage startups located anywhere in the world. Final deadline for entry is Friday January 19th, 2018.