The Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology officially houses 31 start-up companies who are working on innovative technologies to help agriculture solve the industry’s most pressing challenges. The Center first opened its doors in December 2015 and, in just one year, has transformed into a hub of collaboration and innovation.
The Center welcomes seven new startups, who will now have access to valuable resources including access to prominent networking opportunities; ample exposure to agricultural-related organizations; training and mentorship from industry professionals; routine classes and workshops designed to provide startups with the knowledge and customer connections they need to bring their technology from development to production.
The Center’s newest residents include:
AgVoice: AgVoice provides a voice-to-data, workflow management service for food and ag professionals. By combining a uniquely tailored industrial-grade voice-enabled user experience with a cloud-based proprietary analytics platform, AgVoice enables users to achieve verifiable fast inspections, reporting and workflow management for the agri-food supply chain more accurately than existing outdated processes. These accurate, actionable insights can improve yield, reduce risk and optimize sustainable use of water, fertilizer and pesticides. AgVoice was one of the first startups to receive the WG Center for Innovation & Technology Scholarship.
AltaEnergy: Alta Energy is a company that empowers enterprises to achieve the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy. Supported by proprietary analytics, the company provides expert guidance, including analysis, strategy formation and execution to clients that face the challenges, complexities and opportunities of renewable energy. Alta Energy delivers tailored, objective recommendations on renewable energy technologies, vendors and financing options that best meet the needs of each customer and project site.
Farm Dog: Farm Dog is a precision agriculture solution for pest and disease management to help growers reduce pesticide use while minimizing crop loss. By offering a pest and disease management platform, Farm Dog is making healthy and environmentally sustainable food accessible to everyone.
PowerGrow LLC: PowerGrow’s innovative energy solutions for greenhouse production are designed to optimize land use and create more sustainable growing environments, while mitigating grower risks and creating real value. Its patented solar tracking system with integrated battery storage and co-generation provides 100% of the power requirements for the growing, processing, packaging, cold storage and shipping facilities.
Grower’s Secret: Grower’s Secret creates and develops safe and environmentally-friendly organic fertilizers that dramatically improve plant vitality. The company offers plant growth energizer products that result in bigger and healthier plants, improved resistance to pests and disease, reduced crop cycles and increased shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
SigFox: Sigfox has built a global network to connect billions of devices to the Internet while consuming as little energy as possible. With millions of objects connected and a rapidly growing partner ecosystem, Sigfox empowers companies to create new innovations on the Internet of Things. Sigfox’s unique approach to device-to-cloud communications addresses the three greatest barriers to global IoT adoption: cost, energy consumption, and global scalability.
UNIBEST International LLC: UNIBEST provides farmers and agribusiness with monitoring products and data that are suited for their own unique application – whether that be to optimize crop management, understand environmental contamination, or grow a healthier plant.
Western Growers and will also like to thank BioWorks for supporting the Center for Innovation & Technology as its newest sponsor. BioWorks will join 17 other generous ag and ag-related organizations in supporting these startups in their mission to help agriculture.
BioWorks: For more than 20 years BioWorks has been helping customers in the horticulture, agriculture and turf markets develop effective and efficient custom programs using products that are safe and proven. BioWorks provides reliable, environmentally responsible, personalized solutions to growers, farmers and superintendents who manage plant/turf diseases, pests, nutrition and health. The company is continuously reinventing the way customers work by providing biologically based, integrated, safe solutions and programs.
For more information, please contact Hank Giclas at (949) 885-2205.
