DEADLINE APPROACHING: Cast Your Vote in the AgFunder Innovation Awards

***VOTING CLOSED***

It’s that time of year again to recognize the innovators and entrepreneurs driving the agrifood tech sector forward with the AgFunder Innovation Awards. These are peer-selected awards based on votes placed by you, our 45,000-strong network.

Voting will close at 5 pm PT on February 23 and the winners will be exclusively announced at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco March 20-21.

Last year, we awarded 23 startups across five categories. Since then those winners have raised over $650 million, including one of the year’s largest rounds, a $110 million Series D for Farmers Business Network. And we even had an exit with Blue River Technology — winner of the Most Innovative US Startups at Series A and Beyond category — acquired by strategic heavyweight John Deere.

This year we have refined our process to make it easier for our network to participate and have created a shortlist of candidates for each category to vote from.

To remain as impartial in the process as possible, we put together a nomination committee of global agrifood tech investors to nominate startups into each category.

From these nominations, we created the shortlists below, for you to vote on. Click here to vote and make your voice heard!

Thank you very much to the committee, which includes:

Kiersten Stead, managing director at Monsanto Growth Ventures

Eric O’Brien, managing director at Fall Line Capital

Seana Day, partner at The Mixing Bowl and Better Food Ventures

Matt Plummer, principal at The Yield Lab and Cultivation Capital

To reflect AgFunder’s focus on the whole agrifood technology landscape, we also updated the categories to ensure entrepreneurs across the value chain could be recognized.

Here are the shortlisted candidates:

Farm Tech

Most Innovative US Startup Pre-Series A

1. FarmWise – Robotic weeding and data collection for vegetables
2. IntelinAir –  automated aerial imagery analysis
3. TL Biolabs – genomic testing for beef and dairy cattle
4. Tortuga Agtech – harvesting robotics for controlled environment growers
5. Trace Genomics – DNA-based testing for soil microbiome and pathogens

Most Innovative US Startup Series A and Beyond

1. Agrimetis – biological and chemical crop protection
2. Farmers Business Network – farmer-to-farmer digital network and retailer
3. Indigo Agriculture – crop enhancing microbial seed coating technology and novel distribution
4. Pivot Bio -nitrogen producing microbes for corn, wheat and rice
5. Plenty – global vertical farming
6. Benson Hill Biosystems – computational biology and gene editing for ag platform

Most Innovative International Startup Pre-Series A

1. Agroptima – farm management software from Spain
2. Kilimo – irrigation management for extensive agriculture from Argentina
3. MicroGen Biotech – microbial crop input and soil remediation platform in Ireland
4. Smart Shepherd – livestock wearable technology for breeding data and analytics from Australia
5. VanderSat – satellite imagery analysis using microwave data from the Netherlands

Most Innovative International Startup Series A and Beyond

1. Cainthus – computer vision and predictive imaging analysis for livestock health from Ireland
2. MagGrow – Magnetic drift reduction technology from Ireland
3. S4 – risk management data analytics for agribusinesses from Argentina
4. Solinftec – end-to-end machine data analytics platform for broad-acre crops based in Brazil
5. The Yield – end-to-end microclimate sensing and predictions service for land-based crops and aquaculture from Australia

Supply Chain Tech

Most Innovative US Startup Pre-Series A

1. FreshSurety – wireless freshness sensing for fresh food pallets
2. Geltor – developing cultured collagen and texture-enhancing additives for food and beverage
3. ImpactVision – hyperspectral imaging software for food quality and safety
4. Ripe.io – blockchain-backed food traceability tech
5. TradeLanes – digital and automated supply chain documentation and tracking for shippers

Most Innovative US Startup Series A and Beyond

1. Apeel Sciences – shelf-life enhancement biotechnology for fresh produce
2. Calysta – sustainable fish and livestock feed using biotransformation
3. Label Insight – big data food traceability platform
4. MycoTech – mushroom-derived tech that removes bitter tastes from food and drinks
5. SafeTraces – traceability technology using biological tracers for food

Most Innovative International Startup Pre-Series A

1. Arc-net – blockchain-based supply chain security and analytics from the UK
2. Biome Makers – microbial soil analysis for the wine industry from Spain
3. MicroSynbiotix – microalgae-based oral vaccine startup for aquaculture from Ireland
4. Novolyze – microorganism-based food safety validation for food processors and manufacturers from France
5. Phenospex – sensors and imagery analytics for crop health and resource management from the Netherlands

Most Innovative International Startup Series A and Beyond

1. AgriDigital – blockchain-backed supply chain management and traceability from Australia
2. Bringg – logistics management platform for CPG and food retail based in Israel
3. FarmLead – an online grain marketplace based in Canada
4. Nuritas – AI-backed ingredient discovery platform from Ireland
5. Stellaps – full stack IoT platform for the dairy supply chain from India

Retail & Consumer

Most Innovative US Startup Pre-Series A

1. Cafe X Technologies – robotic cafes serving coffee
2. Finless Foods – cultured fish developer
3. New Wave Foods – algae-based shrimp alternative
4. Starship Technologies – self-driving food delivery robots
5. Yumi – early childhood meal delivery

Most Innovative US Startup Series A and Beyond

1. Evolve Biosystems – probiotic and prebiotic products for infants
2. Instacart – same-day grocery delivery platform
3. Impossible Foods – plant-based meat alternatives
4. Memphis Meats – cultured meat developer
5. Ripple Foods – plant-based dairy alternatives

Most Innovative International Startup Pre-Series A

1. Energaia – social enterprise that produces microalgae products based in Thailand
2. Douxmatok – Alternative sweetener boosting the sweetness of sugar to reduce consumption from Israel
3. Moley Robotics – Consumer robotic kitchen tech based in the UK
4. Savormetrics – app-based food quality analysis and shelf life prediction from Canada
5. Wasteless – real-time tracking solution for grocery stores using machine learning from Israel

Most Innovative International Startup Series A and Beyond

1. Big Basket – Indian online grocery delivery service
2. Delivery Hero – German online restaurant marketplace
3. Ele.me – Chinese online restaurant marketplace
4. HelloFresh – German meal kit subscription servicing 10 countries
5. Winnow – UK food waste meter technology for restaurants

Most valuable agrifood tech accelerator program

1. Food-X – New York, NY
2. IndieBio – San Francisco, CA
3. SproutX – Melbourne, Australia
4. Yield Lab – St. Louis, MO, Galway, Ireland
5. Village Capital – Louisville, KY

Cast Your Vote Here! 

The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit is an international networking and deal-making event for agribusinesses, solution providers, entrepreneurs and investors, which is held annually in London and San Francisco. With over 500 attendees from the US, Australia, China, Europe, Israel and Latin America, the goal of the summit is to accelerate the commercialization of advanced agricultural technologies by supporting global partnerships and collaborations.  This year’s focus is on new data platforms, robotics, soil health and synthetic biology, featuring 60 game-changing speakers and the most exciting start-ups on the market.