AgriTech Accelerator Reveals Class Of 2017

Robert Morris for Nibletz:  Earlier this spring we reported on the new Iowa Agritech accelerator. The startup accelerator is grooming agriculture focused startups through a cohort based program. With the backing of John Deere, Dupont, Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, Farmer’s Mutual Hail Insurance Company, Kent Corporation, Sukup Manufacturing, and People’s Company, AgriTech is putting six agtech startups through the accelerator program. Each startup will receive a seed investment of $40,000 in capital and go through a 100 day, intense entrepreneurship program.

The accelerator just named Megan Vollstedt as the new accelerator’s new Executive Director. Vollstedt has spent six years in the Iowa startup community, growing with local startup Workiva (formerly Webfilings), a cloud platform for reporting compliance and data management.

“I learned what it takes to be in a startup and as the company grew and scaled, so did my role,” Vollstedt said. “Eventually I got to the point where I was a senior editor, managing internal communications. I got to work with the company as it grew and went through a name change, and I’m grateful for those experiences that helped me develop professionally.”

“I am honored and excited to take on the role of Executive Director for the Iowa AgriTech accelerator,” Vollstedt said in a statement. “I look forward to using my experience in the ecosystem to help startups in the program work with mentors, investors, and advisors to advance innovations in AgTech.”

Here are the startups in the 2017 cohort:

Comments (0)

This post does not have any comments. Be the first to leave a comment below.


Post A Comment

You must be logged in before you can post a comment. Login now.

Featured Product

Particularly small and cost-effective: Market launch of the uEye XLS cameras

Particularly small and cost-effective: Market launch of the uEye XLS cameras

Image processing opens up a wide range of possibilities for the automation of modern agriculture - but what to do when only a small budget is available? That is where the uEye XLS comes in. With the launch of these super-small industrial cameras, even price-sensitive applications and volume projects become feasible. Measuring just 29 x 29 x 7 mm, the compact cameras offer excellent imaging characteristics without excessive heat generation, making them a perfect fit for embedded vision applications in agricultural machinery and equipment. The industrial cameras comply with the vision standard and are available with Micro-B connectors and with or without C/CS or S-mount lens holders, further increasing their adaptability to different agricultural environments. Thanks to these features, the cameras offered by IDS Imaging Development Systems lower the barriers to entry and make it easier to explore the potential of vision technology to optimize agricultural processes.