Our Program

 

We Are Not Your Typical Accelerator

Launched in 2016 by the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Cultivation Corridor, the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator is designed to build upon one of the region’s key industries —agriculture— and Greater Des Moines’ success in advancing startups and technology through its many resources available to entrepreneurs. The program fosters innovation and helps Central Iowa continue to be one of the top regions in the nation for startup companies. We are part of the Global Accelerator Network, an ecosystem of accelerators whose mission is to work with startups towards scalable and sustainable growth. With these partnerships, along with the opportunity to collaborate with our mentors and investors, agtech companies will have the resources and support they need to hit the ground running.

We Believe in You…Here’s How We Show It

$40,000 seed funding for a 6% equity position in the startup

Program runs from the beginning of June to the end of August, 2019 

Access to over a hundred mentors
Tours of investor and mentor companies when not in the office for holistic education, outreach, networking, and presentation opportunites
Provided office space in the Historic East Village of Des Moines, Iowa
Subsidized housing provided at a nearby extended-stay facility
Graduation during the World Food Prize
Startup-friendly term sheet with common stock, no liquidation preferences, no board seat, and limited preemptive provisions

2019 Cohort

 

The Iowa AgriTech Accelerator has selected four agtech startups for this year’s 2019 cohort:

 

  • Otrafy (Vancouver, Canada) — Otrafy helps companies manage the collection and transferring of certification data across the food chain. Our AI-driven algorithm provides actionable insights to mitigate various vendor associated risk in the supply chain.
  • droneSAR (Des Moines, Iowa) — DroneSar enables farmers to access agronomic insights derived from radar technology. DroneSar’s solution is more affordable than existing radar technology, it’s as simple to use as using a camera, and it allows data and agronomic insights to be derived at any time of day. From measuring water content to estimating biomass, the ag applications of radar technology offer a vast range of possibilities. DroneSar builds upon years of expertise in radar technology to deliver the first-of-a-kind radar technology data platform for agriculture use.
  • Raks Agricultural Technology (São Leopoldo, Brazil) — Raks develops intelligent water management solutions that help farmers be more profitable and use water more efficiently. With a soil-based sensor of unique design and an intuitive, user-friendly interface, Raks equips the farmer with information about soil moisture. Raks sensor is more affordable than existing sensors, it can be used in any type of soil where it can be installed, and it can work with a wide range of crops and irrigation systems. The company is established in the US and Brazil leveraging the alternating cropping seasons to extract as much value from their Proof of Concepts and return that value back to their growing number of clients.
  • FarmatroniX (College Park, Maryland) — Farmatronix enhances the value of digitization of indoor growth facilities. By combining greenhouse management records, crop-specific growth requirements, and image analytics, into a comprehensive interactive user interface, Farmatronix provides valuable and timely insights that augment the knowledge and capabilities of the greenhouse labor force. The greenhouse grower can minimize crop loss, increase the quality of the crops, and ensure all greenhouse production is on schedule and operating optimally.

Are You the Future of AgTech Innovation?

Apply @ F6S