Applications open through late April for next “Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge”
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), in partnership with Farm Credit, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online for the “2023 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge.”
Now in its ninth year, this national business competition showcases U.S. start-up companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. The Farm Bureau is offering $165,000 in start-up funds throughout the course of the competition, which will culminate in the top 10 semi-finalists competing in a live pitch competition in front of Farm Bureau members, investors and industry representatives at the AFBF Convention in January 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Applications remain open through April 29, and the 10 semi-finalist teams will be announced September 13. Each of the semi-finalist teams will be awarded $10,000 and a chance to compete to advance to the final round where four teams will receive an additional $5,000 each.
Launched in 2015, the event has seen start-ups founded by University of Tennessee (UT) students do well in the early years.
- In the inaugural year, a three-person team of UT students – two from the Knoxville campus and one from Martin – won the “People’s Choice Award.”
- mobius, then known as Grow Bioplastics and founded by Tony Bova and Jeff Beegle, made it to the finals in 2016.
- The next year, Alex Adams and his GeoAir start-up reached the finals.
