Lincoln, NE — The Nebraska Ag Expo, a trailblazer in advancing agricultural innovation and host of Innovation Hub – hosted their third Innovation After Hours event this month. Over 150 start-ups, investors, and executives from innovative ag companies and partners from across the country and beyond shared an evening of networking and innovation.

Nebraska Innovation After Hours is presented by Farm Credit Services of America, Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association, Invest Nebraska, The Combine, and Nebraska Innovation Campus.

This year, 6 companies competed for cash prizes during the Startup Showcase:

Company (Headquarters) – Description (website)

  • AgZen (MA) – Revolutionize farming practices by providing real-time insights into droplet behavior. (agzen.com)
  • ALA Engineering (NE) – Cutting-edge intelligence behind feedlot operations, combining advanced software, sensors, and computing power to autonomously feed cattle with precision and efficiency. (ala.engineering)
  • Bio-Agtive Emissions Farming (CAN) – Rapidly builds soil organic matter, but it also empowers you to gain free nitrogen for your farm to eliminate costly inputs, notably synthetic nitrogen. (bioagtive.com)
  • Grain Weevil (NE) – Grain bin safety and management robot that directly engages the surface of the grain. Grain bins are dirty, dangerous workplaces. (grainweevil.com)
  • PathoScan (CAN) – Enables farmers to perform pathogen test for any crop, anywhere, without any technical background. (pathoscan.com)
  • RhizeBio (NC) – Creators of a unique metagenomic method, coupled with machine learning and biostatistics, to test raw soil DNA sequencing data into user-friendly and informative soil health reports. (rhizebio.com)

Grain Weevil was named the Startup Showcase Winner and received a $5000 cash award from the Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA). Pictured is Mark Hennessey, CEO of INEDA and Chad Johnson, CEO of Grain Weevil. 

AgZen was named the “People’s Choice Award” and received a $1000 cash award from The Combine. Pictured is Josh DeMers of The Combine and Vishnu Jayaprakash, CEO of AgZen.

About the Nebraska Ag Expo

The Nebraska Ag Expo is held in December annually at the Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln, NE.

In addition to the hundreds of companies and exhibitors with cutting edge solutions at the Nebraska Ag Expo, the Innovation Hub hosts transformative ideas from 70+ ag start-ups and pioneering companies who demonstrate their exceptional ingenuity. This dedicated space offers an immersive experience where the latest innovations converge, spotlighting trailblazers redefining agriculture. The Hub is a combined vision of the Nebraska Ag Expo, Visit Lincoln, the University of Nebraska, and various venture capitalists, and is a catalyst for ag start-ups and entrepreneurs.

The Nebraska Ag Expo, owned and managed by the Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA), recognizes that innovation knows no boundaries.

For more details about the Nebraska Ag Expo visit: https://nebraskaagexpo.com

 

Contact
Cindy Feldman, Marketing Director
Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA)
M: 515.508.1313 | E: cindyf@ineda.com

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