Connecting Innovators, Investors, Industry Professionals and Early Adopter Customers
From improvements in nutritional value, to better resource efficiency, to improved yield, to better cost controls, the agriculture industry is ripe for disruption. It’s happening already, with harvesting automation systems, sensor-based farm management tools and other advanced technologies already appearing on the modern farm. iSelect is investing in the entrepreneurs who are focused on making these innovations happen.
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“Given the overall AgTech entrepreneurial activity in the region, and the large number of multinational players, the American Heartland can be a powerful influence in driving the objectives of the AgTech revolution. Taken together, these resources indicate a regional competitive advantage in AgTech, similar to what the Silicon Valley cluster has provided for the IT industry.”
“AgTech: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Growth”, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, April 2014
iSelect Portfolio Companies
iSelect focuses on early-stage food and agriculture companies that are poised to help push the next agricultural revolution forward. We deliberately invest in companies that can make a positive impact on our society, as well as on the bottom line.
Agrible, Inc.
Agrible sells software that connects the agricultural supply chain from field-to-market, providing critical sustainability,agronomic, and yield data. Learn more… 
Arable Labs, Inc.
Arable is an agricultural data company that combines proprietary in-field sensors and crop & data models to dramatically improve efficiency and intelligence of agricultural operations. Learn more…
Artemis, Inc.
Artemis is a software company making indoor farming profitable, efficient and traceable, enabling growers to drive the indoor farming revolution. Learn more…
Benson Hill Inc.
Benson Hill is a crop improvement company that taps the natural genetic diversity of plants to develop healthier and more sustainable food. CropOS combines machine learning and big data with genome editing and plant biology to differentiate and accelerate the product development process to modernize our food system. Learn more…
Bonumose
Bonumose is commercializing low-glycemic index, natural sugars through a proprietary, cost-effective enzymatic process. Learn more…
Brightseed, Inc.
Brightseed is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered nutrition discovery company that identifies unique micronutrients in the plant kingdom and maps them to specific human health conditions where they can have the highest impact. Learn more…
Geltor, Inc.
Geltor has a platform technology that enables it to cost effectively produce sustainable and beneficial proteins for the cosmetic, food, beverage, nutritional supplement, and healthcare industries. Learn more…
Growers Edge Financial, Inc
Growers Edge offers warranty and lending products and services in the agtech marketplace. Their warranties help farmers by guaranteeing yield with the adoption of new technologies. Learn more…
Harvest CROO, LLC
HarvestCROO is building the premier automation and robotics solution to solve the labor shortage crisis in specialty agriculture, starting with strawberries. Learn more…
HerdDogg, Inc.
HerdDogg’s patented animal wearable technologies provide animal tracking and aid in the identification of missed heats, illness, and dystocia (difficult births) for the 2.5 billion herd animals worldwide. Learn more…
Holganix, LLC
Holganix produces organic plant probiotics that make soils and plants healthier, more resilient, and more productive. Learn more…
Kula Bio, Inc.
Kula Bio is an agriculture biotechnology company that aims to extend the life of microbes to unlock their biological potential and maximize their impact. Learn more…
Kultevat, Inc.
Kultevat combines genetic breeding and chemical process engineering to produce natural rubber from the Russian dandelion in North America. Learn more…
Mercaris
Mercaris is a market data service and trading platform for organic, non-GMO, and other Identity Preserved (IP) agricultural commodities. Learn more…
OneClickship, Inc.
TradeLanes offers a SaaS-based trade execution and automation platform that eliminates the manual tasks needed to ship ocean containers. Its interface accesses real-time data about shipments, destinations, and clients, TradeLanes simplifies the export/import process by driving efficiencies, improving visibility, and reducing errors in the process. Learn more…
PatternAG
PatternAg’s crop protection product delivers actionable intelligence to farmers, based on high resolution mapping of the DNA found in a farmer’s soil. With nearly 100 billion organisms per soil core, Pattern’s metagenomic DNA sequencing technology maps the unique microbial community found in a farmer’s field, identifying key opportunities to increase yield and save money. Armed with Pattern’s insights into next season’s risks, especially from the most costly pathogens like Corn Rootworm and Soybean Cyst Nematode, farmers can apply recommended protective measures to maximize their yield or save money on inputs when those risks are absent. Learn more…
Plant Response, Inc.
PlantResponse Biotech is a Raleigh, NC based company that is developing and commercializing biologically related products that improve plant health and protect yield potential. Learn more…
Plastomics, Inc.
Plastomics has developed a proprietary genetic engineering model that can produce high performing crops through editing the chloroplast. Learn more…
ProteoSense LLC
ProteoSense is building a biosensing platform for rapid, cheap and highly sensitive food safety testing. Learn more…
Sentera, Inc.
Sentera is a UAV and crop analytics company delivering the most comprehensive suite of value-added hardware and software solutions available today to growers & agronomists. Learn more…
Stony Creek Colors, Inc.
Stony Creek Colors, Inc. produces eco-friendly, bio-based dyes for sale to premium denim and garment brands, as well as other consumer goods, to allow them to sell traceable and environmentally friendly products. Learn more…
Vestaron, Inc.
Vestaron is developing new products in the crop protection industry that address the growing concerns of resistance, high costs of R&D, and safety/environmental externalities. Learn more…
Meet Our Selection Committee
Our Food and Agriculture Selection Committee consists of industry and subject matter experts who help guide iSelect’s investment decisions. With firsthand experience and a true pulse on the industry, we consider these individuals key to our success in finding and investing in food and ag innovation.
Bill Northcott is the Chief Innovation Officer at Agrible. He works on developing and researching the science and feasibility of new products. Bill is a sixth generation farmer and currently manages a 500 acre corn/soybean…
Chris Harbourt, Ph.D., co-founder of Agrible, Inc., is a world-class scientist and engineer with an eye on innovation and growth. Chris brings over 25 years of agricultural experience to Agrible and is heavily involved in…
Mr. Tom Willis serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Conestoga Energy Partners LLC. Mr. Willis is responsible for all aspects of the business. He joined Conestoga in November 2006. He possesses widespread knowledge in…
Todd is a recognized expert in functional genomics, bioinformatics, and plant systems biology, and is focused on accelerating discovery and development by more accurately predicting plant performance. He has built capabilities and toolsets that manipulate…
Tim is Vice President of G.M. Lawerence and Company, with a demonstrated history of working in the farming industry. He is skilled in management, agricultural production, precision agriculture, agribusiness, and strategic planning. Tim graduated with…
Mr. Steve Barr is a Co-Founder of Osborn & Barr Communications, Inc. and served as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Barr has more than 35 years of marketing and communications planning experience. He is a…
Dr. DiNicola has over 20 years of experience in the agri-food industry and a decade of experience in sustainability and agriculture development. Through DiNicola LLC, she consults for established and emerging companies and public institutions…
Kevin has over 20 years experience in the grain and livestock industry. He is the publisher of The Van Trump Report, a daily agricultural newsletter that contains some of the best and most comprehensive agricultural…
Eric is the Chief Executive at Pipeline Foods. Eric started his career at The Pillsbury Company where he received his classic commodity merchandising training and became the Manager of Market Development for their Speciality Commodities…
Dr. Bruce German is a Professor and Chemist of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis and researches the role of fats and other components in the diet. He develops ways to…
Alex is the Co-founder of Geltor and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Prior to co-founding Geltor, Alex obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, where his research led him to launch the…
Charles R. (Chas) Eggert is leveraging his extensive experience in the global specialty chemicals and food ingredients industries as well as private equity investing in his role as an operating partner with iSelect Fund. He…
Andy Daniels is a seasoned business executive and successful entrepreneur, an active angel investor, and serves on multiple governing boards with companies in the areas of venture capital, wealth management, agriculture, healthcare, technology innovation, commodity…
Rachel is a Senior Associate at The Context Network, a business management and strategy consulting firm providing services to the world’s leading agriculture, biotechnology and food companies. She was previously an International Sales & Project…
The founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri where he served as Emeritus President and Director for 10 years. Roger is currently Executive Director at World Food Center at University of California,…
Tom Adamitis is Managing Director at Yield Lab. He formerly served as the Global Vice President of Raw Materials and Energy Procurement for Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the world’s largest consumer product companies. He supported…
Chris is the president of Eckert’s Inc., a family farm in southern Illinois. The Eckert’s farm has been in the family for seven generations. They farm 600 acres of fruit and vegetable crops as well…
Before joining OTMIR in 2016, Brian Buntaine worked for more than 15 years in the life sciences industry. He began his career as a lab manager at Washington University in St. Louis. In 2003, Brian joined…
Dr. Brendan A. Niemira is the Research Leader of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research Unit. He leads a team of 30+ scientists, engineers, technicians, postdocs and students in Wyndmoor,…
Dr. Bob Whitaker joined Produce Marketing Association (PMA) in 2008 as Chief Science & Technology Officer, responsible for food safety, technology, supply chain management and sustainability. Bob has served on the Center for Produce Safety…
Berwick Settle is a Dairy Farm Management Specialist, managing a large scale dairy operation in Beijing, China.
Barry Goldman is the Vice President and Head of Discovery at Indigo. Using novel computational, sequencing and laboratory technologies, he is responsible for identifying the microbes that enable Indigo’s first generation of products. Barry brings more than…
Glenn Swanson serves as the President of Daniels Trading. He brings a well-rounded commodity and foreign exchange background to the firm’s day-to-day operations. Glenn has an in-depth knowledge of trading technology and the order execution…
Braden Hudye is a managing partner of The Hudye Group, a 3rd generation family owned company involved in Agriculture, Commercial Real Estate, Multi Family Residential Real Estate, Development Property, as well as other equity investments…
Ron is a biotech consultant primarily focused on agricultural biotechnology with knowledge of pharmaceutical product development. He has extensive, successful experience in product characterization of products improved through modern biotechnology Able to provide guidance at any level…
Engage With Our Food and Ag Network
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Resources and News
Nutritious, Natural Sugars: A Conversation with Bonumose Founder Ed Rogers
iSelect managing director Mark McCall recently participated in a panel discussion at the Family Office Impact Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Hosted by Gitterman Wealth Management, Family Office Insights and 5th Element Group, the event was a...
How Digital Product Development is Reshaping the Food We Eat
iSelect hosts a Deep Dive webinar on a novel innovation topic on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 9 a.m. central. Our most recent session focused on how many food producers are now using digital technology to stay ahead of the curve and bring innovative new products to market faster than ever before. We spoke with iSelect venture associate, David Yocom, about what this all means for the foods we eat and the companies that make it all.
AgroSpheres: A New Approach to Pesticide Application that is Controlled, Targeted and Optimized
AgroSpheres is an agriculture technology startup in Virginia that is revolutionizing crop protection through environmentally friendly delivery platforms.
What’s the Future of Nutrition? Addiction
The modern world has a serious problem with sugar. The average American consumes more than 129 pounds of the stuff each year, according to the USDA, more than double what we ate two generations ago. And, unlike in previous decades when most sweeteners came from cane...
It’s 2019, Where’s the Exit?
Once your big idea has come to life as a successful start-up, what’s next? How do you achieve a steady ascent that makes your small company and your investors happy? Getting the exit right can mean everything for a start-up— but what does that look like for food and...
How The Bee Corp is Empowering Growers and Beekeepers
CEO of agtech company The Bee Corp, Ellie Symes, is serious about bees. Her technology takes the uncertainty out of pollination, allowing growers to make time-sensitive decisions sooner and eliminating guesswork with objective performance metrics. In this Q & A,...
How Shifting Spending to Healthy Foods Could Prevent Chronic Illness
The burden of chronic health issues is massive: 90% of the nation’s $3.3 trillion in annual health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental illness, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). Even...
Travis Potter: Farming to Make Your Price
Travis Potter farms to make a price and, in turn, make profit in unusual ways. From his organic Tractor Soda to growing avocados in the Dakotas, Travis finds profitability in places that most farmers wouldn’t think to consider. Travis shares his philosophy for making a price for his farm products in the second installment of the Davos on the Delta Podcast.
Automating the Harvest, One Strawberry at a Time
First, let’s clear one thing up: the strawberry is not, in fact, a berry. It’s what botanists call an “aggregate accessory fruit,” meaning that the flesh of the fruit is derived from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. And those seeds all over the outside? Those...
What the Latest Round of Food Contamination Recalls Say About Ag Innovation
It’s happened again. Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a nationwide recall of more than 12 million pounds of raw beef due to new concerns over possible salmonella contamination.
Microsoft is Coming for Agriculture. Is That a Good Thing?
Here’s a headline I didn’t expect to see: “Microsoft Bringing AI to Ag.” From the author of that headline in Farm Journal: “Standing before a crowd of farmers at the 2018 Farm Journal AgTech Expo, keynote speaker Josh Henretig voiced what he believed a lot of farmers were thinking.
Food 2.0: Genetic Engineering Our Way to the High-Performing Crops of Tomorrow
It all started with the lowly tomato. One of the original North American food crops, Europeans first started cultivating tomatoes with the help of Native Americans in the 17th century. As a food source for the settlers, tomatoes were healthy, plentiful and easy to...
