May 7, 2024
Washington, D.C. - International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has announced the 12 new companies that will join the Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator for the 2024 cohort. The Accelerator program is designed to bring technology companies with ready to market solutions to the produce and floral industry to help make the supply chain more resilient and climate smart.
As we embark on the third year of our program, our first goal is to bring new, innovative solutions into the industry. We are advancing the trial, adoption, and utilization of climate-smart technologies to tackle our most pressing challenges head-on. At the same time, we are cultivating an extraordinary ecosystem of produces, mentors, and innovators committed to sustainability and progress.
The cohort will come together first in June to take part in the Immersion Week where they were visit more than a dozen businesses from San Francisco to Los Angeles. They will spend almost a week on a bus tour exploring many aspects of the produce supply chain to learn from industry members about their practical challenges, and what they need from solution partners.
Following the Immersion Week, the group will come together in August for a Demo Day in Salinas, California. The Demo Day will provide an opportunity for the innovators to share their solutions for the produce industry after spending a few months reflecting on their Immersion Week learnings and time with an industry mentor. Mentors are assigned to each member of the cohort as a go to resource and guide as the participants move through the program. The program culminates at the Global Produce and Floral Show where each accelerator company will showcase their solution on the Expo floor.
This year's cohort includes:
Agragene Inc. - St. Louis, MO, USA
ClearLeaf - Wilmington, DE, USA
Farm-ng - Watsonville, CA, USA
Helios Artificial Intelligence, Inc. - Tysons, VA, USA
Innov8.ag - Walla Walla, WA, USA
L5 Automation Inc. - La Canada Flintridge, CA, USA
Mirai Solar - San Franciso, CA, USA
Neolithics LTD. - Tel Aviv, Israel
Responsive Drip Irrigation, LLC - Bradenton, FL, USA and Abu Dhabi, UAE
Root Applied Science - Oakland, CA, USA
Sufresca - Ness Ziona, Israel
Susterre - Calgary, Ontario, Canada
"I'm excited to introduce our new cohort to the industry and to each other at the upcoming Immersion Week," said Estes. "It's amazing to witness the synergy of ideas, tech and problem solving that come from a group of innovators while they visit different businesses along the produce supply chain."
The Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator is powered by the industry who serve as hosts for the tour visits, mentors who guide the participants, and key industry supporter, SunWorld. Full profiles on the cohort companies and the company representatives embarking on the 6 month program are found on the IFPA Fresh Field Catalyst page.
About Agragene's own, Dr. Stephanine Gamez
Director of R&D, Agragene Inc.
St. Louis, MO
Dr. Stephanie Gamez currently serves as Agragene's Director of R&D where she oversees the development of KNOCKOUT™ sterile insects utilizing precision-guided Sterile Insect Technique (pgSIT). Dr. Gamez received her PhD in Biology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) where her work explored the potential of gene drive technologies to introduce heritable modifications into insect genomes, with applications ranging from disease vector control to agricultural pest management. At Agragene, her leadership and work exemplify the transformative impact of genetic innovation on modern agriculture where she continues to drive innovation in sustainable pest management through the advancement of pgSIT technology.
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