AgriNovus Indiana Awards $30K to Advance Agtech Innovation

By Andi Anderson

AgriNovus Indiana, a non-profit dedicated to growing Indiana's agbioscience economy, recently announced FiberX as the winner of the 2023 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge. This prestigious competition awarded $25,000 to FiberX to advance the commercialization of their innovative technology.

FiberX impressed the judges with their solution to convert corn stover, a previously undervalued agricultural byproduct, into biocomposite plastic polymers. These eco-friendly plastics offer superior strength and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional petroleum-based options. With the potential to replace up to 50% of these harmful plastics, FiberX's technology contributes significantly to sustainable agricultural practices and environmental protection.

The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge seeks new revenue streams from existing farm processes. This year's focus was on maximizing efficiency and return on investment for producers. The challenge attracted a diverse group of participants, including companies, entrepreneurs, students, and inventors. This initiative demonstrates AgriNovus Indiana's commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation within the agbioscience sector. By supporting promising technologies like FiberX's, they contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future for Indiana's agricultural industry.

In addition to the grand prize, the challenge also awarded:

• $4,000 to EcoTrack, a Purdue student team developing a digitally enabled audit management system for farms.
• $2,000 to YieldSmart, another Purdue student team working on a data-backed precision agriculture solution.

The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge has a proven track record of success. Notably, the 2022 winner was recently acquired by Indiana-based agtech company Intelinair. This highlights the challenge's ability to identify and nurture promising innovations that benefit both farmers and the environment. AgriNovus Indiana encourages applications for future Producer-Led Innovation Challenges.

Photo Credit: agrinovis-indiana