FALL 2012


  

BREEDING SCIENTIFIC INNOVATIONS, HARVESTING GLOBAL COMMERCIAL BREAKTHROUGHS

 

The 4th annual Ag Innovation Showcase took place against the backdrop of serious concerns threatening agriculture. Widespread drought, population explosion, food scarcity and exotic variants of pests, among others, were topics of discussion and consideration. While challenges are great, they have led to new innovations that offer new approaches to precision agriculture, to help increase yields, to create disease-resistant crops, to lay new foundations for research in nutrition and to identify new plants and utilize existing ones as promising sources of biofuels. One of the major themes was the rise of information technology in agriculture and allied fields and the considerable advances in monitoring farms to precisely regulate inputs, to manage herds, to identify and control disease and to deal with the reams of data which, in turn, contribute to greater - and faster - analysis and decisions. The showcase once again facilitated dialog and deal-flow between Ag industry leaders, emerging innovators and investors in ag-bio, renewable energy, sustainable materials, food production, animal health and farming technologies from 11 countries. 

 

What 2012 attendees are saying:

 

"As a small company interesting in making high-impact connections with executive level people in organizations of relevance and significance, this was one of the most worthwhile events I have attended. The commitment to delivering a high quality event was evident in all the details, from the highly polished company presentations through to simple things which other events never seem to achieve."- Brett Ammundsen, CEO, Biomatters Limited. 

 

"The diverse group of attendees from start-ups, medium size and large multinationals covering a wide range of agriculture in addition to consultants, university, state & provincial tech transfer and venture fund managers was appreciated." - Vahid Aidun, Licensing Leader, Dow AgroSciences

 

"It's the one agriculture technology investing conference in an exciting market that should be getting much more attention much more quickly as technology comes over the wall from other industries to improve processes, products, and feed the world."- Dan Hodgson, Managing Director, Linn Grove Ventures.

 

The Ag Innovation Showcase is a joint effort of BRDG Park at Danforth Plant Science Center and Larta Institute.


AG INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS

Drought, Food Shortage Cast Spotlight on Ag Innovation Showcase  

Forbes 
 
As a record-breaking summer of heat and drought gives way to the reality of a shrinking harvest across the Midwest, a gathering of experts, industry executives, government policymakers, investors and entrepreneurs will take place in the middle of the country to discuss approaches that would solve the global issues of food, energy and drought.

"The first green revolution in the '60s changed agriculture," said Sam Fiorello, chief operating officer of The Danforth Plant Science Center. "The second green revolution will require us to produce much more using less inputs like fresh water."
 
Read the article in its entirety here

Ag's Genius on Display at Innovation Showcase Farm Futures

Einsteins. High-rollers. Dreamers. Capitalists.

They're all here at the 2012 Ag Innovation Showcase, a place where bankers and brainiacs look to partner with each other to build a better mouse trap in that sweet confluence we call capitalism.

  

Here at the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, a horde of venture capitalists look on breathlessly as CEOs from fledgling startups explain, one by one - in nine minutes, not counting questions - how the new product they are developing will change the food and agriculture business.

Read the article in its entirety here.

  

Boeing executive: Industry "begging for biofuels
 
AgriNews

Jim Tracy, a senior vice president and chief technology officer with the Boeing Co., came to the region to seek help for advanced development of renewable fuels.

"I bring very good news to this group," said Tracy, speaking at the Ag Innovation Showcase. "The commercial aviation business is begging for a high-quality, high-quantity biofuel to come into the market.

"There's a market here just waiting for people like you to scale these products up. If you build it, we will buy it."
 

Read the article in its entirety here.

We extend our sincere thanks to the generous sponsors of the 2012 Ag Innovation Showcase. Their support, investment and commitment have been vital to realizing the vision of creating a global forum on agriculture where Ag venture capitalists and corporate strategics connect. We look forward to a continued partnership.
 
Sam Fiorello                           Mark Gorski
             

[email protected]   [email protected]

  

  

 
TENANTS IN THE NEWS 

 

Allied Blending & Ingredients Inc.

food & drink  

"A recent example is our response to a dairy market plagued by rising ingredient costs and customer requests to provide them    alternatives." "We went outside the box of just finding ingredient alternatives and developed complete, one-bag formulated solutions that brought price stability and improved product qualities to our customers. The result has been an entirely new product line supported by our Dairy Research Center just opened by us in St. Louis last August." MORE.

 

Novus International, Inc.

St. Louis Business Journal

Novus International is an animal health and nutrition company with the mission of feeding the world "affordable, wholesome food" to achieve a higher quality of life. So when it comes to its employees, the company is putting its money where its mouth is. MORE.

 

HighQuest Partners

ABC News

HighQuest Partners' agribusiness expert and director Philippe de Lap�rouse was recently featured in various Australian media outlets to discuss agricultural investments. MORE.

 

Phycal

The Guardian

So why continue to pursue the algae dream? Because algae, even skeptics say, are remarkable little creatures that could someday realize their potential as energy producers. Algae farms are under development in Hawaii, by Phycal, and in Karratha, Australia, by Aurora Algae, and in Florida, by Algenol. MORE.

 

Nidus Partners

Biofuels Digest

Investors with vision and moxie. Those two companies share Roger Wyse in their investment team, the visionary VC from Burrill & Co, who will join us on stage as well. He'll be joined by Duke Leahey of Nidus Partners, which was formed with Novozymes, Monsanto and Bunge, and Annie Hazlehurst, now leading biobased investing at the massive Capricorn Investments (though you may know her best from DFJ). MORE.

 

Akermin

Carbon Capture Journal 

Akermin has signed an agreement with Southern Company Services to install and operate a pilot plant incorporating its biocatalyst delivery system at the National Carbon Capture Center.

As part of a two-year project, partially funded through a grant from the US Department of Energy, Akermin is designing a pilot plant to demonstrate the performance of its enzyme based biocatalyst system for high efficiency carbon dioxide capture. MORE

 

Donald Danforth Plant  Science Center

News

Seminars/Symposia