Ag Startup Engine

Ag Startup Engine, founded in 2015 and located in Ames, Iowa, is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting agricultural startups and entrepreneurs in the Midwest. The organization addresses key challenges in the sector by providing early seed stage investment and structured mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. Ag Startup Engine manages a venture capital fund that targets investments in agriculture, ag tech, and food tech, focusing on amounts ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 across approximately 45 companies. The firm is particularly interested in innovative areas such as robotics and drones, software as a service, financial technology, precision agriculture, animal health, livestock automation, and clean technology. By fostering growth in these fields, Ag Startup Engine aims to enhance the success of agricultural ventures in Iowa and beyond.

Joel Harris

Investor

Hannah Hill

Associate

Colin Hurd

Investor

Kevin Kimle

Investor

23 past transactions

Mazen Animal Health

Series A in 2022
Mazen Animal Health is a new company focused on developing, delivering and commercializing novel biological vaccines and therapeutics that disrupt the status quo and address complex or unsolved challenges in animal health and protein production. Their first disruptive solution is a reinvention of vaccines with a novel technology platform that will shift the paradigm in disease prevention.

GW Nutrition

Seed Round in 2022
GW Nutrition develops a technology to improve food ingredients where the sensory properties limit market opportunity.

Phinite

Seed Round in 2022
Phinite is a company focused on transforming animal waste, particularly from hog farming, into a renewable, low-carbon fertilizer. With the growing challenge of sludge management in North Carolina, where hog farmers face difficulties in disposing of lagoon sludge due to limited land availability, Phinite offers a solution. The company manufactures manure and drying systems that convert this waste into a granular, odorless product that can be easily spread using standard application equipment. By providing this innovative fertilizer, Phinite helps farmers enhance soil fertility and improve crop yields, addressing both environmental concerns and agricultural productivity.

N-Sense

Seed Round in 2021
N-Sense, LLC, established in 2017 and located in Ames, Iowa, specializes in developing a soil nitrate sensor system designed for real-time measurement of soil nitrate concentrations. This innovative technology can be attached to farm implements, allowing farmers to accurately assess nitrogen levels while on the move. By enabling precise application of nitrogen fertilizers, N-Sense's system helps farmers optimize their fertilizer use, enhancing farm profitability and reducing the environmental impact of over-application. The company's product empowers farmers to identify and manage soil variations within fields, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Salin 247

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Salin 247 is developing small-scale, light-weight, electric-powered, autonomous farm equipment used for growing crops.

Continuum Ag

Seed Round in 2021
Continuum Ag, Inc. develops soil health data platform TopSoil Tool. The company helps farmers to gain access to products and independent data and it helps food and ag companies to gain access to farmland and soil data. It offers web-based data mapping and boundary integration, unbiased soil fertility recommendations, harvest and as-applied data analytics, scouting tool, imagery integration, data sharing, and crop planning and data verification tools features. Continuum Ag, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Washington, Iowa.

Continuum Ag

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Continuum Ag, Inc. develops soil health data platform TopSoil Tool. The company helps farmers to gain access to products and independent data and it helps food and ag companies to gain access to farmland and soil data. It offers web-based data mapping and boundary integration, unbiased soil fertility recommendations, harvest and as-applied data analytics, scouting tool, imagery integration, data sharing, and crop planning and data verification tools features. Continuum Ag, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Washington, Iowa.

Gross-Wen Technologies

Series A in 2021
Gross-Wen Technologies, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets a wastewater treatment solution to recover nutrients from wastewater to municipalities and wastewater-producing industries. It offers revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system that recovers nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater while producing algae biomass that could be sold as a fertilizer or bioplastic. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Slater, Iowa.

Farmers Risk

Seed Round in 2021
Farmer’s Risk is a software platform that aggregates the critical risk management components used by farmers. It aggregates crop insurance choices, cash sales data, and futures and options data that farmers use and removes the barrier to making separate decisions for each component.

ChopLocal

Pre Seed Round in 2021
ChopLocal is an online meat market designed to supply meat from small butchers and family farmers around the nation. Customers may acquire premium-priced meat. the company's support of farmers and small companies, as well as its simple pick-up and delivery alternatives.

Mazen Animal Health

Seed Round in 2021
Mazen Animal Health is a new company focused on developing, delivering and commercializing novel biological vaccines and therapeutics that disrupt the status quo and address complex or unsolved challenges in animal health and protein production. Their first disruptive solution is a reinvention of vaccines with a novel technology platform that will shift the paradigm in disease prevention.

StockGuard

Seed Round in 2021
StockGuard offers a production yield insurance to protect livestock producers from unexpected financial losses. Stockguard's mission is to decrease production risk by bringing risk management and epidemiological expertise into collaboration with producers. Their insurance solutions will protect producers from perils, including diseases like PRRS and ASF, currently uncovered by common livestock insurance policies.

Tractor Zoom

Series A in 2020
Tractor Zoom, Inc. is an online platform based in Urbandale, Iowa, that connects farm equipment auctioneers with buyers. Established in 2017, the company offers a mobile application allowing auctioneers to list and promote farm machinery auctions while enabling buyers to search and browse available equipment. Tractor Zoom serves as a search engine for heavy equipment auctions and provides a database for market trends, utilizing big data and technology to facilitate informed purchasing decisions. Its platform streamlines the auction advertising process, allowing users to access auction inventory nationwide and manage their equipment purchases conveniently from their mobile devices.

Continuum Ag

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Continuum Ag, Inc. develops soil health data platform TopSoil Tool. The company helps farmers to gain access to products and independent data and it helps food and ag companies to gain access to farmland and soil data. It offers web-based data mapping and boundary integration, unbiased soil fertility recommendations, harvest and as-applied data analytics, scouting tool, imagery integration, data sharing, and crop planning and data verification tools features. Continuum Ag, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Washington, Iowa.

Farmpost

Seed Round in 2020
FarmHand App LLC is a mobile web application designed to connect farmers with local farmhands for various agricultural tasks. Founded in 2018 and based in De Witt, Iowa, the platform allows farmers to post job openings, manage applications, and communicate with potential hires. Users can quickly access nearby farmhands, browse available jobs, and filter listings according to their needs. The application also includes features such as candidate reviews and a tracking calendar, enabling farmers to efficiently find and select quality workers for day-to-day operations on their farms.

Haber Technologies

Seed Round in 2020
Haber Technologies, Inc. is a company that specializes in developing advanced grain drying technology aimed at enhancing grain quality within the agriculture sector. Founded in 2018 and based in Ames, Iowa, the company produces HaberStack, an artificial intelligence-driven machine that significantly reduces the time required to dry grains. This technology improves drying efficiency by nearly 20%, with projections for future iterations aiming for a 40% reduction. By enabling businesses to dry grains to specified moisture content, Haber Technologies supports longer storage times and better overall grain quality, while also promoting energy efficiency in the drying process.

SKROOT Laboratory

Seed Round in 2020
SKROOT Laboratory specializes in the development of wireless sensor systems designed for biotherapeutic process developers. The company has created a unique sensor sticker that, when applied to a reactor and paired with a reader, provides a wireless, non-invasive platform capable of continuously measuring critical parameters such as cell concentration, foaming, and temperature in upstream cell vessels and single-use bioreactors. This innovative technology enables operators to closely monitor bioprocesses, significantly reducing the risk of advancing costly conditions and accelerating the time to market for biotherapeutic products.

ClearFlame Engines

Seed Round in 2020
ClearFlame Engines, Inc. specializes in developing and manufacturing engines for heavy-duty applications, focusing on decarbonizing these engines to mitigate the reliance on diesel fuel. The company has created a patented system that allows for the production of high-performance engines at reduced costs, benefiting various sectors including marine, agriculture, transportation, power generation, rail, and construction. Founded in 2016 and based in Woodridge, Illinois, ClearFlame aims to lower operating costs while offering substantial fuel savings to its clients, addressing environmental challenges associated with traditional diesel engines.

Tractor Zoom

Seed Round in 2019
Tractor Zoom, Inc. is an online platform based in Urbandale, Iowa, that connects farm equipment auctioneers with buyers. Established in 2017, the company offers a mobile application allowing auctioneers to list and promote farm machinery auctions while enabling buyers to search and browse available equipment. Tractor Zoom serves as a search engine for heavy equipment auctions and provides a database for market trends, utilizing big data and technology to facilitate informed purchasing decisions. Its platform streamlines the auction advertising process, allowing users to access auction inventory nationwide and manage their equipment purchases conveniently from their mobile devices.

VetMeasure

Seed Round in 2019
VetMeasure, Inc. is a company based in Ames, Iowa, founded in 2015 that specializes in animal health monitoring technology. The company has developed MeasureOn, a wearable harness that enables veterinarians and pet owners to remotely monitor vital health statistics of dogs and other pets. This device tracks parameters such as heart and pulse rates, respiration, body temperature, and ambient conditions, providing real-time data to assess an animal's health status, particularly following surgical procedures or during illness. Utilizing Bluetooth technology and a web application, MeasureOn facilitates accurate health monitoring, enhancing the ability to respond to changes in an animal's condition promptly.

LEAH Labs

Seed Round in 2019
LEAH Laboratories specializes in developing innovative gene-editing technologies aimed at treating cancer in dogs, particularly B-cell lymphoma. The company utilizes precision gene editing to reprogram T immune cells with Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CAR), creating CAR T cells that can specifically target and eliminate cancerous cells while minimizing off-target effects commonly associated with traditional chemotherapy. By harnessing the natural capabilities of the canine immune system, LEAH Laboratories provides a novel approach to cancer treatment, offering hope to pet owners and veterinarians in their fight against this challenging disease. Based in the United States, LEAH Labs is committed to advancing medical therapies for canine health.

Tractor Zoom

Seed Round in 2018
Tractor Zoom, Inc. is an online platform based in Urbandale, Iowa, that connects farm equipment auctioneers with buyers. Established in 2017, the company offers a mobile application allowing auctioneers to list and promote farm machinery auctions while enabling buyers to search and browse available equipment. Tractor Zoom serves as a search engine for heavy equipment auctions and provides a database for market trends, utilizing big data and technology to facilitate informed purchasing decisions. Its platform streamlines the auction advertising process, allowing users to access auction inventory nationwide and manage their equipment purchases conveniently from their mobile devices.

automed

Pre Seed Round in 2018
automed Inc designs and manufactures automatic livestock medication systems. It offers automed, an automatic livestock medication systems that automatically calculates, delivers, and record livestock treatments, and help livestock producers manage their operation; and automed adapters that allow user to administer medication through injection, drench, pour-on and intra-nasal automatically, accurately, and efficiently. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in Belconnen, Australia.
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