Trailhead Capital

Avalo is a plant biology company that employs interpretable machine learning, genomic discovery, and evolutionary theory to expedite the development of new crops tailored for future agricultural needs. Utilizing AI-assisted plant breeding methods, Avalo creates non-GMO products that foster natural biodiversity. Its core technology, a discovery engine, can swiftly identify genetic bases of complex traits even in understudied crops, reducing time and cost significantly compared to traditional methods. This enables Avalo to forecast and enhance crop traits like drought tolerance and nutrient density, adapting agriculture to changing climates.

Eion develops and deploys enhanced rock weathering to permanently remove atmospheric CO2 by applying mineral amendments to agricultural soils. The process accelerates natural weathering to capture and store carbon, providing a verifiable pathway to decarbonization for farmers and the agricultural sector. The company also operates a geoscience and agronomic research platform that validates carbon removal procedures at scale, ensuring scientific verification of results.

Avalo is a plant biology company that employs interpretable machine learning, genomic discovery, and evolutionary theory to expedite the development of new crops tailored for future agricultural needs. Utilizing AI-assisted plant breeding methods, Avalo creates non-GMO products that foster natural biodiversity. Its core technology, a discovery engine, can swiftly identify genetic bases of complex traits even in understudied crops, reducing time and cost significantly compared to traditional methods. This enables Avalo to forecast and enhance crop traits like drought tolerance and nutrient density, adapting agriculture to changing climates.

HerdDogg, Inc. is a company that specializes in real-time livestock monitoring solutions for producers across various sectors, including beef, bison, dairy, and sheep. Founded in 2015 and based in Ashland, Oregon, the company offers a two-part system consisting of DoggTag ear tags and a passive device known as DoggBone. These components work together to collect and transmit data on individual animals, allowing ranchers to monitor breeding, health, and traceability through a mobile app and software platform. By providing insights into the activity, health, and location of each animal, HerdDogg enhances herd management and supports data-driven decision-making for livestock producers.

HerdDogg, Inc. is a company that specializes in real-time livestock monitoring solutions for producers across various sectors, including beef, bison, dairy, and sheep. Founded in 2015 and based in Ashland, Oregon, the company offers a two-part system consisting of DoggTag ear tags and a passive device known as DoggBone. These components work together to collect and transmit data on individual animals, allowing ranchers to monitor breeding, health, and traceability through a mobile app and software platform. By providing insights into the activity, health, and location of each animal, HerdDogg enhances herd management and supports data-driven decision-making for livestock producers.

Funga is a biotechnology company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that focuses on enhancing forestry outcomes through the application of the forest fungal microbiome. By leveraging advanced DNA sequencing and machine learning, Funga conducts groundbreaking research on forest microbiomes to identify and deploy suitable native, biodiverse communities of mycorrhizal fungi. This innovative approach aims to improve the quality of wood production, increase carbon sequestration, and foster the resilience of forests, thereby contributing to solutions for the climate crisis.

Eion develops and deploys enhanced rock weathering to permanently remove atmospheric CO2 by applying mineral amendments to agricultural soils. The process accelerates natural weathering to capture and store carbon, providing a verifiable pathway to decarbonization for farmers and the agricultural sector. The company also operates a geoscience and agronomic research platform that validates carbon removal procedures at scale, ensuring scientific verification of results.

Mad Capital facilitates financing for the agricultural sector, focusing on building regenerative organic farmers. Its platform provides long-term, customized loans for operating expenses, real estate, equipment, and infrastructure, enabling farmers to access strategic financial products.

Trace Genomics specializes in soil health and microbiome analysis, employing DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence to provide a soil microbiome test that enables early prediction of soil diseases, soil health, and crop quality. The company analyzes microbial composition and quantifies microbes, indexing this data and comparing it with soil chemistry to generate actionable insights for agronomists and corporate partners. Its platform integrates biology and chemistry data to help farmers optimize input use, improve yields, and manage risk, treating soil as a valuable asset. By mapping the soil microbiome, Trace Genomics aims to support sustainable agriculture through informed management decisions.

EarthSense develops autonomous agricultural robotics and AI software to improve farming productivity and sustainability. Its flagship TerraSentia robot is a compact, teachable platform that integrates on-board computation and multiple sensors for plant phenotyping and field data collection. The company offers an extensible platform that enables data-driven crop development, field scouting, and decision support to address labor shortages, weather variability, and the need to reduce chemical inputs. The platform gathers under-canopy data to support product development, crop research, and precision agriculture, helping growers obtain actionable insights, monitor weed pressures including herbicide resistance, and optimize management practices. EarthSense emphasizes a climate-smart approach by enabling more efficient use of inputs, improving soil and plant health, and facilitating scalable innovation in farming. The company is based in Champaign, Illinois.

Vence is a technology company that provides a hardware and software solution for livestock management, focusing on virtual fencing and autonomous animal control. Their platform employs sensors and GPS technology to enable farmers to remotely manage the movement and grazing of cattle through a smartphone application. This innovative approach not only enhances the utilization of available grazing resources but also significantly reduces costs associated with traditional fencing, such as hardware, maintenance, and labor. Additionally, Vence's system offers valuable insights into animal behavior, health, and fertility, ultimately helping livestock breeders optimize their operations and increase protein yield.

TeleSense, Inc. is an Agtech company specializing in real-time environmental monitoring solutions for the food and grain industry. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, TeleSense utilizes a suite of advanced sensors to provide grain managers with actionable insights regarding their stored grain, enabling informed storage decisions. The company's products include CellularSpear for monitoring grain conditions, SensorBall for storage temperature and moisture monitoring, and BuffaloBox, which retrofits traditional temperature cables to wireless systems. TeleSense's platform integrates cloud-based technology and machine learning algorithms to continuously monitor critical parameters such as temperature, humidity, and moisture, sending real-time alerts to users via the TeleSense app. This approach eliminates manual monitoring, minimizes grain spoilage, and enhances operational efficiency, ultimately increasing profitability across various sectors including agriculture, food supply chain, and commercial cooking.