Industry leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators from a variety of startups will host a panel discussion on opportunities in advanced agricultural technologies at the Heuerman Lecture Symposium at the Nebraska Innovation Campus on May 29. The theme is “Innovating Agricultural Technology: Cultivating the Farms of Tomorrow.”
Additionally, investment professionals will share insights into the financial ecosystem supporting Midwest entrepreneurial ventures in agricultural technology.
The free public symposium will be held at 3 p.m. in the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center and will be streamed live here. No application is required to participate. A networking reception will be held from 4:30 p.m.
The startup panel discussion will last 45 minutes, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session. Panel members represent a variety of agricultural technology companies.
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Marble Technologies (meat processing automation), Jordyn Bader;
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Nave Analytics (irrigation efficiency through real-time data supported by climate and crop modelling), Jessica Korinek;
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ALA Engineering (Software and Hardware Innovation in Cattle Feeding Operations), Jacob Hansen;
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Grain Weevil (grain bin safety control robot), Chad Johnson.
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Corral Technologies (cattle collar technology offering virtual fencing solutions), Jack Keating;
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Sentinel Fertigation (multispectral aerial crop imagery of crops that enables fertilization recommendations to manage nitrogen use), Shane Forney.
This will be followed by a 15-minute discussion on funding agricultural technology. The panel will include Ben Williamson and Mike Jung of Grit Road Partners, and Dan Hoffman and Josh DeMers of Invest Nebraska/The Combine.
Headquartered in Omaha, Grit Road Partners works with agricultural technology entrepreneurs to advance the Midwest as a global agricultural technology hub.
Invest Nebraska has partnered with the state Department of Economic Development to provide investment capital to early-stage startups in Nebraska since 2012. In 2019, Invest Nebraska was recognized by Pitchbook as the second-most active venture capital firm in the Mountain and Midwest regions. That same year, Invest Nebraska launched The Combine as an incubator to support food and agriculture entrepreneurs.
The Heuerman Lecture Series at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Institute is made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuerman of Phillips, Nebraska. The Heuermans are long-time supporters of the university and have a strong interest in Nebraska’s productive agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.
