All participating companies will receive complimentary conference registration for one person, one night hotel accommodations at host hotel and $500.00 for airfare.

 

Western Growers has partnered with S2G Ventures (Seed 2 Growth) to host the 2019 AgSharks® Competition, a challenge where start-up companies compete for $250,000 in investment capital to support the development and growth of their businesses (NOTE: an investment is not guaranteed). The challenge calls for entrepreneurs and startups who are developing innovative solutions in food, agtech and agriculture.

 

Five finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas to a panel of AgSharks, consisting of venture capitalists and fresh produce farmers, during the Western Growers Annual Meeting 2019 in Maui on November 12, 2019. The judges will decide on the spot whether and how much to invest. The entrepreneurs must then accept the offer, negotiate or decline. In addition to investment capital, successful entrants will receive international recognition, mentoring from S2G and Western Growers and potential access to farm acreage to pilot their technologies. All participating companies will receive complimentary conference registration for one person and one night hotel accommodations at host hotel.

 

AgSharks is the latest Western Growers effort to identify key innovations in the fresh produce industry and support agtech startups in bringing their technology to market. In December 2015, Western Growers opened an agtech incubator—the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (The Center)—in Salinas, California to provide startups with the resources and mentoring needed to get their companies and technologies up and running. The Center now houses nearly 50 startups.

 

Interested startup companies can apply below. Applications close on September 20, 2019.