Global venture capital deal volume has fallen by 50% worldwide since peaking in the first quarter of 2022 – that’s according the global analyst firm CB Insights. Despite the decline, companies are raising capital. Today’s guest is here to share more about the current fundraising environment and what it means for innovation.  Audre Kapacinskas, principal with S2G Ventures – the second most active agtech investor in America – joins us to talk investment across the entire value chain.   The daughter of an immigrant, Audre found her love for the food space when her mother opened up a bakery. That love took her on a professional journey to s2g Ventures where she focuses on helping their nearly 100 portfolio companies in food and agriculture thrive. She gets into solutions that create more balance across the value chain, removing the brunt of risk and cost to the farmer and aligning financial incentives to drive impact. Audre also talks about the importance of having farmers at the discussion table when it comes to innovation and what she’s seeing in terms of valuation, time to close and how entrepreneurs and investors are working together during a tumultuous time; she stresses patient capital in the agbiosciences as being important.  So what will the capital landscape look like in the future? Audre talks big corporate investment, aligning incentives for all stakeholders to drive innovation and how she sees the agbiosciences evolving from an era of great moderation to one of great volatility.

Discussion around the energy transition often focuses on electrification, but one Indiana company and thousands of Indiana farmers are working together to create new options in that transition – specifically around biofuels. Today’s guest is a long-time energy leader and the chief executive of one of Indiana’s largest privately held companies. Matt Smorch, CEO of CountryMark, joins us to talk the continued emergence of biofuels, diversifying for the farmer and answers a question that most won’t know: where exactly does our fuel come from?  How will farmers play a role in the new innovative energy sources coming to market? Matt talks about lessons learned from E-85 and how changing the gasoline standard could open up a wide array of new options for fuel (and agriculture). He also looks ahead and how CountryMark will continue to innovate to stay reliable and serve the farmer.

An estimated 88% of Americans will consume turkey this Thanksgiving – that equates to more than 46 million turkeys! It’s big business for farmers across the country, including here in Indiana where the state has become the fourth largest producer of turkey in the country. Becky Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association, joins this week to share more about Indiana’s turkey production and the innovation making it possible.  Becky talks all things poultry in Indiana – ranging from key innovators like Miller Poultry and Maple Leaf Farms – to the well-informed at-home farmer with a smaller flock. She also dives into turkey’s growing presence in many forms (deli meats, sausage links and more) on your grocery store shelves, With poultry demand on the rise, where are the opportunities for innovators to disrupt the industry? Becky talks nutrition, genetics and environment as spaces ripe for new discoveries and how poultry farmers approach adoption of new innovations. She talks about the critical role of Indiana corn and soybeans to poultry farmers’ success and what’s ahead for the industry.

Parvovirus – a potentially deadly disease in puppies – has been called the world’s most common canine infectious disease. The viral infection is one that has long been battled through a preemptive vaccine regimen and treated by managing the clinical signs of the infection. However, a new innovation from Indiana-based animal health giant Elanco is transforming canine care through science. This week, we are joined by Elanco veterinarian and veterinarian technical marketer, Dr. Jennifer Miller, to talk about the newly approved monoclonal anitibody treatment for canine parvovirus.  What is parvovirus, how is it caused and what were the treatment options before Elanco’s breakthrough monoclonal antibody? Dr. Miller talks about its severity, its commonality and why this innovation was so critical for puppy owners. She also gets into the years it takes to bring innovation to market and the rewarding feeling of watching it save lives in clinics across the country.   How does this become the next wave of innovation at Elanco? Dr. Miller talks about the transferable opportunities to other animals and to human health. She also gets into the collaborative spirit working to advance the innovation ecosystem and what she sees as the future of animal health.

Approximately 6% of the U.S. population are veterans – those who have served in the U.S. military. Leaders who have donned the uniform have gone on to serve in roles that are now shaping the future of the food and agbioscience economy. Today’s guest is doing just that. W US Army COL (retired) Mark Purdy joins us to talk about his journey through the military and into agbioscience, what Aimpoint does and how he sees food and agriculture innovating for the future.  What exactly is wargaming and how can it impact agriculture? Mark talks about its nexus of art and science, understanding the industry better today – and tomorrow. Geopolitical tension continues to spread across different parts of the globe. How will uncertainty drive innovation? Marks lays out our opportunities, science creating new efficiencies and asking a really important question: who are the farmers of the future? And what will they require of us?

Biotech – everything from innovation in seeds and animal vaccines to new foods and human medicines – hold tremendous opportunity to transform the future. The science also represents significant opportunity to create new jobs and improve America’s national security. Those were just a few of the key theses outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and key reasons why the US Department of Commerce designated Indiana one of 31 federal tech hubs in October. Today we are joined by Dave Roberts and Andrew Kossack of The Applied Research Institute to share more about what this designation means.  They talk about how the tech hub came to be, Indiana’s strengths on the balance sheet – from agbioscience to advanced manufacturing – and our ability to collaborate across industries in the application process. A question you might have: what exactly is a tech hub? Dave and Andrew get into what the Heartland Bioworks tech hub means for Indiana, our future potential and how see animal, plant and human science coming together to advance the state’s economy.

Innovations in seed holds tremendous promise – from improving yield to resilience and profitability – and has transformed significantly over the last few decades. Today we are joined by Beck’s Hybrids President, Scott Beck, to talk about the iconic family-owned brand, being a third-generation leader in the business and watching a small operation grow to the massive brand it is today.  Scott talks all things company culture and keeping that as you grow and scale a business. He also reflects on returning to the company after graduating from Purdue in 1987 (he was the 12th employee), shifting their focus from being a seed company that has marketing to becoming a marketing company that has seed, and viewing all things through the lens of the farmer. That includes relationships with many agbioscience companies to bring diversity and value to the farmer.   What’s ahead for Beck’s Hybrids? More of the farmer, of course. Scott talks R&D, looking into the future to help the farmer and how he sees the company innovating in the future.

Forbes – the global business media powerhouse – named Indiana the best place to start a business in 2023. It’s one of many recent wins on the board for Indiana – a trophy case that includes everything from securing commitments for $33B in capital investment in the last six quarters to securing the rights to host the next Global Economic Congress. It’s momentum that today’s guest seeks to continue. Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg joins us to look into the future, poising Indiana for success and retaining young talent in state for generations to come.  David talks about getting the economy you want versus the one that comes to you, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) becoming a strategic organization and agbioscience’s role in building our state’s future. He also gets into Indiana’s evolving talent pipeline and creating the necessary tools for companies to fill jobs. David also talks about growing the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, venture’s growth and opportunities in Indiana and shaking the humble Hoosier mindset.   With all this momentum and a little bit of time left under Governor Holcomb’s administration, what’s next for IEDC? David looks ahead at what needs to be done, the strength of their team to make it happen and his excitement for Indiana’s future.

The agbioscience story is one worth telling in many aspects and that’s exactly what Delaney Howell-Groth has done in her career. The ag journalist turned founder of AgCulture Marketing joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about shaping the story of companies across the industry, having affinity for rural America and innovation driving the food system. Delaney also talks about unlocking emotions alongside facts, new technologies as a story and an industry that’s ripe to create excitement and vibrancy in rural communities across the country.

About 25% of U.S. farm products by value are exported annually. That global market fuels demand for producers and the companies that serve them across the Midwest. Ben Forsythe, Director of Sustainability and Value Creation with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, is just back from a global trip to visit some of those foreign markets and joins us today to share new perspective on the markets and the opportunities they create for innovation.   From his travels to The Netherlands to Indonesia, he gets into the unique challenges each country faces, how Indiana farmers can help solve those challenges to meet the needs of the world’s markets. He also talks about gleaning inspiration from other countries that could validate and improve the great work we already do here. No matter where they're at in this world, farmers speak a universal language; so what did their shared communication look like on the trip? Ben talks common themes and conversations taking place in agriculture across the world.

From chocolate to food innovation, True Essence Foods has taken a disciplined approach to making food ingredients taste better. This week, founder and CEO, Matt Rubin, joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about what the food supply chain of tomorrow looks like and the technology helping them pave the way.   Matt also gets into sustainability, balancing flavor and water to create delicious, shelf-stable food at commercial scale, and the growing list of partners in collaboration with True Essence Foods. As the company recently announced a $27.6M growth investment from AFM Capital Partners, what do they plan to do next? Matt talks all things expansion – both in terms of equipment and talent – in order to grow and scale the business.

How does a recovering journalist make her way into diagnostics? Answer: agriculture (or as she puts it, the cornerstone of human civilization). Tamara Leigh, EIO Diagnostics Co-Founder and CEO, joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about artificial intelligence and machine learning as a tool for detection and prevention of mastitis in dairy cows. As “super athletes of lactation,” she gets into dairy cows’ productivity, the importance of being able to detect for mastitis and how the EIO Diagnostics is integrated into dairy operations.   How is the dairy industry evolving? Tamara talks about perception versus reality, dairy being more than just beverages and driving efficiency to create sustainability and profitability for farmers and the planet. She also talks about their solution being shaped by farmers, gleaning innovative inspiration from other sectors and what’s ahead for EIO Diagnostics.

Agbioscience was in Melbourne, Australia last week for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress – a gathering of more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, investors and organizations from more than 120 counties - all focused on supporting startups and building the economy of the future. During the conference, the United States – particularly Indiana took center stage. Today we are joined by Mark Marich, EVP of the Global Entrepreneurship Network and David Watkins, Senior Vice President of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, to talk about the conference and its future plans to bring the conference to Indiana in 2025.  Helping entrepreneurs flourish is what the Global Entrepreneurship Network does – no matter where they are located across the globe. Mark and David get into what the conference entails, why they chose Indiana as their destination for 2025 and the rapidly evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem across the state. Indianapolis will be the first U.S. city to host the conference since it was originally founded and there will be a chance for Indiana to spotlight its entrepreneurs. What people can do ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress to prepare for what’s to come? All that and more is here; learn more.

From her days as a dance major at Indiana University to the possibility of opening up her own aerial yoga studio, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit runs through Rachel Klein’s veins. This week, the co-founder and CEO of Revival Food Company, joins us to walk through her journey as a food entrepreneur, how the company has grown and scaled to date and what it’s like to be an Indiana startup.  Rachel also talks about her gut check moment of choosing to grow Revival Food Company instead of staying small, the challenges of being a female founder and connecting with Walmart to get her products into 1,000 stores in 2020. Revival is focused on bringing new energy to the market, so what’s next? Rachel talks about the future of her company and what consumers can expect as she continues to grow (hint: it’s well beyond nut butters).  Revival Food Company was a finalist for the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition. To learn more, click here.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, edge computing … all new disciplines of science that are transforming the future. And, they are as close as the nearest farm field thanks to today’s guest and his team of engineers and technologists. Aaron Wetzel, John Deere’s Vice President, Production and Precision Ag Production Systems, joins us to talk about his journey through the agbiosciences, tech transforming the industry and the company’s recent acquisition in Indiana.  How does John Deere balance the creation of their own tech versus acquisition? Aaron gets into how they walk that line, marrying strengths and how Smart Apply came to be a part of their portfolio. How will this next chapter of innovation unfold? Aaron leans into the discussion of a growing population and less land creating challenges for the farmer – and John Deere’s readiness to answer that call across the globe to enable farmers to be more efficient to grow more food with less resources than ever before.

Leaders from agbioscience juggernauts gathered on stage at the Rally Innovation Conference last month to talk about the growing, evolving sector and what’s ahead for the agbiosciences in terms of both challenges and opportunities. This week, we bring the panel to you. Brook Cunningham, Chief Strategy Officer at Corteva Agriscience, Audre Kapacinkskas, Principal at S2G Ventures and Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco, have a candid discussion on their vision for the future of food and innovating to feed a growing population.  They get into how they are approaching the challenge of feeding more people with less resources, how funding will impact new innovators entering the market and streamlining new innovation from the outside looking in (rather than internally at large companies). How do companies think about internal research and development versus acquiring innovation from the outside? Brook and Jeff break down their approach in this area, collaborating cross sector to drive new solutions into the market and doing what you’re good at (or as Brook says: fit and focus).  What innovations do Brook, Audre and Jeff see as potential game changers for the agbioscience? They discuss emerging technologies, sustainability as profitability and barriers that exist that keep innovation from the farm gate.

Twenty-two years ago, terrorists took to the sky and transformed airplanes into weapons. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the attacks. The nation and the world responded, and much has changed since to enhance U.S. National Security. One area that remains a significant area of focus is here in agbioscience – specifically the food system. To help define this challenge and how the Nation is responding is a former Marine and a national security expert. Today we are joined by U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana to talk about his military service, the events of 9/11 unveiling just how vulnerable Americans were and the correlation between food security and national security.  Once deemed by Senator Young as “a moral imperative,” he dives into hunger within our country’s food system, the proximity to anarchy and crises when food access is removed and the importance of sustaining and nurturing these systems to keep our nation secure. He also talks about the role of innovation in creating better food security, The CHIPS and Science Act to enable this innovation and Indiana’s enviable position to lead the way in creating a better food system for a growing population.

From the outside looking in, most would be shocked to learn that Mahsa Vazin was once afraid of dogs. The PawCo Foods founder went from a career in chemistry and nanoscience to plant-based diets for humans in her role at Impossible Foods – and eventually, her work trickled into pet animals. AgriNovus spoke with Mahsa during the Rally Innovation Conference in Indianapolis to talk about gaps in the pet food market, key allergens in dogs and her fast-growing line of fresh, plant-based dog foods.   She gets into the emerging trends surrounding plant-based foods for humans and animals, approaching the direct-to-customer subscription sales model and her plans to grow and scale PawCo (hint: it involves the Midwest). Masha also talks about her advice to entrepreneurs and what’s ahead for her company.  PawCo Foods was announced as the winner of the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition and could receive up to $1M in funding for her company. Learn more here.

Only 9% of adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s a startling statistic that one agbioscience innovator is seeking to improve through at-home technology. Today we are joined by Scott Massey, founder and CEO of Anu, to talk about his gropod technology paving the way for greater food access and sustainability.   From delivering the student newspaper at Purdue University at night to cover costs of growing his business, Scott talks about habout his entrepreneurial journey, his Purdue roots helping to get his innovation off the ground and what consumers could expect from the company’s gropod system in their home – from leafy greens to tomatoes and herbs.   With momentum on his side, including a READI grant to manufacture his systems, the question remains: what’s the long-term goal for Anu? Scott gets into his vision for the company and the rewarding feeling of connection consumers to nutrition.    About Anu Anu™ is a health and wellness brand that empowers consumers to grow Pure Produce® within the convenience of their homes through their proprietary Rotary Aeroponics® technologies.  This 'Nespresso for plants' business model supplies consumers with recurring seed pod subscriptions to sustainably grow Pure Produce that has superior flavor, nutrition, and food safety.  Anu was founded by former Purdue University NASA research engineers, and is now commercializing these technologies funded by the Purdue University Research Foundation Venture Capital Fund, the NSF (National Science Foundation) to develop computer vision AI algorithms, and State of Indiana Manufacturing Grants accelerating their seed pod mass manufacturing capabilities to support commercial partnerships.

Innovation is something often discussed but is often under executed across sectors. Earlier this year, the agbioscience economy witnessed a powerful commitment to cross-sector innovation when global ag giant Corteva announced plans to create a new low Carbon fuel with oil giant Chevron and ag processor Bunge. Inspiring more of these cross-sector innovations is believed to hold tremendous opportunity for creating the economy of the future, and today’s bonus guest is laser focused on making that happen with a new event that is underway. Toph Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures and the mastermind behind the Rally Innovation Conference in Indianapolis, joins us to kick off Rally’s inaugural year and talk about our opportunity to bring together disparate stakeholders across innovative sectors to drive new ideas and creative collisions to move faster than before.  From brain dates to a $5 million pitch competition, high-level keynote speakers like Moira Gunn and Peyton Manning, Toph gets into what visitors can expect from the event in downtown Indianapolis (hint: Peyton Manning opens for an AgriNovus led panel discussion on Thursday at 10 AM).   Tickets are still available for Rally and single-day passes are also available for purchase. Visit rallyinnovation.com.