AgriNovus Archives - The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership

AgriNovus Indiana’s Velocity Announces 2025 Winners, Awards $75,000 to Entrepreneurs at Demo Day Event

Courtney Kerr2025-06-19T11:28:39-04:00June 19, 2025|

Forty-Two Teams Develop Solutions in BioInnovation, Farmer-Focused Innovation and Food is Health; Launches Next Phase of Velocity Program Designed for Scale-Up Companies AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, today announced Chicago, Ill.-based Integrated Dynamics, Indianapolis, Ind.-based NanoBio Designs and South Bend, Ind.-based NutriPop have won Velocity, securing each company $25,000 to advance their tech-enabled businesses that address many of the toughest challenges facing the food and agbioscience economy. In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Elevance Health, Beck’s Hybrids, Ag Alumni Seed and Gutwein Law, Velocity challenges students, startups and existing companies to create solutions to fill research-defined gaps in three critical areas: bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health. “Velocity was launched to inspire innovation that addresses three critical forces of change facing our food and agbioscience economy today and well [...]

National Search Underway for AgriNovus Indiana’s Next President and CEO

Courtney Kerr2025-06-19T15:26:05-04:00June 16, 2025|

AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, has launched the search for its next President and CEO following Mitch Frazier’s departure from the organization after a five-year tenure. Indianapolis-based Medallion Partners, a national organization development and executive search firm, will lead the search with the help of a committee of industry leaders identified by the AgriNovus Executive Committee. Members include: Karen Plaut — executive vice president for research at Purdue University – chair of the AgriNovus Board of Directors and committee lead Trent Torrance – chief operating officer at United Animal Health – vice-chair of the AgriNovus Board of Directors David Pugh – chief financial officer at AgReliant Genetics Jeff Simmons – CEO of Elanco Wes Sprinkle – CEO of Indiana Farmers Insurance “Growing and advancing agbioscience innovation is critical to Indiana’s economy,” said Karen Plaut, executive [...]

AgriNovus Indiana to award $75,000 to entrepreneurs at Velocity Demo Day June 18 in Indianapolis

Courtney Kerr2025-05-21T10:33:58-04:00May 21, 2025|

Three winners to receive $25,000 each for solutions to challenges in bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, will host its first Velocity Demo Day from 3 to 6 p.m. on June 18 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, awarding three winning teams $25,000 each. In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Elevance Health, Beck’s Hybrids, Ag Alumni Seed and Gutwein Law, the event culminates a six-month startup accelerator designed to inspire creation of tech-enabled businesses that address research-defined challenges in bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health. “Velocity is designed to accelerate development of solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing the food and agricultural economy in Indiana and around the globe,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus. “Demo Day will spotlight entrepreneurs [...]

Mitch Frazier, AgriNovus President and CEO to Step Down

Courtney Kerr2025-05-20T10:20:37-04:00May 16, 2025|

Organization Launches National Search for New President and CEO AgriNovus Indiana announced today it is launching a search for a new chief executive officer following the resignation of its current CEO Mitch Frazier who will depart from the organization June 6. Frazier, who has served as president and CEO of AgriNovus since June 2020, will become President of IBJ Media Corporation June 16. “It has been an honor to serve alongside the team at AgriNovus and work with partners across the state and around the world to build the next chapter of the agbioscience economy in Indiana,” said Frazier. “Together we have built a powerful engine to accelerate growth in this economy, and I know the passion that fuels this team will continue to deliver results well into the future.” During Frazier’s tenure at AgriNovus, the organization refined its [...]

AgriNovus Indiana announces Producer-Led Innovation Challenge to improve on-farm operations

Ronnetta Spalding2024-08-21T13:45:28-04:00August 21, 2024|

Companies, students, startups, academics and innovators to compete for $25,000 grand prize; Registration ends September 7 INDIANAPOLIS — AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, launched the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge today – a nine-week accelerator to create tech-enabled businesses that manage on-farm labor shortages while also saving farmers time and money. In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge creates an opportunity for companies, entrepreneurs, students and innovators to compete for a $25,000 grand prize by developing technology that reduces labor needs without facing the strategic decision between investment risk and labor uncertainty. “Farmers continue to face critical headwinds when it comes to securing adequate on-farm labor,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge creates an opportunity for tech innovators to develop solutions [...]

AgriNovus Indiana announces addition, change to its board of directors

Ronnetta Spalding2024-07-25T02:35:00-04:00July 25, 2024|

INDIANAPOLIS — AgriNovus Indiana, a nonprofit coalition focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today an addition and change to its board of directors. The board unanimously approved the addition of Gil Farley, president and owner of Biodyne USA and BW Fusion, to the board and approved David Pugh, chief financial officer of AgReliant Genetics to replace an outgoing director. “Indiana’s agbioscience economy continues to experience growth and strength thanks to the direction and support of the AgriNovus board of directors,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The addition of Gil and Dave to our Board brings even more leadership and context to our team as we work to build the agbioscience economy of the future.” Farley launched Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Biodyne USA in 2012 and BW Fusion in 2019 with a focus on using the [...]

New study shows Indiana’s agbioscience sector contributes nearly $70B to state’s economy

Ronnetta Spalding2024-12-20T21:54:19-05:00July 16, 2024|

AgriNovus Indiana-commissioned study benchmarks state’s global competitiveness, defines three priority opportunities for the future INDIANAPOLIS — AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, released new research today that found Indiana’s agbioscience sector contributes $69.6 billion to the state’s economy and identified forces expected to shape its global competitiveness. Conducted by RTI International, the study entitled Accelerate 2050: A Vision for Indiana Agbioscience, identified the state’s relative economic performance across food, animal health, plant science, agtech and production agriculture and defined priority opportunities to position Indiana’s agbioscience economy for differentiated growth amid future uncertainty. “Agbioscience is a critical contributor to economic growth and is connected to every person on the planet given it centers on food,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “This new research not only defines the [...]

AgriNovus Indiana announces Producer-Led Innovation Challenge to advance tech that improves net farm income

Raquel Bahamonde2023-09-20T08:53:43-04:00September 20, 2023|

Companies, students, startups, academics and innovators to compete for $25,000 grand prize; Registration ends September 30 INDIANAPOLIS, IN — AgriNovus Indiana, a non-profit focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, launched a challenge today to inspire innovation that creates new revenue streams from current on-farm processes to increase efficiency and return on investment for producers’ operations. In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge is a seven-week accelerator that creates an opportunity for companies, entrepreneurs, students and innovators to compete for a $25,000 grand prize by developing technology to create and access new sources of on-farm profitability rooted in existing workflows. “Farmers are entrepreneurs by definition,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus. “The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge provides a unique opportunity for farmers and tech innovators to come together, identify a challenge [...]

Intersection of Agbioscience and Tech

Raquel Bahamonde2023-09-18T01:11:05-04:00September 14, 2023|

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New study shows Indiana as emerging agtech innovation hub

Raquel Bahamonde2023-09-18T01:06:01-04:00September 14, 2023|

AgriNovus Indiana-commissioned study identifies opportunity to unite state's strengths in agbioscience, tech INDIANAPOLIS — AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the state’s agbioscience economy, released new research today showing Indiana as an emerging hub for agtech innovation due to its strengths in agriculture and technology. Conducted by TEConomy Partners, the study entitled The Intersection of Agbioscience and Tech, identified the growth of tech-related positions across the broader Indiana economy and in agbioscience, including identifying the occupations contributing to the growth. “The agbioscience economy is the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet given it centers on food,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “Given Indiana’s strength in agbioscience and its history of success in technology, significant opportunity exists to further unite these two industries to build the next chapter of Indiana’s economy.” [...]

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