Wisconsin is famous for its farms. In fact, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin is home to 64,793 farms. Meanwhile, the agricultural industry accounts for 11.8% of the state’s employment. So, it should not be a shock that Wisconsin is also home to several agriculture-based startups. Here is a look at a few of them:
SeedLinked – Viroqua
SeedLinked is a crowdsourcing platform that connects gardeners to one another. On the app, users can review and rank seeds in various ways including the company they are purchased from, the region they are from and the crop itself. Their data is used to help create a strong seed network by creating feedback loops from growers and seed developers and allows users to try new seeds with lower risk. In 2020, it received a $500,000 investment from Green Bay-based TitletownTech, which often invests in Wisconsin-based agricultural startups.
Agrograph – Madison
Agrograph is a platform that combines machine learning with satellite imagery to create a field prediction. By analyzing soil moisture to temperature, the platform is built to make knowing when to plant, plow and harvest the field for the most efficient farming. Agrograph wants to help solve issues in the farming world including farm bankruptcy and the decrease in farmers. In 2018, it received a $500,00 investment from the Idea Fund of La Crosse.
Fork Farms – Appleton
Fork Farms is an agriculture technology startup that creates hydroponic systems to revolutionize the food production process. Its goal is to make fresh food easier to access, while eliminating transportation costs and decreasing the amount of water and energy used in traditional agriculture production. In 2020, Fork Farms received funding from TitletownTech.
Shade Haven – Viroqua
Shade Haven works to create large mobile shade structures for grazing livestock farms. It was created to help farmers provide shade to their livestock in the fields and help prevent heat stress. This makes for a more productive grazing trip. In 2015, Shade Haven won seed funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) during Startup Flight Night.
AmebaGone – Madison
AmebaGone is a biocontrol startup seeking to solve antibiotic resistance in the agriculture industry. The AmebaGone team has been exploring new antimicrobial strategies using technology and naturally occurring predatory cell types to destroy bacterial infections in crops. In 2020, it received a $100,000 grant from the WEDC.
Understory – Madison
Understory focuses on weather technology through Dot, a solar-powered weather system that farmers can place in their field to collect hyper-local weather data, including humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and precipitation. Farmers can use the data to make more accurate field-based decisions and protect their crops and livestock. Since its founding, Understory has raised $24.5 million from venture funds around the country, including Madison-based 4490 Ventures.
