Source: America’s Cultivation Corridor news release, posted October 16, 2019

New program will bring international startups to Iowa for 10-day immersion experience, training and networking

DES MOINES, IOWA – America’s Cultivation Corridor announced today the launch of the Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program for startup companies and entrepreneurs. The groundbreaking program will provide opportunities for international startups to learn from and connect with Iowa’s agricultural research and business leadership during a 10-day immersion cohort in the state’s ag startup ecosystem.

“Iowa producers feed and fuel the world, making us the perfect host for the 2019 World Food Prize,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “We know that the solutions to global food security and sustainability challenges can only be solved by a combination of innovations, technologies and new practices developed by the best and brightest minds around the world. The Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program is an exciting new opportunity to bring global entrepreneurs and innovators to Iowa to share their ideas and engage with world-renowned researchers, industry leaders and farmers.”

America’s Cultivation Corridor will host and coordinate the Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program in partnership with its investors and supporting organizations. The Iowa State University Startup Factory, Iowa AgriTech Accelerator, ISU Pappajohn Center and ISU Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative (Ag EI) will be key partners involved in program planning and mentorship coordination, along with incubators and accelerators across Iowa.

The Corridor plans to host the first cohort in spring 2020 with five to ten startups from a country that will be announced in the future.

“The next generation of ag and bioscience technologies are being researched, tested and scaled up in Iowa right now, with Iowa State University and our renowned faculty leading the way in many areas,” said Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, president of Iowa State University.

“Participating in the Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program will give startups from around the world access to the latest expertise in nearly every aspect of ag technologies, from biofuels to livestock production and agronomics to predictive ag.”

The 10-day program in Iowa will be tailored to the interests of each country’s cohort, with each session featuring:

*Introduction to the U.S. startup community and entrepreneurial ecosystem;

*Training and mentor support for pitch development and refinement;

*Engagement with Iowa State University including top industry faculty, ISU Research Park and ISU BioCentury Research Farm;

*Introduction to U.S. financial system and regulatory programs; and

*Tailored engagement with industry leading farmers

Cohort sessions will conclude with a Pitch Day event, providing each startup participant the opportunity to present their company to global industry leaders, world-renowned research faculty, investors, and venture capitalists.

“Iowa has not only established a leadership position in global agriculture and bioscience, but also developed a strong and innovative ecosystem for agriculture startups and entrepreneurs,” said Charles Sukup, president of Sukup Manufacturing Co. and chair of America’s Cultivation Corridor board of directors. “The diversity of Iowa’s agricultural industry makes it the perfect place to host an immersion program that will connect startups with leaders in their business focus area.”

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or cohort participation, visit www.cultivationcorridor.org/cultivo or contact Billie Hunt, executive director at America’s Cultivation Corridor at bhunt@cultivationcorridor.org.

Investors and partners of America’s Cultivation Corridor are working together to accelerate the development of new technologies, strengthen Iowa’s ag bioscience workforce, and attract economic development, all focused on meeting the challenge of feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way.

Stakeholders in America’s Cultivation Corridor include Iowa State University, Corteva Agriscience, Deere & Company, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Pork Producers, Kent Corporation, MidAmerican Energy Company, Ames Economic Development Corporation, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Iowa Farm Bureau, ISG, Kemin, REG, Sukup Manufacturing, Sukup Manufacturing, Co., Summit Agriculture and Vermeer Corporation.

More information is available at CultivationCorridor.org.

About America’s Cultivation Corridor
Focused on further developing and marketing the world-renowned agricultural and bioscience economy in Iowa, America’s Cultivation Corridor is building on a rich history of innovation to accelerate value-added agriculture business development by attracting companies, talent and capital from across the globe to the state. Representing a diverse public-private coalition of stakeholders including Iowa State University, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Chamber of Commerce, nonprofits and private sector companies from across the region and state, the Cultivation Corridor is one of the nation’s foremost cluster-based economic development organizations. For more information, visit CultivationCorridor.org.