Four start-up companies have been selected as finalists in the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, competing for a grand prize of $100,000. The American Farm Bureau Federation, alongside Farm Credit, is organizing this event to promote entrepreneurship in agriculture.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, "It’s an honor to spotlight the final four teams in the Ag Innovation Challenge." He emphasized that the competition encourages entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions that benefit farmers and ranchers.
This marks the 12th year of the Ag Innovation Challenge, which is notable for being the first national business competition focused solely on rural entrepreneurs launching agriculture- and food-related businesses. Throughout the competition, Farm Bureau is distributing $145,000 in start-up funds.
Earlier this week, ten semi-finalist teams participated in a virtual pitch round judged by three experts from different sectors of the agricultural supply chain. The four finalist teams each received an initial prize of $10,000. They are CryoBio from New York, FarmSmarter.ai from Louisiana, KiposTech from Pennsylvania, and Vivid Machines from Washington.
These finalists will compete at the AFBF Convention on January 11 before an audience comprising Farm Bureau members, investors, and industry representatives. They will vie for titles and prizes including the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge Winner with a total award of $100,000 and Runner-up with $25,000.
The challenge receives financial support from sponsors such as Farm Credit, Bayer Crop Science, John Deere, Farm Bureau Bank, Farm Bureau Financial Services and T-Mobile. More information about the challenge can be found at fb.org/challenge.
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