AgriNovus Indiana

June was a busy one! From a trip to the Animal Health Nutrition Technology and Innovation Conference in Boston to hosting college students at agbioscience companies across Indiana, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister look back at the past month, what’s happening and what’s ahead.&nbsp; Hear from animal health innovators including Dr. Johanna Majamaa of GekkoVet and Celine Halioua from Loyal on bringing new solutions to market, the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead in the future. We also dive into Elanco’s announcement of FDA approval for Bovaer, a feed additive for lactating dairy cows that reduces methane emissions. &nbsp; We also welcomed nearly 30 college students from campuses across Indiana to tour agbioscience companies over the last month! Hear from Ball State chemistry student, Rilynne Puckett, on her experience and what she learned.&nbsp; QUADRANT is coming July 17 in Indianapolis! Register here at agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant.&nbsp; Lastly – Agbioscience is adding video! Watch, listen – whichever you prefer. &nbsp;

June was a busy one! From a trip to the Animal Health Nutrition Technology and Innovation Conference in Boston to hosting college students at agbioscience companies across Indiana, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister look back at the past month, what’s happening and what’s ahead. 

Hear from animal health innovators including Dr. Johanna Majamaa of GekkoVet and Celine Halioua from Loyal on bringing new solutions to market, the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead in the future. We also dive into Elanco’s announcement of FDA approval for Bovaer, a feed additive for lactating dairy cows that reduces methane emissions.  

We also welcomed nearly 30 college students from campuses across Indiana to tour agbioscience companies over the last month! Hear from Ball State chemistry student, Rilynne Puckett, on her experience and what she learned. 

QUADRANT is coming July 17 in Indianapolis! Register here at agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant. 

Lastly – Agbioscience is adding video! Watch, listen – whichever you prefer.  

307. Mitch Frazier recaps June, talks Animal Health Boston, Elanco’s FDA approval of Bovaer, opportunities to join us + a big announcement!

Biologicals – the broad category of ag input products derived from living organisms – have experienced significant growth in terms of adoption and investment. An analysis of Pitchbook data reveals there have been more than 6,000 deals in the global ag biotech market over the past decade. One of those companies driving growth is Biodyne USA. This week, we are joined by their National Director of Agronomy, Bodie Kitchel, to talk Biologicals vs. Biostimulants and what’s driving growth in the space.&nbsp; For Bodie, everyone’s “why” looks a little different when it comes to the adoption of biologicals and farm economics are certainly a piece of that. He gets into the farmer mindset around adopting innovation to leverage net farm income and Biodyne being an education company to help farmers learn where their dollar has the most value. Bodie also talks about needing economic impact right away but also balancing that belief with the value of economic impact in years two, three, four and five.&nbsp; With his experience in ag retail, how has Bodie seen innovation evolve? He talks about positioning, investment and companies being afraid of the unknown. Looking ahead, Bodie talks about that fear being outweighed by the urgency around innovating – and Biodyne USA doing it with speed.&nbsp;

Bodie Kitchel

National Director Agronomy, Biodyne USA

Biologicals – the broad category of ag input products derived from living organisms – have experienced significant growth in terms of adoption and investment. An analysis of Pitchbook data reveals there have been more than 6,000 deals in the global ag biotech market over the past decade. One of those companies driving growth is Biodyne USA. This week, we are joined by their National Director of Agronomy, Bodie Kitchel, to talk Biologicals vs. Biostimulants and what’s driving growth in the space. 

For Bodie, everyone’s “why” looks a little different when it comes to the adoption of biologicals and farm economics are certainly a piece of that. He gets into the farmer mindset around adopting innovation to leverage net farm income and Biodyne being an education company to help farmers learn where their dollar has the most value. Bodie also talks about needing economic impact right away but also balancing that belief with the value of economic impact in years two, three, four and five. 

With his experience in ag retail, how has Bodie seen innovation evolve? He talks about positioning, investment and companies being afraid of the unknown. Looking ahead, Bodie talks about that fear being outweighed by the urgency around innovating – and Biodyne USA doing it with speed. 

308. Biodyne USA’s Bodie Kitchel on the economics of biologicals, the pursuit of answers + innovating with urgency

There are over one billion cattle globally, emitting methane through a natural process called enteric fermentation. Reducing emissions have become a top target of innovators across animal health and one company out of New Zealand is tackling the challenge from inside the cow. This week, we are joined by Mark Weldon, chairman of Ruminant BioTech, to talk about their bolus – a slow-release device that sits in the cow’s stomach for up to six months and delivers high levels of methane knockdown (think over 70% across a 90-day window).&nbsp; How was this bolus developed? Mark talks about the mini pilot that launched Ruminant BioTech and the growing conversation around methane emission suppression. He also gets into factors that are paving the way for innovations like this to emerge and creating value -- starting with the rancher and moving all the way through the food system.&nbsp; What makes Ruminant BioTech different than other aiming to mitigate methane emissions? Mark talks about their differentiation, acquiring funding (good returns for doing good) and their plans to scale outside of New Zealand. &nbsp;

Mark Weldon

Chairman, Ruminant BioTech 

There are over one billion cattle globally, emitting methane through a natural process called enteric fermentation. Reducing emissions have become a top target of innovators across animal health and one company out of New Zealand is tackling the challenge from inside the cow. This week, we are joined by Mark Weldon, chairman of Ruminant BioTech, to talk about their bolus – a slow-release device that sits in the cow’s stomach for up to six months and delivers high levels of methane knockdown (think over 70% across a 90-day window). 

How was this bolus developed? Mark talks about the mini pilot that launched Ruminant BioTech and the growing conversation around methane emission suppression. He also gets into factors that are paving the way for innovations like this to emerge and creating value -- starting with the rancher and moving all the way through the food system. 

What makes Ruminant BioTech different than other aiming to mitigate methane emissions? Mark talks about their differentiation, acquiring funding (good returns for doing good) and their plans to scale outside of New Zealand.  

306. Ruminant BioTech’s Mark Weldon on methane knockdown, the link between environmental + economic sustainability

Early identification of diseases in animals is critical to the future of the food system, national security and our ability to care for our pets. One company is harnessing the power of biology to accelerate identification and joined us from the Agbioscience Podcast Corner at the Animal Health, Nutrition, Innovation and Technology Conference in Boston. Eve Hanks, founder and CEO of MI:RNA Diagnostics, joins us to talk their biomarker platform reliant on microRNA that has the potential to transform the future of animal health.&nbsp; Eve gets into how the platform works and success her team has experienced since spinning out of Scotland’s Rural College. She also talks the importance of partnerships to drive innovation forward.&nbsp;&nbsp; With diseases like Avian Flu and African Swine Fever threatening the global food system, how can a tool like MI:RNA help? Eve talks combatting disease in animals and how an increased awareness of microRNA is driving interest in her team’s work.&nbsp;

Eve Hanks

Founder + CEO, MI:RNA Diagnostics

Early identification of diseases in animals is critical to the future of the food system, national security and our ability to care for our pets. One company is harnessing the power of biology to accelerate identification and joined us from the Agbioscience Podcast Corner at the Animal Health, Nutrition, Innovation and Technology Conference in Boston. Eve Hanks, founder and CEO of MI:RNA Diagnostics, joins us to talk their biomarker platform reliant on microRNA that has the potential to transform the future of animal health. 

Eve gets into how the platform works and success her team has experienced since spinning out of Scotland’s Rural College. She also talks the importance of partnerships to drive innovation forward.  

With diseases like Avian Flu and African Swine Fever threatening the global food system, how can a tool like MI:RNA help? Eve talks combatting disease in animals and how an increased awareness of microRNA  is driving interest in her team’s work. 

305. Eve Hanks of MI:RNA Diagnostics on early disease identification, transforming the future of animal health 

Innovation in the agbiosciences is foundational to life – and it’s only accelerating. From biotech to production, food is transforming; and today’s guest is leading the charge on a new way of producing protein. Daniel Russek, CEO of Atarraya, joins us to talk the idea of sustainability, what it actually is and thinking long-term to achieve meaningful outcomes in this space.&nbsp; From greenwashing to social media allowing people to be “kind of informed” about the state of the planet, Daniel says sustainability has to coexist with strong economics. He dives into how he sees the future of food and Atarraya tackling the fastest-growing source of protein: shrimp.&nbsp; Atarraya’s innovation in aquaculture has been evolving for over a decade at this point and Daniel talks about the best resource for developing their technology: conversations with people. And it’s paid off. TIME Magazine named Atarraya one of the top 200 inventions of the year. The team also was a gold recipient of The Edison Award; with all this momentum, where do they go next?&nbsp;Daniel talks expanding production, the importance of partnerships and bringing food production back into its natural cycle.&nbsp;

Daniel Russek

CEO, Atarraya

Innovation in the agbiosciences is foundational to life – and it’s only accelerating. From biotech to production, food is transforming; and today’s guest is leading the charge on a new way of producing protein. Daniel Russek, CEO of Atarraya, joins us to talk the idea of sustainability, what it actually is and thinking long-term to achieve meaningful outcomes in this space. 

From greenwashing to social media allowing people to be “kind of informed” about the state of the planet, Daniel says sustainability has to coexist with strong economics. He dives into how he sees the future of food and Atarraya tackling the fastest-growing source of protein: shrimp. 

Atarraya’s innovation in aquaculture has been evolving for over a decade at this point and Daniel talks about the best resource for developing their technology: conversations with people. And it’s paid off. TIME Magazine named Atarraya one of the top 200 inventions of the year. The team also was a gold recipient of The Edison Award; with all this momentum, where do they go next? 

Daniel talks expanding production, the importance of partnerships and bringing food production back into its natural cycle. 

304. Atarraya’s Daniel Russek on real sustainability, innovation in aquaculture and bringing food production back to its natural cycle

Labor remains one of the greatest challenges facing the economy. Solinftec is addressing the problem with autonomy and artificial intelligence focused on improving crop performance. Today we are joined by their Chief Global Strategy Officer, Leo Carvalho, to talk accelerating in a crowded market and creating a value proposition for farmers. &nbsp; Leo gets into the company’s evolution since its expansion to the U.S. -- from developing technologies to identify problems to new solutions that also solve them. As a technology company, he also stresses the importance of creating concepts that are tested, refined and – candidly – co-created by farmers. The launch of their Solix sprayer addresses all the things Leo says Solifntec aims to accomplish: to create more food, sustainably, while also making the farmer more profitable.&nbsp;&nbsp; As a seventeen-year-old Brazilian company that started in the sugar industry, Leo talks about lessons learned as they’ve grown and expanded into new markets. Farmers plant crops once a year, so listening to their needs is critical to timely success. Leo also shares Solinftec’s objectives for the future and how agtech will continue to evolve.&nbsp;

Leo Carvalho

Chief Global Strategy Officer

Labor remains one of the greatest challenges facing the economy. Solinftec is addressing the problem with autonomy and artificial intelligence focused on improving crop performance. Today we are joined by their Chief Global Strategy Officer, Leo Carvalho, to talk accelerating in a crowded market and creating a value proposition for farmers.  

Leo gets into the company’s evolution since its expansion to the U.S. -- from developing technologies to identify problems to new solutions that also solve them. As a technology company, he also stresses the importance of creating concepts that are tested, refined and – candidly – co-created by farmers. The launch of their Solix sprayer addresses all the things Leo says Solifntec aims to accomplish: to create more food, sustainably, while also making the farmer more profitable.  

As a seventeen-year-old Brazilian company that started in the sugar industry, Leo talks about lessons learned as they’ve grown and expanded into new markets. Farmers plant crops once a year, so listening to their needs is critical to timely success. Leo also shares Solinftec’s objectives for the future and how agtech will continue to evolve. 

303. Solinftec’s Leo Carvalho on agtech’s evolution + the importance of co-creating innovation with farmers

It’s May in Indiana and major headlines abound as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing coupled with the Global Economic Summit (GES) put the state on the world’s stage – for racing spectators and innovators alike. Today, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap the month including major news in the agbiosciences from Elanco, Purdue, Elevate Ventures and Traction Ag. &nbsp; Elanco and Purdue announced a OneHealth Innovation District as part of the company’s new campus west of downtown Indianapolis. The facility is designed to deliver and scale up innovation where industry and academia can collaborate including office, wet lab and incubator space. Elanco plans to also contribute up to $2M of initial funding to jumpstart a new Animal Health Ventures Fund to support early-stage innovators, in close coordination with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), to take advantage of available tools and programs that support startup activity in this space.&nbsp; From GES it was also announced that Elevate Ventures will launch a new $100M fund focused on cross-sector innovation driven growth stage companies with a $500M total addressable market (TAM) or greater. The fund will commence formation in late Q2 with targets to make first investments in 2025.&nbsp;Traction Ag also announced a $10M Series A round led by Cooperative Ventures and joined by Plymouth Growth and existing investors. The investment was designed to support platform development and business growth.&nbsp;

It’s May in Indiana and major headlines abound as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing coupled with the Global Economic Summit (GES) put the state on the world’s stage – for racing spectators and innovators alike. Today, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap the month including major news in the agbiosciences from Elanco, Purdue, Elevate Ventures and Traction Ag.  

Elanco and Purdue announced a OneHealth Innovation District as part of the company’s new campus west of downtown Indianapolis. The facility is designed to deliver and scale up innovation where industry and academia can collaborate including office, wet lab and incubator space. Elanco plans to also contribute up to $2M of initial funding to jumpstart a new Animal Health Ventures Fund to support early-stage innovators, in close coordination with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), to take advantage of available tools and programs that support startup activity in this space. 

From GES it was also announced that Elevate Ventures will launch a new $100M fund focused on cross-sector innovation driven growth stage companies with a $500M total addressable market (TAM) or greater. The fund will commence formation in late Q2 with targets to make first investments in 2025. 

Traction Ag also announced a $10M Series A round led by Cooperative Ventures and joined by Plymouth Growth and existing investors. The investment was designed to support platform development and business growth. 

302. Mitch Frazier on Elanco + Purdue defining a new era of OneHealth, new funds launched and Traction Ag on the move

This weekly podcast dives into the agbioscience sector, where agriculture, life sciences innovation and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs across food, animal health. plant science and agtech. Learn more about industry innovation and where it's heading from those leading the way.

Biologicals – the broad category of ag input products derived from living organisms – have experienced significant growth in terms of adoption and investment. An analysis of Pitchbook data reveals there have been more than 6,000 deals in the global ag biotech market over the past decade. One of those companies driving growth is Biodyne USA. This week, we are joined by their National Director of Agronomy, Bodie Kitchel, to talk Biologicals vs. Biostimulants and what’s driving growth in the space.&nbsp; For Bodie, everyone’s “why” looks a little different when it comes to the adoption of biologicals and farm economics are certainly a piece of that. He gets into the farmer mindset around adopting innovation to leverage net farm income and Biodyne being an education company to help farmers learn where their dollar has the most value. Bodie also talks about needing economic impact right away but also balancing that belief with the value of economic impact in years two, three, four and five.&nbsp; With his experience in ag retail, how has Bodie seen innovation evolve? He talks about positioning, investment and companies being afraid of the unknown. Looking ahead, Bodie talks about that fear being outweighed by the urgency around innovating – and Biodyne USA doing it with speed.

307. Mitch Frazier recaps June, talks Animal Health Boston, Elanco’s FDA approval of Bovaer, opportunities to join us + a big announcement!

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Mitch Frazier

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