Ag Innovation Challenge
About
Ag Innovation Challenge is a national business competition that showcases U.S. startups developing innovative solutions that address challenges facing America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Now in their eleventh year, the American Farm Bureau Federation in partnership with Farm Credit, are looking to identify the top entrepreneurs who are addressing both traditional challenges farmers face on their operation, such as access to labor, optimizing yield and reducing operating costs, to entrepreneurs who are addressing new challenges facing farmers and rural communities.
The overall winner of the competition will receive $100,000 in startup funds, the runner-up will be awarded $25,000 and two additional business owners who advance to the final four round will receive $10,000.
Farm Bureau is offering a total of $145,000 in startup funds throughout the course of the competition. After the application period closes, 10 semi-finalist teams will be selected and announced on Sept. 3. Next, the 10 semi-finalist teams will pitch virtually to compete for a spot in the final four round of the contest.
Eligibility
1) The 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge is open to all Farm Bureau members. To be eligible, Applicants must be a member of a state Farm Bureau at the time of submission of the application. Applicant must be headquartered or have a significant business presence in the state in which it is a Farm Bureau member. In addition, Applicants must be either a) at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the United States at the time of entry, or) a U.S. legal entity that is not owned, in whole or in part, by a non-U.S. entity at the time of entry.
2) All businesses entered into The Challenge must be for-profit. Non-profit businesses are not eligible.
3) Applicant Team Lead (who, in the event applicant is a legal entity, should be the most senior ranking officer or employee) must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
4) Businesses who have received a funding round beyond Series A (or a comparable funding round) are not eligible to compete in The Challenge.
5) Previous Final Four businesses are not eligible to compete in The Challenge.
6) Applicant Team Lead must be available to attend and participate in the virtual Top Ten Semi-Finalist competition as well as the Final Four Live Pitch Event and the awards ceremony to be held at the 2025 American Farm Bureau Convention (“Convention”) in San Antonio, Texas from January 24, 2025 to January 27, 2025. Convention registration and standard economy airfare (from one of the fifty states or Puerto Rico to San Antonio, Texas) for the Team Lead and one additional team member will be arranged by and paid for by AFBF through a travel management system. If an Applicant chooses to drive to the Convention location, AFBF will reimburse for mileage with a cap set at the cost of a reasonable flight to San Antonio from Applicant’s nearest commercial airport. AFBF will cover the costs of hotel accommodations, which will be arranged by AFBF through a travel management system. Hotel accommodation arranged outside of this system
