Farm Bureau Announces Top 10 in Ag Innovation Challenge

Ten innovation-driven enterprises will go head-to-head for the top prize of $100,000 in the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, continues to encourage agricultural innovation through the Challenge.

“With the world around us changing at a rapid pace, there’s a near-constant need for folks to innovate in the agriculture space. Farmers and ranchers are no stranger to the need to roll up our sleeves and lean into this entrepreneurial spirit,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Farm Bureau is proud to offer innovators an opportunity to present new businesses and technology that have the potential to bring forth a better tomorrow for agriculture.”

The Challenge is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to present to a panel of judges their emerging ideas and businesses in the agricultural industry, with a chance to earn $100,000 in startup funds. Farm Bureau is offering a total of $145,000 in funding throughout the course of the competition.

The 10 semi-finalist teams, who will participate in a virtual pitch first round, represent a variety of states and facets of agriculture. The semi-finalist teams are:

• Agriwater, Illinois
• CryoBio, Inc, New York
• FarmSmarter.ai, Louisiana
• Gather Agriculture, Inc, California
• KinnanFAB, Nebraska
• KiposTech, Pennsylvania
• Renner Ag Solutions, Iowa
• Terraform Tillage, Iowa
• Verility, Inc, Indiana
• Vivid Machines, Washington

The four teams advancing to the final round will each receive $10,000 and will be announced on Sept. 10. The four teams will compete on Monday, Jan. 12 at the AFBF Convention in front of a live audience of Farm Bureau members, investors and industry representatives. Top titles and prizes will be awarded as follows:

• Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge Winner, total of $100,000
• Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge Runner-Up, total of $25,000

This will be the 12^th year the competition has run. The Ag Innovation Challenge was the first national business competition of its kind to cater to rural entrepreneurs launching agricultural and food businesses.

Farm Bureau recognizes and supports these rural businesses with generous funding provided by sponsors Farm Credit, Bayer, John Deere, Farm Bureau Bank, Farm Bureau Financial Services and T-Mobile.

To learn more about the Challenge visit: fb.org/challenge