Accelerating AgTech Innovation into the Marketplace

Through a collaboration with the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Danforth Center helps early-stage companies de-risk their technologies and speed their path to market.

Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2)

Developing, testing, and validating innovative technologies can be cost-prohibitive for startups. Launched in 2014, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator strategically targets this space, and serves as a resource to help early-stage companies surmount technological and commercial “valleys of death”. In 2019, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator began partnering with the Danforth Center to impact the agtech industry.

IN2 research collaborations leverage the capabilities, facilities, equipment, and expertise of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to help early-stage companies develop and de-risk technologies, and speed their path to market. To date, 26 agtech companies have collaborated with Danforth Center scientists.   

By focusing on technology with a large potential for environmental impact, but which have been ignored by the investment community due to technological barriers, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator is making agriculture more sustainable in the face of climate change and global food security challenges.

IN2 AgTech Startups by the Numbers

26

agtech portfolio companies with a total of 584 employees (almost 2x higher!)

48%

employment growth for agtech portfolio companies. (10% lower)

$183M

raised by agtech companies since participating in IN2 (an increase of $3.9M)

IN2 Spotlight

Meet the 2023 IN2 Cohort

Meet the 2022 IN2 Cohort

Meet the 2021 IN2 Cohort

Meet the 2020 IN2 Cohort

Meet the 2019 IN2 Cohort

Plastomics’ IN2 project with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center gave us access to investigators with world-class expertise in RNAi biology and the ability to utilize state-of-the art microscopy and plant growth facilities. Together, Plastomics and IN2 investigators helped identify and validate the mechanisms of chloroplast RNAi that will result in increased efficacy of our traits.

Jeffrey Staub, Founder and CTO, Plastomics 

 

Read more about our IN2 companies:

Meet the Team

Elliot Kellner

Director of Commercial Innovation, Innovation Team

Minna Onken

IN2 Project Coordinator

Contact Us

Email

Phone

314-587-1450