HUNTSVILLE – It was an innovative Biergarten evening at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center recently when start-up business accelerator gener8tor sponsored the second AgTech Accelerator Showcase.

Hosted by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, it seemed appropriate for cutting edge-technologies to be presented in the shadow of the Saturn V rocket, which was the king of technology in its heyday.

The event showcased five startup technology companies whose founders pitched their companies to investors, community partners and to the public.

1. David Mead, CEO of Terra Bioforge who pioneered a synthetic biology platform for the rapid overproduction and discovery of valuable bioactive natural products that are beneficial to humans, plants, and animals.
2. Julie Kring, CEO of Khepra, a sustainable manufacturing platform for chemicals that is fully electrified and enables low-cost production of bio-derived alternatives.
3. Katherine Clayton, CEO of OmniVis who created a handheld device to rapidly detect foodborne pathogens in under 30 minutes, compared to the industry standard of three days.
4. Bill Birgen, CEO of SAVRpak, recently named a “World’s Most Innovative Company”, they leverage thermodynamics to fight food’s #1 enemy, condensation, to keep it fresh longer.
5. Simardev Gulati, founder of Bloom Labs who offers a way to catalyze the value in waste by regenerating it as versatile and desirable bioplastics and textile fibers to accelerate the transition toward a circular economy.

The AgTech accelerator is a concierge business accelerator that connects startups with an engaged program team, a global community, and regional resources from both HudsonAlpha and gener8tor.

The 12-week accelerator began in April and invested $100,000 in those five companies at the forefront of the agriculture technology industry.

The five businesses were selected from hundreds of applications from around the world, who each went through a rigorous application and interview process. They were selected because of their strong performance in four key elements: team, traction, product/service, and market opportunity.

The HudsonAlpha Agtech Investment Accelerator is supported by the Growing Alabama Credit program through the Alabama Department of Commerce.

Investors, mentors, and community members interested in connecting with the startup companies and programs are encouraged to contact Christopher Udall, HudsonAlpha Agtech Accelerator managing director.