Department of Agriculture (USDA) — 2018 Investments

Autonomous Tractor Corporation (ATC) builds conversion packages that turn traditional hydraulic and diesel farm equipment into diesel-electric machinery using its direct-to-wheel electric motor system, and is developing ammonia-electric conversions and an optical AI guidance system.

AgTechCleantechHardwareSt. Michael, US

Terry Anderson(Executive Officer, Director)Kraig Schulz(Executive Officer, Director)Allen Lash(Director)John Rhea(Director)Charles Sidman(Director)Ann Anderson(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsE8E8 Angels

Confluence Genetics (operating at bensonhillbio.com) is a seed innovation company that develops soybean genetics using AI-driven plant science and proprietary tools such as eMERGE Genetics and CropOS.

Durham, US

Matthew B Crisp(Executive Officer, Director)LPLee Palles(Executive Officer)inNadine Carozzi(Executive Officer)Todd C Mockler(Executive Officer)Thomas Brutnell(Executive Officer)

BoardDaniel J Broderick(Director)

Co-investorsACActivant CapitalALAlexandriaBIBioGenerator VenturesCUCultivation CapitalFAFall Line CapitalGVGV (Google Ventures)+8 more

Boston Labs is a full-stack product design and manufacturing lab that takes ideas from concept through design, prototyping, sourcing, and production, including packaging and connected hardware/UI systems.

Advanced ManufacturingHardware

Cambridge Technologies provides veterinarians with next-generation diagnostics and custom-manufactured autogenous vaccines for production animals, including beef and dairy cattle, swine, and small ruminants.

Advanced ManufacturingAgTechBiotechHealthtechWorthington, US

Wayne Freese(Vice President and Governor)RSRandy Simonson(Chief Executive Officer and Governor)Donna Tims(Treasurer, Secretary, and Governor)

BoardCarl Frank Stoner(Governor)Marc Freese(Governor)James Douglas Rasmussen(Governor)

BJ Johnson(Founder)in

Co-investorsSASand Hill Angels

CryoCrate develops cryopreservation solutions for cells and tissues in biomedical research and clinical applications, particularly for cell and tissue types that cannot be preserved or lose viability using existing storage methods.

BiotechDeep TechDigital HealthMedical DevicesNew MaterialsColumbia, US

Dr. Xu Han(President and Chief Technology Officer)

Co-investorsCECentennial Investors

Highland Brewing Company is Asheville's original craft brewery founded in 1994, producing heritage and innovation-focused beers including Gaelic Amber Ale, Oatmeal Porter, and Daycation IPA.

ConsumerFoodTechAsheville, US

Oscar Wong(Founder)Leah Wong Ashburn(CEO)

Ichthus Unlimited develops customized aquaculture feeds formulated for specific fish species and farming conditions to improve productivity and sustainability.

AgTechBiotechFoodTechIoT

Alejandro Buentello(Founder and President)

Independent Platform offers a consulting-style approach to help entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and companies develop ideas around three areas: connecting, planning, and communicating.

Sector Agnostic

INRS provides natural resource management consulting and advisory services for business, non-profit, and government clients.

AgTechCleantechClimate TechEnergy

Charles A. Levesque(President)Eric W. Kingsley(Vice President)

LeafPro develops soluble, complete plant protein powders extracted from crop leaves, starting with a sweet potato leaf ingredient that is rich in essential amino acids and lutein.

AgTechCircular EconomyFoodTech

Lepidext develops a biocontrol product based on a naturally-occurring corn earworm virus isolate that increases sterility in infected insects, aimed at controlling corn earworm in agricultural crops.

AgTechBiotechLexington, US

Bruce Webb(Founder & President)inPaul Mulhollem(Director)Angelika Fath-Goodin(Co-founder)Gary P Cullen(Director)

Co-investorsAGAg Ventures AllianceBLBluegrass Angel VentureCUCultivation Capital

Digital HealthMedical Devices

Co-investorsBOBoulder VenturesENEntrada Ventures

Lumen Bioscience develops orally and intranasally delivered biologic drugs and protein-based nutrition products using genetically engineered spirulina algae to express therapeutic proteins such as antibodies, enzymes, and cytokines.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtechSeattle, US

Erik Anderson(Director)Mark Litton(Director)Robert Carlson(Director)Craig Behnke(Executive Officer)Ed Schlect(Director)John Morrow(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsSASamsara BioCapital

Manus Bio uses industrial biotechnology and engineered microbial cell factories to produce "BioAlternatives" — sustainable versions of molecules normally sourced from petrochemicals, agriculture, or animal husbandry — and offers a scale-up platform covering cell factory design through biomanufacturing.

BiotechFoodTechNew MaterialsAugusta, US

APAji Parayil(Co-founder)inGreg Stephanopoulos(Co-founder)

BoardJWJason Whaley(Director)inCBCarsten Boers(Director)inRichard Goldstein(Director)

Co-investors+N+ND CapitalALAlumni VenturesCICivilization Ventures Management, LlcENEnergy Impact PartnersLILiebenthal VenturesNENelstone Ventures+5 more

Microtracers manufactures microscopic tracer particles and analytical kits used to identify and authenticate products across food, pharmaceuticals, and other industries.

Advanced ManufacturingAgTechDeep TechFoodTechNew Materials

David Eisenberg(President)Zachary Eisenberg(Vice President)Nikolay Barahskov(Director of R&D and Technical Services)

NanoSonic designs and manufactures hybrid composite materials and advanced sensors, including pressure transducers with ultra-wide bandwidth capabilities.

Deep TechHardwareIoTNew MaterialsGiles County, US

NECi develops enzyme-based test kits and reagents for measuring nitrate and phosphate in water, soil, forage, plant tissue, and other samples.

AgTechBiotechCleantechNew MaterialsLake Linden, US

Dr. W.H. (Bill) Campbell(Founder)Ellen R. Campbell(Founder)

Nodexus manufactures flow cytometry and particle sorting instruments for life sciences research and cell analysis workflows.

BiotechDeep TechHardwareMedical Devices

Karthik Balakrishnan(Founder)inHany Nassefin

Co-investorsPLPlug and Play Ventures

Pancopia develops systems to recover water and nutrients from animal agriculture operations, helping farms improve performance and reduce environmental losses while generating economic returns.

AgTechCircular EconomyCleantechClimate TechImpact & Social Good

Bill Cumbie(CEO)

Radiance Tech is an employee-owned technology company that provides engineering and technical services.

AI & Machine LearningDefense TechEnterprise SoftwareSpace TechHuntsville, US

Peter L. Weiland(Executive Officer)inEric Scott Dublin(Executive Officer)BRBryan R. Johnson(Executive Officer)inVictor D. Balch(Executive Officer)inDLDavid L. Diaddario(Executive Officer)inGeorge Clarkin

Upcycled Foods, Inc.

Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyFoodTechNew MaterialsBurlingame, US

DKDaniel Kurzrock(Executive Officer)inJSJordan Schwartz(Executive Officer)in

Salo Sciences develops cloud-based software that uses satellite data and advanced analytics to monitor forest health and ecosystem conditions for governments and landowners.

AI & Machine LearningCleantechClimate TechData & InfrastructureDeep Tech

David Marvin(Co-founder & CEO)Christopher Anderson(Co-founder & CTO)Kyle Gertridge(Co-founder & Head of Business Development)

Sensible Solutions develops lithium-based thermal neutron detection systems, including large-area detectors for scalable deployments.

Deep TechDefense TechHardware

SinnovaTek develops aseptic and advanced thermal food processing technology and manufacturing equipment, and offers R&D, engineering, and precision-scale aseptic copacking services for food companies.

Advanced ManufacturingFoodTechHardwareRaleigh, US

AVAmanda Vargochik(Executive Officer, Director)inMichael Druga(Executive Officer, Director)JOSIP SIMUNOVIC(Director)

Co-investorsWOWolfpack Investor NetworkLELewis & Clark AgriFood

Skyhaven Systems is a research and development firm specializing in electrochemical engineering and advanced chemical process technologies for the US Government, with particular focus on Defense, Energy, Aerospace, and Environmental applications.

CleantechDeep TechDefense TechEnergySteamboat Springs, US

Honolulu, US

VKVINCENT KIMURA(Executive Officer, Director)inISAR MOSTAFANEZHAD(Director)MAN WAI STEPHEN TSANG(Director)

Co-investorsBLBlue StartupsSFSfventures Group LLC

Spectral Sciences provides specialized consulting and R&D services in spectroscopy, remote sensing, imaging, combustion, propulsion, and radiative transfer for government agencies, contractors, and private industry.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechEnterprise SoftwareBoston, US

Five coworkers (names not stated)Five coworkers (unnamed)