Five companies selected for up to $250,000 and technical support
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), a technology incubator and platform funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and co-administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has selected SolGro as one of five companies nationally to participate in the incubator’s first agtech cohort.
Developed in Arlington and now headquartered at TechFW in Fort Worth, SolGro develops innovative, light-converting greenhouse canopies that can help produce food more sustainably. “Plants use predominantly Red and Blue light for photosynthesis. By embedding light converting nano-materials into greenhouse films, we can provide more of the Red and Blue spectrum to plants required for photosynthesis,” said Tyler Sickels, CEO and co-founder of SolGro.
“The biggest challenge startups face is validation and our entry into the IN2 program is a big step for SolGro,” Sickels said. “We’re so honored to be one of only five companies in the country selected for this program, especially since we can work so closely with the Danforth Center. We’re excited to make the most of this exceptional opportunity.”
Working with experts at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the world’s largest independent plant science institute, SolGro will receive performance data of its nano-materials and will be able to fine-tune its performance model. “We will be getting growth data validation from the best plant research institute in the world,” he said.
The market for SolGro to provide the technology that increases food and crop production is more than 50 billion square feet of controlled grow space worldwide, for which it could provide affordable high-end technology to developing nations in desperate need of increased food supply.
IN2’s goal is to advance technologies that can reduce agriculture’s carbon, energy and water impact, which collectively account for as much as 70 percent of water and 14 percent of energy usage worldwide. IN2 seeks to help the agricultural sector overcome the substantial challenges, barriers and costs of implementing new technologies and to speed their paths to market. As a benefit of participation in the program, SolGro will receive up to $250,000 in non-dilutive funding to test, validate and advance its technologies at Danforth Center.
“The companies involved with IN2 might be small, but they’re solving big problems,” said Trish Cozart, IN2 program manager at NREL. “SolGro was an extremely strong applicant, and we cannot wait to see the strides it makes by being a part of our program.”
About SolGro
Developed in partnership with The University of Texas at Arlington, SolGro has created plastics that amplyfies sunlight into the wavelengths that are best for plant growth. These greenhouse materials passively increase crop production, decrease harvest time and improve overall plant health. For more information, visit https://www.solgro.co.
About the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) is a $30 million technology incubator and platform funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation. Co-administered by and housed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, IN2’s mission is to speed the path to market for early-stage, clean-technology entrepreneurs. Launched in 2014 with an initial focus on supporting scalable solutions to reduce the energy impact of commercial buildings, IN2 expanded its focus in 2018 to advance technologies that address the interconnection of food, energy and water. Companies selected for participation in the program receive up to $250,000 in non-dilutive funding, technical support and validation from experts at NREL and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and ongoing connections to organizations across value chains. For more information, visit in2ecosystem.com.
About the Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterFounded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach aim to have impact at the nexus of food security and the environment and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and through the support of individuals and corporations. For more information please visit, www.danforthcenter.org
