Ag venture group TechAccel invests $250K in research partnership
December 9, 2016 | Meghan LeVota
A new partnership will advance agricultural innovation in the state of Missouri.
TechAccel, a Kansas City-based technology and venture development firm, recently announced it will work with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a St. Louis-based nonprofit research institute.
TechAccel will provide $250,000 in grants to the Danforth Center to help it demonstrate proof of concept and commercial feasibility with research projects affiliated with the research center. The two organizations will split returns on the technology they commercialize.
Founded in 2014, TechAccel specializes in ag and animal health technology. The firm invests in, sources and acquires early-stage innovations through collaborations with various institutions.
TechAccel CEO Michael Helmstetter said that the partnership is an important milestone for the company as well as the agricultural ecosystem.
“Agriculture research can and will change the world, but only if it has the backing to move from concept to proof to product,” Helmstetter said in a news release. “We bring capital coupled with science advancement to support that push to the finish line — the commercial market.”
The Danforth Center’s mission is to improve the human condition through plant science. Although the nonprofit has received grants in the past, the partnership with TechAccel marks the first grant specifically targeted at commercializing its innovations.
“The Path to Commercialization program provides a new tool for translating our discoveries into real-world solutions,” Danforth Center president James C. Carrington said in a release. “We look forward to seeing even more of the Danforth Center’s research delivering transformative products and technology to market.”
TechAccel participates in a similar research partnership with the University of California-Davis established in April 2016. As part of the Science Translation and Innovative Research program at UC-Davis, TechAccel invested $400,000 for grants to commercialize or prove out agriculture- and animal health-related innovations.
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘How a startup becomes a superstar’: Finotta launches real-time podcast as KU freshman gets inside the mind of its founder
Most business podcasts tell the stories of those who have reached massive success, Garrett Amundsen said, but Finotta’s premier podcast is set to flip the switch — sharing the fintech startup’s journey as it unfolds. “When people listen to our podcast, they’re going to be able to track the success and growth of the company…
A gift for KC’s East Side: Business center beats developers to Prospect, offering one-stop shop for entrepreneurs
A new full-service business center and coworking space on Prospect Avenue will do more than just fill the former Blue Hills Community Services building — better fulfilling its goal to create a clear path to economic prosperity and wealth, said Brandon Calloway. “It’s always been the right time for a business center to open on…
Innovative tech honored at SXSW has potential to save lives in KC, govtech founder says
Editor’s note: The following story is part of Startland News’ coverage of the SXSW conference in Austin. Click here to read more stories from the 2022 trip. AUSTIN — A tech company from Silicon Valley’s largest city is unleashing a new era of smart infrastructure technology for the world in motion — and Kansas City…
‘9 to 5’ exposed sexism, toxic gender roles at work; 40 years later, has much changed beyond the price of a cup of ambition?
Editor’s note: The following story is part of Startland News’ coverage of the SXSW conference in Austin. Click here to read more stories from the 2022 trip. The minds of women and marginalized employees are still being used without credit more than 40 years after Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda starred in a…