TOPEKA, KAN. — Eleven early-stage animal health companies and 13 ag-tech startups have been selected for the fall 2023 cohort of Plug and Play Topeka, an accelerator by GO Topeka. Three of the 24 startups selected are innovating pet nutrition through whole food supplements and cultivated protein.
Companies selected for the fall 2023 cohort reign from more than 10 countries, according to GO Topeka, including the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Startups participating in the fall 2023 cohort include:
- 5 Element Food Therapy (United States)
- Bene Meat Technologies (Czech Republic)
- E-Livestock Global (United States)
- Ferma Farms (United States)
- Gaia Ag (Brazil)
- Moggie (Sweden)
- Nimble Science (Canada)
- Offsetted (Germany)
- Sylvester.ai (Canada)
- Ten Lives (United States)
- Transfur (United States)
- American Edge Grain (United States)
- Amos Power (United States)
- Bankbarn (United States)
- Bovi (United States)
- Crop Intellect (United Kingdom)
- DigiFarmz Smart Agriculture (Brazil)
- Finres (France)
- Good Agriculture (United States)
- Kirkwall (United States)
- Nanotica (Argentina)
- Nitronic (Australia)
- TierraSpec (Israel)
- Yarta (Australia)
“We are excited to accelerate 24 of the top startups across the animal health and ag-tech industries that were hand-selected by our partners,” said Lindsay Lebahn, senior program and partner success manager for Plug and Play Topeka. “Our goal is to help these emerging companies gain valuable resources, mentorship, and partnerships, which can ultimately bring their disruptive technologies to market and make a real impact in their respective industries.”
The three pet nutrition startups participating in the upcoming fall cohort are 5 Element Food Therapy, Bene Meat Technologies, and Ten Lives.
5 Element Food Therapy is a supplement brand formulating with proprietary blends of fresh, whole food ingredients. The supplements are designed to add protein, fat, and mineral-rich organic vegetables to a pet’s diet. 5 Element Food Therapy was also selected to participate in SKU’s pet care accelerator track, and was a finalist in the Leap Venture Studio SuperZoo Pitch Competition in partnership with Black Pet Business Network.
Bene Meat Technology is developing cultivated meat products on an industrial scale without the use of fetal bovine serum. The company is currently focused on developing and scaling capabilities to provide cultured protein ingredients to the pet food industry.
Ten Lives is a cat-focused brand serving up an animal-free, vegan and non-GMO cat snack with “brewed protein,” according to the company. It leverages microbes to convert sugar to protein, which is separated out and formulated into cat nutrition products. The brand is currently finalizing its cat snack formula.
“These startups are developing exciting new technologies and products across a variety of focus areas that will enhance the animal health and ag-tech industries,” said Stephanie Moran, senior vice president of innovation for GO Topeka. “We are excited to work with these startups and have the opportunity to showcase the regional resources and partnerships available to support the development and growth of their businesses while immersing them into our community.”
According to Plug and Play, 54 startups have graduated from its accelerator program since it launched in the spring of 2021. The program plans to continue the incubator for between 10 and 12 early-stage animal health and ag-tech companies in the years to come.
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