February 15, 2017
Larta Institute and the UC Davis World Food Center, have partnered to launch the Ag Innovation Showcase, California’s first such event, at the UC Davis Conference Center on May 8-9, 2017.
The partnership leverages UC Davis’ position as the top ranked university in the U.S. for agriculture research and top ranked globally for veterinary medicine alongside Larta Institute’s award winning high impact expertise in accelerating commercial innovation.
The Ag Innovation Showcase will feature early-stage companies and discussions involving investors and food and ag experts. The event will especially focus on emerging, transformative technologies across areas of high-value crops, livestock and dairy.
“Staying at the leading edge of technology keeps California agriculture globally competitive. Our aim is to create investment opportunities through the Ag Innovation Showcase that advance commercial solutions for the ag and food sectors,” said Josette Lewis, associate director of the World Food Center.
In 2015 alone, venture investments nearly doubled, with investor interest in the ag sector continuing to grow since, despite a decline across all sectors in 2016. The emergence of several merger and acquisition deals reflect a continuing consolidation around innovative solutions that promote efficiency, increase productivity and leverage technologies in new and extraordinary ways. The Ag Innovation Showcase is poised to capitalize on these developments in tangible ways.
The event is expected to attract an audience of investors, entrepreneurs and food and ag companies at the forefront of innovation. The industry event will showcase innovations from the farmer to the consumer, from climate-smart technologies to advanced food safety solutions. The showcase themes are:
- Automation and robotics for fresh produce, fruits and nuts
- Food safety from production to product
- Nutrition and sensory enhancement for foods
- Innovation for livestock and dairy
Larta Institute, founded in Los Angeles in 1993, is an internationally-recognized and mission-driven innovation accelerator that provides a runway of success for world-changing ideas in agriculture, energy and healthcare. Larta Institute has helped more than 10,000 companies transform ideas into commercialized innovations that feed, fuel and heal the world. With a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, industry leaders, research institutions, government agencies and support organizations, Larta conducts commercialization assistance programs throughout the U.S. and in more than 20 countries. For additional information about Larta Institute, visit the organization’s website at larta.org.
Established in 2013, the World Food Center is elevating the impact of UC Davis research for healthier food systems, sustainable solutions and to grow the innovation economy.
Pat Bailey, UC Davis News and Media Relations, 530-752-9843, cell 530-219-9640, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu
Julie Morris, World Food Center, 530-754-9675, jimorris@ucdavis.edu
Tim Gnatek, Larta Institute, 415-381-1100
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