The Pantheon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a regional hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. Their mission is to spark innovation and fuel entrepreneurship by inspiring, growing, and supporting new and existing businesses in Knox County.
The Executive Director will serve as the visionary leader responsible for executing The Pantheon’s strategic plan and driving long-term growth.
Interested candidates can learn more here.
Crossroads Health Ventures (CHV) announced its launch of a new early-stage venture fund created to accelerate the growth of Indiana’s life sciences startups and reinforce the state’s global leadership across human, animal, and plant health innovation.
The fund has secured more than $21 million in commitments from strategic and institutional partners such as Eli Lilly and Company, Corteva, Elanco Animal Health, Indiana University, Parkview Health, and the State of Indiana through the Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). CHV will begin deploying capital in early 2026.
“Indiana is one of the nation’s strongest and most vibrant life sciences hubs, and Crossroads Health Ventures is an important next step in fueling our state’s innovation economy,” said Vince Wong, President and CEO of BioCrossroads and Crossroads Health Ventures. “With the State of Indiana’s transformational commitment and the leadership of our industry, academic, and investment partners, Crossroads Health Ventures fills a critical early-stage funding gap to help translate breakthrough ideas into high-growth Indiana companies that ultimately make a global impact.”
“This collaborative initiative is a transformative opportunity to propel Indiana’s already strong One Health economy,” said Secretary of Commerce David J. Adams. “Through Crossroads Health Ventures, the state–in partnership with industry and regional leadership–is lifting up entrepreneurs and startups to drive innovation across human, animal and plant health, creating next-generation solutions and solidifying Indiana’s global leadership.”
Indiana’s life sciences sector is already experiencing historic momentum. The state now ranks #1 in the U.S. for life sciences exports driven by global industry leaders, world-class research universities, and a highly skilled workforce. Access to early-stage capital is important to startups, and CHV is designed to address this need. With coordinated statewide leadership, a strong pipeline of promising innovations, and a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem, the fund will help ensure that more of Indiana’s life science discoveries grow into Indiana-based companies, creating jobs, attracting investment, and advancing solutions that improve health around the world.
“Indiana University is proud to join this collaborative effort to advance life-changing innovation across our state,” said Pamela Whitten, President, Indiana University. “Crossroads Health Ventures will help ensure that breakthrough discoveries—from IU researchers and entrepreneurs throughout Indiana—have the support they need to reach patients, clinicians, and communities. This initiative reflects the strength of Indiana’s research ecosystem and our shared commitment to fueling economic growth through scientific discovery.”
CHV will invest in 15–20 early-stage U.S.-based companies with assets that align with the strategic priorities of its partners, with the flexibility to concentrate investments in Indiana-based startups where there is strong alignment, differentiated opportunity, and potential for outsized return. The fund will support companies through key development and commercialization milestones and will provide follow-on capital to help founders reach critical inflection points.
“At Elanco, we know that innovation flourishes in strong, connected ecosystems that serve as pipelines for the next generation of technologies. Leveraging the strong support from Indiana’s unique One Health ecosystem with global leaders in human, animal, and plant health sectors, Crossroads Health Ventures provides the early-stage capital and strategic partnerships necessary for emerging life sciences companies to thrive,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco Animal Health. “We believe Indiana is the most ideal location to accelerate life sciences innovations given the collaboration of leading global companies, top-tier research universities, and a strong public partnership that creates access to capital, expertise and manufacturing and pilot capabilities.”
A cross-initiative collaboration among BioCrossroads, TechPoint, and AgriNovus Indiana, CHV leverages more than 60 years of combined investment, startup, and corporate operating experience. Through deep networks, proprietary deal flow, and an integrated platform of entrepreneurial support, CHV is designed to accelerate startups’ growth, attract outside capital, and expand Indiana’s life sciences economy.
Advanced Agrilytics today announced a strategic partnership with Mutiny Crop Performance, signaling a continued evolution in how Advanced Agrilytics brings its environment-based agronomy methodology to market through strategic value-chain collaborations.
The partnership reflects Advanced Agrilytics’ expansion of its technology-enabled agronomy platform to complement its long-standing grower-direct consulting services, enabling broader reach and impact through trusted industry partners.
“At its core, this partnership represents how Advanced Agrilytics is evolving to scale impact without compromising agronomic integrity,” said Scott Coldagelli, Chief Transformation Officer at Advanced Agrilytics. “Our methodology and proprietary technology were built to scale, but scale happens faster and more effectively through the right partnerships. Mutiny is one of the first strategic collaborators where one plus one truly equals more than two.”
Through the collaboration, Advanced Agrilytics will provide its research-backed, environment-based agronomy platform to support scalable prescription development and execution for Mutiny and its independent dealer network, demonstrating a model that can extend to other value-chain partners. By aligning fertility and management decisions to field-specific environments, the partnership is designed to support more informed product placement decisions, strengthening outcomes for growers and long-term value for partners.
“What differentiates Advanced Agrilytics is our ability to translate proven research and sub-acre environmental analysis into executable prescriptions at scale,” said Dr. Kess Berg, Chief Innovation Officer at Advanced Agrilytics. “This partnership allows that methodology to extend beyond individual engagements while maintaining the scientific rigor that underpins everything we do.”
Mutiny Crop Performance is known for its selective, product-agnostic approach, evaluating and delivering agricultural products based on performance rather than brand affiliation. The company works through an independent dealer network with a strong emphasis on relationships, trust, and on-farm results.
“Our customers expect us to focus on what works and why,” said Patrick Conyea, Co-Founder of Mutiny Crop Performance. “Advanced Agrilytics brings a data-based approach that strengthens the agronomic foundation behind product decisions. This partnership enhances the value we deliver while preserving the independence and trust that define Mutiny.”
Want to learn more? Advanced Agrilytics is actively exploring strategic partnerships with organizations aligned around research-backed agronomy and scalable execution. To learn more, they will share their approach to scalable, technology-enabled agronomy at their upcoming Innovation Summit events on February 9, 2026, in Marshalltown, Iowa; February 12, 2026, in Dublin, Ohio; and February 17, 2026, in Lafayette, Indiana. Registration is free at https://events.advancedagrilytics.com/innovation-summit-2026
Primient, a global leader in biomanufacturing, announced today it has agreed to purchase the remaining ownership interest in Primient Covation, LLC (“Primient Covation”), establishing Primient as the sole owner of the company and marking an exciting new chapter in Primient’s growth in the bioeconomy.
This acquisition is the next step of Primient’s strategy to strengthen Primient’s leadership position in biomanufacturing and builds upon recent announcements, including Primient’s partnership with Sustainea and the creation of the iPROOF venture. Primient Covation stands as a leading force in the U.S. biomanufacturing sector, distinguished by its broad range of biomanufacturing and fermentation expertise. The company was founded in 2000 to supply a variety of end markets, including cosmetics and personal care, textiles, fashion, coatings, functional fluids, and other applications, with Bio-PDO (1,3-propanediol), under the Zemea® and Susterra® brands. Primient Covation delivers bio-based renewable solutions worldwide.
“Primient’s purchase of the remaining ownership interest in Primient Covation is a testament to our commitment to strengthening our leadership position in biomanufacturing. We’ve been involved as an owner from the beginning, so we know this business well and strongly believe in its growth potential,” said Jim Stutelberg, Primient Chief Executive Officer. “Owning 100% of Primient Covation will play an important role in accelerating our growth in industrial biomanufacturing, which has become an increasingly important strategic focus for the United States and the rest of the world.”
Primient Covation was previously a jointly controlled venture with Huafon Group, and operates at the Primient facility in Loudon, Tennessee. Primient and Huafon expect to close the transaction during the first calendar quarter of 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Elanco today announced $400 million in continued investment in its U.S. operations, workforce and communities over the next five years. This deepens Elanco’s commitment to product innovation, advanced manufacturing and its customers – farmers, veterinarians and pet owners. The company will expand its R&D presence in its new Indianapolis global headquarters and surrounding OneHealth Innovation District, while continuing to invest in its U.S.-based manufacturing footprint. Elanco will further invest in its Kansas monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing facility to support innovation, particularly a major next generation immuno-therapeutic pet innovation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted an accelerated pathway for conditional approval of a novel immuno-therapeutic that has the potential to be a first-in-class major pet health blockbuster, expected in the next 2-3 years.
Additionally, as part of the positive engagement with the USDA, Elanco announces significant progress in the final steps of the approval of Befrena™, its newest potential blockbuster product. Review of all technical sections and label alignment is now complete, with the final administrative review underway at the USDA. Befrena has demonstrated differentiated efficacy in treating dogs with allergic dermatitis and canine atopic dermatitis. In both laboratory and field studies, Befrena has shown to be safe and well-tolerated, offering a dependable treatment option for veterinary professionals and pet owners alike. Befrena will offer important efficacy, convenience and value differentiators. Elanco continues to expect a first half 2026 launch.
In connection with these investments, Elanco expects the 2026 net tariff impact to be immaterial to adjusted EBITDA growth, given additional tariff clarity and a positive offset from an incremental price increase.
The combination of a favorable tax environment from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, regulatory reform resulting in improved timelines for USDA regulatory reviews and greater certainty on tariffs has created favorable conditions for the continuation of U.S. investments in R&D and manufacturing, while bringing key innovation capabilities from Europe to the U.S.
Elanco CEO Jeff Simmons joined ‘Mornings with Maria’ on Fox Business to discuss the $400 million investment in U.S. manufacturing and R&D. Watch here.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) today announced the 2026 AE50 Award winners, honoring groundbreaking products that represent the most significant innovations in agricultural, food, and biological systems engineering. Selected by an expert panel, this year’s winners demonstrate how artificial intelligence, automation, robitcs, and precision technology are fundamentally transforming modern agriculture.
“The 2026 AE50 Award winners reflect an industry at an inflection point,” said ASABE Executive Director Cedric Calhoun. “From fully autonomous tractors to AI-powered spot-spraying systems and robotic grain management, these innovations address agriculture’s most pressing challenges—labor shortages, sustainability demands, and the need for increased efficiency—while boosting safety and productivity.”
Winning innovations include self-operating tillage tractors and multiple AI-powered spot-spraying platforms that identify and treat individual plants, dramatically reducing herbicide use while maintaining crop protection. The Grain Weevil robot eliminates dangerous grain bin entry, while double-baling systems from Great Plains Manufacturing and Massey Ferguson effectively double output in a single pass. Digital platforms including AgGateway’s ADAPT Standard and Syngenta’s Cropwise AI enable seamless data flow across manufacturers and operations, while Danfoss’s ED3 on-board charger advances electrification of off-highway equipment.
The 2026 AE50 winners represent companies of all sizes from three continents, from legacy industry leaders to innovative startups. Products address challenges across the production cycle and diverse crop sectors, including row crops, grains, forage, fiber crops, tree fruit, and specialty crops.
The full list of 2026 AE50 Award winners and detailed product descriptions is available in the January/February 2026 issue of Resource magazine and online at www.asabe.org/AE50.
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