AgriNovus Indiana, a non-profit coalition focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today that Christy Wright will be its next president and CEO, effective August 18.
Wright brings 15 years of leadership in food and agriculture, having most recently served as the director of Global Food Systems at Corteva Agriscience.
“Christy has a focus and commitment to accelerating impact at AgriNovus and driving this critical agbioscience economy forward,” said Karen Plaut, former executive vice president for research at Purdue University and chair of the AgriNovus Indiana Board of Directors. “The AgriNovus Board welcomes her to the team, and we look forward to supporting her leadership to make Indiana a global leader in agbioscience innovation.”
In her tenure at Corteva Agriscience, Wright led efforts as director of Global Food Systems, partnering with food and agriculture stakeholders to create a more resilient, customer-centric food system. She also held leadership roles on the company’s global food chain crop protection and advocacy teams. Wright joined Dow AgroSciences, one of Corteva’s preceding companies, and held roles in U.S. and global brand management, communications and public policy. She began her career in public affairs, working for advertising and communications firms Young and Laramore and Hetrick Communications.
“Indiana has a unique opportunity to lead at every stage of the value chain, bringing innovation to market that solves some of our most pressing challenges,” said Christy Wright, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “I am ready to get to work alongside our partners, emerging innovators and a talented AgriNovus team to drive continued success and collaboration that addresses the needs of the farmer, the climate, the consumer and beyond.”
Wright graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor of science and a master of science degree in Public Affairs. She is a graduate of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series and Indiana AgriInstitute’s Agriculture Leadership Program (Class 16). Wright is also a Trustee of the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
Indiana’s agbioscience economy contributes $22.7 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) and employs more than 147,000 people statewide. With Wright’s vision and expertise, AgriNovus is well-positioned to execute its Accelerate 2050 Strategy that defines priority opportunities to position Indiana’s agbioscience economy for differentiated growth amid future uncertainty. To learn more, read Accelerate 2050: A Vision for Indiana Agbioscience.
AgriNovus is a branded initiative of The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), a unique civic and economic engine committed to transforming Indiana’s economy through strategic collaboration across the state’s most critical sectors. Founded in 1999, CICP unites the chief executives of Indiana’s leading corporations, universities, and philanthropic organizations to foster innovation, investment and long-term prosperity.
“Christy’s expertise uniquely positions her to lead AgriNovus into its next chapter,” said Melina Kennedy, CEO of The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). “As the organization continues its efforts to grow the agbioscience industry, her leadership will be vital to a sector that is critical to Indiana’s success.”
Wright will host the next AgriNovus Quadrant on Wednesday, August 20 at VisionLoft Stutz in Indianapolis. Speakers include Beth Archer (AgriInstitute), Brian Barker (AgReliant Genetics), Karen Plaut (Purdue University) and Kevin Still (Keystone Cooperative). Get more details and register for the free event here.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), refocusing its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry.
Over the last four years, USDA’s workforce grew by 8%, and employees’ salaries increased by 14.5% – including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them. This all occurred without any tangible increase in service to USDA’s core constituencies across the agricultural sector. USDA’s footprint in the National Capital Region (NCR) is underutilized and redundant, plagued by rampant overspending and decades of mismanagement and costly deferred maintenance. President Trump has made it clear government needs to be scrutinized, and after this thorough review of USDA, the results show a bloated, expensive, and unsustainable organization.
To be clear, all critical functions of the Department will continue uninterrupted. For example, we are at the height of fire season, and to date, have not only exceeded hiring goals, but have preserved the ability to continue to hire. Earlier this year, Secretary Rollins issued a Secretarial Memorandum exempting National Security and Public Safety positions from the federal hiring freeze. These 52 position classifications carry out functions that are critical to the safety and security of the American people, our national forests, and the inspection and safety of the Nation’s agriculture and food supply system. These positions will not be eliminated. However, employees may be subject to relocation.
“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support. President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,” said Secretary Rollins. “We will do so through a transparent and common-sense process that preserves USDA’s critical health and public safety services the American public relies on. We will do right by the great American people who we serve and with respect to the thousands of hardworking USDA employees who so nobly serve their country.”
The reorganization consists of four pillars:
To bring USDA closer to the people it serves while also providing a more affordable cost of living for USDA employees, USDA has developed a phased plan to relocate much of its Agency headquarters and NCR staff out of the Washington, D.C. area to five hub locations. The Department currently has approximately 4,600 employees within the National Capital Region (NCR). This Region has one of the highest costs of living in the country, with a federal salary locality rate of 33.94%. In selecting its hub locations, USDA considered where existing concentrations of USDA employees are located and factored in the cost of living. Washington, D.C. will still hold functions for every mission area of USDA at the conclusion of this reorganization, but USDA expects no more than 2,000 employees will remain in the NCR.
USDA will vacate and return to the General Services Administration the South Building, Braddock Place, and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, and revisit utilization and functions in the USDA Whitten Building, Yates Building, and the National Agricultural Library. The George Washington Carver Center will also be utilized until space optimization activities are completed. These buildings have a backlog of costly deferred maintenance and currently are occupied below the minimum set by law. For example, the South Building has approximately $1.3 billion in deferred maintenance and has an average daily occupancy of less than 1,900 individuals for a building that can house over 6,000 employees.
USDA’s five hub locations and current Federal locality rates are:
View the Secretary Memorandum (PDF, 2.6 MB)
This is only the first phase of a multi-month process. Over the next month and where applicable, USDA senior leadership will notify offices with more information on relocation to one of the regional hubs.
To make certain USDA can afford its workforce, this reorganization is another step of the Department’s process of reducing its workforce. Much of this reduction was through voluntary retirements and the Deferred Retirement Program (DRP), a completely voluntary tool. As of today, 15,364 individuals voluntarily elected deferred resignation.
Vivici becomes the first customer at Liberation Labs’ Richmond, Indiana plant for commercial scale production volumes of Vivitein™ BLG, a dairy protein
Liberation Labs today announced a manufacturing partnership with Dutch ingredients startup Vivici. Liberation Labs will produce Vivici’s flagship ingredient, Vivitein™ BLG, at its Richmond, Indiana facility when commercial production begins in 2026.
The New Standard of Protein, Vivitein™ BLG is a dairy protein (beta-lactoglobulin) produced through precision fermentation enabling B2B customers to launch disruptive, differentiated and better overall products to consumers in the US market. These include clear water-based protein drinks with innovative flavors, clean protein powders with superior muscle-building performance and rapid absorption and vegan-friendly protein bars with luscious chewy textures.
“Vivici is a perfect reference case for our facility – a company seeking cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing of a novel protein ingredient that unlocks a range of other healthy and innovative products,” said Mark Warner, founder and CEO of Liberation Labs. “We love what Vivici is doing and will be proud to play a role in their success.”
Liberation Labs is in the late stages of constructing its first commercial-scale, purpose-built, precision fermentation biomanufacturing facility with a capacity of 600,000 liters and a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP). The plant will produce a range of bio-based materials, including building block ingredients for food, chemicals and other industrial products at a scale and cost that will fill a pressing need among both new and established consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and other industrial manufacturers.
“As awareness of the important role protein plays in supporting active lifestyles continues to grow, American consumers are demanding higher quality and greater quantities of protein in their diets.” said Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici. “Our partnership with Liberation Labs expands our European manufacturing capabilities, providing US customers with increased supply security for Vivitein™ BLG.”
Former Dow AgroSciences and Corteva Leader Megan DeVelvis to Focus on Economic Growth, Joins Expanded AgriNovus Leadership Team
AgriNovus Indiana, a nonprofit coalition to grow Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today Megan DeVelvis as its new senior director of growth – a role charged with enabling and accelerating growth of agbioscience companies in the state.
DeVelvis, who joins AgriNovus after more than 20 years in agriculture, will lead AgriNovus’ economic development efforts, connecting industry, academia, capital providers, governments and non-profits to opportunities to fuel growth across food, animal health, plant science, agtech and agriculture.
“Agbioscience is the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet, and Indiana has emerged as the destination of choice for innovators and companies seeking to build the next chapter of food and agriculture even stronger,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The addition of Megan to the AgriNovus team brings even more horsepower to our efforts to grow this economy by more than $8 billion by the end of the decade.”
Prior to AgriNovus, DeVelvis served as the chief operating officer of North Carolina-based TriCal Group and as a marketer with Teleos Ag. She is also a veteran of Corteva Agriscience, serving in multiple roles during the merger and standup of the company. She also held commercial, marketing and planning roles at Dow Agrosciences. DeVelvis is a graduate of AgriInstitute’s Ag Leadership Program (Class 17) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
In addition to naming DeVelvis to the team, AgriNovus also announced the promotion of Libby Fritz to vice president from her role as senior director of operations, and announced the promotion of Cayla Chiddister from senior manager of communications to senior director of communications.
To learn more about the AgriNovus team, visit AgriNovusIndiana.com/team
AgriNovus Indiana, a nonprofit coalition focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today changes to its executive committee and its board of directors.
The board unanimously approved the addition of Robert King, executive vice president, Crop Protection Business Unit at Corteva Agriscience, and David Pugh, chief financial officer of AgReliant Genetics, to the executive committee. The board also approved the addition of Dr. Brian Lutz, vice president of Agricultural Solutions at Corteva Agriscience, and Micah Beckwith, Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, as successions to replace outgoing directors.
“Indiana’s agbioscience economy continues to grow thanks to the direction and support of the AgriNovus board of directors,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The addition of these experts to our Board brings even more breadth of expertise to our team as we work to build the agbioscience economy of the future.”
Beckwith is Indiana’s lieutenant governor, overseeing the state’s Department of Agriculture and leading the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. He grew up working in the dairy industry and for more than fifteen years, he has served as a pastor. Beckwith holds a bachelor of science in Business and Economics from Huntington College.
King is executive vice president of the Crop Protection Business Unit at Corteva Agriscience, a role he assumed in 2022. Prior to Corteva, he served as senior vice president and chief integrated supply officer at Nouryon, a specialty chemicals company, where he spearheaded the global and cross-business integration of the company’s supply chain. King has also held leadership roles at PPG, Nutrien, Agrium and Celanese, leading teams in the United States, Canada, China and the United Kingdom. King holds a bachelor of science in Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University, a master’s of business administration from Texas Woman’s University and is also a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.
Lutz is vice president of Agricultural Solutions at Corteva Agriscience, overseeing the development of digital solutions that support the research and development pipeline. Previously, he was chief science officer of The Climate Corporation and held a leadership role on the Bayer Crop Science research and development team. Lutz was raised on a fourth-generation farm in Ohio and remains closely connected to his family’s farming operation. He earned his bachelor of science in Biology from the College of Wooster and his doctorate in Biogeochemistry from Duke University. Lutz also holds certificates from Northwestern University in executive education and business management.
Pugh serves as vice president of finance and chief financial officer of AgReliant Genetics, overseeing the financial direction of the company on key, long-range strategies. Previously, he was treasurer and vice president of finance strategy and risk management for Elanco Animal Health, where he established the treasury and risk management teams upon Elanco’s IPO and spin off from Eli Lilly. Prior to Elanco, Pugh spent 24 years with Eli Lilly & Company where he held several positions in finance and information technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Purdue University and a master of business administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
The AgriNovus Indiana board of directors is comprised of leaders from industry, academia and government. All members are listed online at www.AgriNovusIndiana.com/Board.
Indiana tech innovators and talent development leaders hail from Bloomington, Carmel, Evansville, Gary, Indianapolis, Muncie, South Bend and West Lafayette
TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, today honored 20 Indiana tech sector innovators and tech talent development leaders at the 2025 Mira Awards gala, commonly known as “The Oscars of Indiana Tech.”
More than 1,500 members of the Indiana tech sector gathered at The Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel for the annual gala, now in its 26th year. The Mira Awards are designed to elevate the most innovative companies in Indiana’s tech ecosystem. Winners were selected by a rigorous judging process who reviewed 221 submissions.
“Indiana’s tech ecosystem is growing deeper and more innovative every year,” said TechPoint President and CEO Ting Gootee. “It’s always a difficult decision, choosing among the state’s wide array of promising leaders and innovators, and this year was no exception. It’s inspiriting to be in the room with this group.”
Mira award winners announced are below.
AgriNovus Indiana Agbioscience Innovation Award: ReproHealth Technologies (Indianapolis)
This new award recognizes outstanding startups and innovators within larger agbioscience corporations that are solving some of the world’s biggest challenges while also contributing to economic growth.
ReproHealth Technologies enables farmers to be more sustainable and efficient. Its founding team has more than 25 years of experience across human and veterinary reproductive medicine, embryology and biomedical engineering and has multiple innovations in reproductive care and technology. Founder and CEO Dr. Jim Donahue, who began his career as a human fertility doctor, used his unique perspective to provide an innovative solution to a gap in the agbioscience market that has brought new opportunities to the industry. Market response validates the opportunity and need for the company’s technology.
Exceptional Employer of the Year: SEP (Carmel)
Established in 1988, the 100 percent employee-owned SEP credits its success to a focus on the diversity, daily collaboration and talent of its teams, and company leaders’ commitment to evolve. The full-time, in-person workplace, routinely attracts and retains local talent with opportunity to work remotely for companies across the world and has a 95.6 employee retention rate. Team members are empowered to tell clients kind truths, even if it means sacrificing business. Twenty-five percent and 37.5 percent of SEP’s C-Suite and directors, respectively, is made up of women. The SEP Foundation has awarded five STEM scholarships within the community, opening doors to high school graduates from underrepresented groups across the state and works closely with organizations dedicated to developing Indiana tech talent from underserved groups.
Digital Transformation of the Year: NextGear Capital (Carmel)
NextGear Capital (NGC) is the largest independent inventory finance company in North America, providing flexible lines of credit for dealers to purchase inventory from more than 1,000 live and online auctions throughout the United States. The company’s 14,000+ active dealers conduct about 140,000 audits per year via third party staff of more than 350 auditors. This one size fits all approach has been a consistent pain point for dealers as collateral audits are time-consuming and often disrupt operations. Launched in 2024, NextGear’s “Digital Audit Transformation” eliminates the need for third party auditors with its suite of in-house solutions that enriches risk management and offers a best-in-class client experience. Additionally, an industry-first Dealer Self-Audit experience efficiently manages risk with minimal effort needed from clients and the internal team.
Talent Impact: STARTedUP Foundation (Indianapolis)
Since 2017, STARTedUP has worked with more than 10,000 students in 59 Indiana counties and has created the largest high school pitch competition in the country. It encourages creativity and critical thinking and provides students with hands-on experiences that build essential skills for the future workforce. In addition, the foundation has trained and supported more than 210 educators. Through partnerships and alliances with private sector companies, STARTedUP is working to expand STEM education in rural and underserved areas, ensuring students have access to quality resources and mentorship, bridging the gap between education and real-world applications. It has collected $15 million for scholarships from 12 university partners and trade schools. More than $650,000 has been awarded to high school students to further their entrepreneurial endeavors. Ninety percent of STARTedUP students choose to remain in Indiana after graduation.
Higher Education Innovation Award: MathTrack Institute (Indianapolis)
The only institution to develop an apprenticeship-based bachelor’s degree pathway in Mathematics, MathTrack Institute addresses a critical shortage of qualified mathematics teachers by reimagining how educators are trained, licensed, and professionally developed. MathTrack successfully lobbied state legislators to include teachers on the NEXTLevel Jobs list, enabling access to work-based learning funds through workforce boards. With partnerships and approvals in multiple states, and licensure reciprocity in 40+ states, MathTrack has developed a far-reaching network that allows it to support teacher licensure and development on a national scale, has advanced the teacher preparation field and fostered a new model of higher education responsive to workforce needs, teacher development, and student outcomes.
Community Impact Award: IronWorkz (Gary)
Founded in December 2022, by Faith N. Spencer, Alex Termini, and Emmani Ellis, IronWorkz was created to address long-term equity issues in the Gary area by providing a grassroots-focused, entrepreneurial hub for individuals to create and innovate. Through various programs and initiatives, IronWorkz connects residents with local organizations and resources that can help them develop their ideas and start their own businesses, which stimulates economic growth and promotes self-sufficiency and personal development. The name of the company is an homage to the city’s steel industry, which attracted families from southern states who were looking for opportunities to improve their lives.
Startup of the Year: rScan (South Bend)
rScan was established to address inefficiencies and sustainability challenges associated with product returns in the retail industry. The company’s platform empowers users to efficiently establish resale operations. Seamlessly integrating with major retail and e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, rScan’s technology optimizes inventory management, pricing and logistics. This automation simplifies the resale market, creating opportunities for economic growth while contributing to environmental sustainability. rScan, which expects to earn annual revenue of more than $2 million, plans to expand its headquarters in South Bend and create 152 new jobs over the next four years. By promoting the resale of returned products, rScan diverts substantial volumes from landfills, directly contributing to environmental conservation. Strategic partnerships with industry leaders have validated rScan’s technology and demonstrate its potential for scalability and market influence.
Rising Entrepreneur of the Year: Jorge Saenz (Indianapolis)
Jorge Saenz launched AeroCore Technologies from his garage, based on his vision for improving jet engine performance and to contribute to national security and environmental sustainability. Currently employing about 100 people, the Lebanon-based company is poised for significant growth and impact. Saenz invented nucleated foam technology, which has helped position AeroCore at the forefront of enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of jet engines for the U.S. military and commercial airlines. In addition to its work in the aerospace sector, AeroCore also provides innovative solutions to the oil and gas industry, specifically in refineries. Saenz, who graduated from West Lafayette High School and Purdue University, also works to develop tech talent and raise awareness of Indiana as an innovation hub.
Conexus Indiana Manufacturing Innovation Award: Arcamed (Indianapolis)
Arcamed (est. 2012) is a contract manufacturer of surgical case and tray systems, primarily serving orthopedic Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). In 2018, the company expanded its production capabilities to include precision machined instruments and orthopedic implants, providing surgeons and physicians with what they need to improve a patient’s quality of life. As part of their ongoing innovation strategy, the firm deployed five Universal Robots cobots with integrated machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, revolutionizing their computer numerical control (CNC) machine tending and press brake production operations. The cobot-based system was implemented by two of Arcamed’s young engineers and paired with custom-designed infeed, outfeed, and part picking processes. The new automation has enabled Arcamed’s production team to flexibly manufacture high-mix, low-volume products, and seamlessly handle parts of varying sizes from as small as a jewelry box to as large as a shoebox.
BioCrossroads Life Sciences Innovation Team Award: GeniPhys (Indianapolis)
This new award recognizes groundbreaking advancements in life sciences, honoring teams that drive innovation to benefit patients and elevate Indiana’s leadership in health and biotechnology.
GeniPhys stands out for its pioneering work in regenerative medicine, developing advanced extracellular matrix-based biomaterials that promote natural tissue repair and healing. The company’s innovative solutions address critical challenges in tissue engineering and wound care, offering transformative potential for patient outcomes. As the first-ever recipient of this award, GeniPhys exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and impact that this recognition celebrates. Its work highlights the immense value of Indiana-based life sciences teams in shaping the future of healthcare and advancing the state’s position as a global hub for innovation.
Resilience Award: Nida Ansari (Indianapolis)
Ansari was born in the Middle East and moved to the Washington D.C. area as a child seven months before the September 11 attacks. In the aftermath, her father faced discrimination at work, she was told not to speak up in school and a next-door neighbor’s home was raided for having affiliations with the local mosque. Despite Ansari’s academic proficiency, she found little guidance in her high school and was the only Pakistani for most of her time in college. Visa delays kept her in Pakistan for eight weeks during her freshman year, forcing her to withdraw from college for a semester but she graduated on time as a Chemistry major. She faced challenges with her Visa status but continued to successfully pursue advanced degrees. She became a US citizen after 19 years of struggle. After finding corporate success, she launched Karmic Partners to help early-stage entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She serves as an angel investor, is the Chief Innovation Officer at 16 Tech and has helped develop Indiana’s hardtech ecosystem. She works with multiple community groups and established the Networking with Purpose initiative, which has served nearly 80,000 meals to food insecure Hoosiers, Syrians, Turks, and Yemenis.
Emerging Tech Leader of the Year: Kevin Celisca of Integrate School (Bloomington)
A first-generation Haitian American, Celisca’s journey to democratize education required him to overcome adversity, personally and professionally. Zip Code discrimination motivated him to level the playing field for all students, regardless of their geographic circumstances. He co-founded Integrate School, a platform that saves teachers across the U.S. hours of administrative work, improves the quality of instruction and provides transparency to parents and administrators. Celisca’simpact goes beyond his product. He is a leader who cares deeply about his team, educators, and the students they serve. He has built a culture at Integrate School that values diversity, collaboration, and constant improvement. His ability to combine empathy with business acumen has enabled him to secure investments, drive growth and build a sustainable, socially impactful company.
Innovation Service Partner of the Year: Reveal Risk (Carmel)
The U.S. cybersecurity market is projected to grow to $166.73 billion by 2032, but only a small fraction of amount is directed toward helping businesses teach their workforces what they need to know and do to protect themselves, their families, and their companies from cyber threats. Reveal Risk, launched in 2018, reimagined what advising, transforming and powering a cybersecurity program should be and could become. The company’s Human Risk Management (HRM) / Cyber Workforce Awareness service, which essentially enables clients to stay a step ahead of cyber criminals, has attracted national attention for its potential to address this ever-growing challenge.
Tech Innovation of the Year: Anu (Evansville)
Working with Eko Solutions in 2024, Anu overcame key technical limitations in its indoor farming and controlled environment agriculture industries. Historically, indoor farming systems have struggled with low yield densities, power inefficiencies, and labor-intensive operations, making them less viable for high-demand, remote, or urban areas. Anu’s Rotary Aeroponics® system addresses these limitations by offering unprecedented power efficiency, scalability, and ease of use. The system significantly reduces energy consumption while increasing yield density and reducing labor needs through AI-driven automation. The collaboration allows for highly customizable, modular, climate-controlled farms that can be deployed in various verticals, including universities for research and experiential learning, hospitals for food-as-medicine programs, military bases for tactical self-sufficiency, and more. Anu uses AI-driven image data collection to optimize plant growth, reduce water and nutrient usage, to deliver tailored growth environments for each plant. This fusion of AI and agriculture ensures consistency, high quality, and scalability, allowing the technology to be applicable in food security initiatives, high-demand urban settings, and remote locations that face supply chain vulnerabilities.
Tech Company of the Year with fewer than 500 employees: Accutech Systems (Muncie)
Accutech started in 1987 as a provider of trust accounting software for community banks. The company has experienced explosive success in areas previously dominated by large fintech companies and now provides comprehensive software platforms to trust and wealth management institutions and to financial planners. The company also developed a trust platform named Cheetah, which revolutionized the trust industry. It was the first platform of its kind to be cloud native and browser-based, saving clients time and money and delivering enhanced security and has evolved into a comprehensive suite of wealth management solutions focused on efficiency and speed serving hundreds of banking and wealth management clients with hundreds-of-thousands of customers managing hundreds-of-billions of dollars. Unger has declined to relocate the company from Muncie. Accutech was named to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Inc. 5000s list of fastest growing privately owned companies.
Tech Company of the Year with more than 500 employees: Republic Airways (Indianapolis)
Republic Airways is most commonly known for its fleet of 200+ Embraer aircraft, which fly millions of passengers annually, but its innovative technology solutions set it apart from its peers. The company develops powerful, cross-functional teams that develop and integrate cutting-edge technology into every aspect of company operations. Recent examples of in-house developments include its cloud-native CrewPay system, which simplifies the daily complexities of crewmember pay and expands the reach of the company’s operational tech portfolio, as well as the multi-year YXBlue project that revolutionized the company’s entire suite of Flight, Maintenance (MX) Control, and Ops/Crew Management applications, the very heart of its operation. The Flight and aircraft MX control components were launched in 2024. The Ops/Crew module in on pace to be delivered in 2025. Republic’s investment in technology has led to measurable improvements in its operations, including a more precise flight planning capability. Through it, Republic has reduced the amount of fuel which needs to be loaded per flight, providing tangible results in alignment with its sustainability and community efforts. The company operated 235,000+ flights in 2024 with an on-time performance exceeding 85 percent.
Award-winning mobile platform launched by DIAL Ventures sees rapid growth and user adoption while helping farmers streamline equipment tracking and operational knowledge
Gripp, an award-winning mobile-first platform revolutionizing agricultural operations management, today announced it has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed round funding. The round was led by Ag Ventures Alliance, with participation from Two Ravens, Infinity Holding Ventures, C2 Ventures, Tundra Angels, Countryside Angels, DMM Holdings, and Glen Haven Farms, Inc.
Launched out of the DIAL Ventures studio at Purdue University, Gripp has demonstrated strong market validation with zero churn across more than 70 agricultural operations since launching in 2023. The platform enables farmers to digitize their operations through a simple QR-based mobile system that tracks operational activities and conversations, manages equipment and preserves critical operational knowledge.
“The agricultural industry has been asking for solutions that truly understand their day-to-day challenges like easily keeping tabs on equipment and maintenance needs,” said Tracey Wiedmeyer, Co-Founder and CEO of Gripp. “We are proud to be meeting farmers in the field and building exactly what they need – a simple, friction-free system that helps them get a grip on their operations without requiring expensive hardware or complex implementations. The overwhelming response from our early customers shows we are solving a real pain point for farmers – who continue to be overlooked by those outside the industry.”
The funding will accelerate Gripp’s market expansion through:
“We are looking for innovation that can increase farm profitability,” said Spencer Stensrude, CEO of AgVentures Alliance. “Gripp is solving a real problem for farmers. Gripp could be on every farm in America.”
Gripp was the third startup launched from the DIAL Ventures studio program, which focuses on solving problems in the agri-food industry through digital innovation.
“The agricultural sector’s digital transformation is essential for meeting future food production demands,” said Allan Gray, Executive Director of DIAL Ventures. “Gripp exemplifies our mission to bring practical innovation to the field that solves real problems. Their approach to preserving operational farm knowledge while simplifying day-to-day management addresses a critical need as the ag workforce evolves.”
The seed round funding comes on the heels of Gripp being named:
Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions for food, beverage and industrial applications, announced investments of more than $100 million to increase efficiency, modernize equipment and also install an energy cogeneration system at its Indianapolis facility.
This project will expand Ingredion’s capabilities for delivering texture innovations to growing end markets while bolstering the economic viability and sustainability of the Indianapolis plant. Furthermore, by upgrading its energy infrastructure, Ingredion will improve operational efficiency and reliability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“As Ingredion has driven volume growth for texture solutions over the past several quarters, these investments will expand our capacity and support future customer growth,” said Valdirene Evans, senior vice president and president, global texture solutions at Ingredion. “Additionally, these investments will enable the Indianapolis plant to continue to lead in supplying the highest quality and most innovative specialty starch-based texturizers for global customers.”
“These investments are a win-win as it helps us modernize and improve our agility in delivering Texture & Healthful Solutions for our customers while also increasing our energy efficiency and improving our cost competitiveness,” said Eric Seip, senior vice president, global operations, and chief supply chain officer.
The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
Liberation Labs has closed a convertible note with $31.5 million in new capital, which, combined with $19 million of insider bridge notes raised during 2024, brings the total raised in its $75 million convertible note round to $50.5 million. The round included new capital from NEOM Investment Fund (NIF), Galloway Limited and Meach Cove Capital, as well as from existing funders, including Agronomics, New Agrarian Capital and Siddhi Capital. The new capital will enable the completion of construction of Liberation Labs’ first biomanufacturing plant in Richmond, Indiana.
“The strong support from both existing and new investors is validation of our team, technology and go-to-market strategy,” said Mark Warner, founder and CEO of Liberation Labs. “We look forward to completing construction of our facility, starting up operations in 2025 and filling a crucial supply gap for biomanufacturing in the U.S. market.”
Liberation Labs is in the late stages of constructing its first commercial-scale, purpose-built, precision fermentation biomanufacturing facility with a capacity of 600,000 liters and a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP). The plant will produce a range of bio-based materials, including building block ingredients for food, chemicals and other industrial products at a scale and cost that will fill a pressing need among both new and established consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and other industrial manufacturers.
“Liberation Labs is developing state-of-the-art fermentation infrastructure to transform the world’s existing fermentation capacity,” said Jim Mellon, Director of Agronomics. “This will help build a future where precision fermentation proteins reach the industrial scale needed to meet growing demand in the US and across the world. This novel approach has never previously been attempted. The completion of this significant funding raise showcases the consistent and growing demand from startups, large multinational corporations, and governments alike and is testament to the strength and successful execution of the team led by Mark Warner.”
Combined with other public sector awards and loan guarantees, Liberation Labs has raised a total of $125.5 million in deployable capital. The new funding brings the total private capital raised to $71.5 million. In addition, Liberation Labs has secured equipment financing of $30 million and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Loan Guarantee of $25 million. The company also received a $1.39 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to conduct a detailed feasibility study (engineering and market analysis) for the addition of a full flexible-use, commercial-scale 4,000,000-liter bioindustrial manufacturing facility adjacent to its flagship facility.
Upon successful completion of the Prototype Assessment and Planning phase, Liberation Labs may be selected to proceed to the Prototype Build phase, which would provide up to $100 million for building new facilities or expanding current facilities for bioindustrial manufacturing.
