Governor Eric J. Holcomb today issued a proclamation declaring May 1 – 7 as Small Business Week in Indiana, celebrating the more than 529,000 small businesses in Indiana and the more than 1.2 million hardworking Hoosiers they employ.

“This week, we recognize all the small businesses driving our state’s economy forward,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Indiana is laser-focused on fostering a healthy ecosystem for small businesses, startups and businesses looking to expand their footprint. It is the entrepreneurial drive, determination and grit that has become woven into the Hoosier sprit and vital to the great quality of life we enjoy in Indiana.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) will recognize eight Hoosier small businesses that have worked with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a program of the IEDC, to start, grow or pivot their small businesses. These awards, presented in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week, honor the entrepreneurs’ and small businesses’ achievements and contributions to grow Indiana’s economy and strengthen communities across the state.

The 2022 honorees are:

The Indiana SBDC, a program of the IEDC, helps Hoosier small businesses and entrepreneurs start, grow, finance, innovate and transition through no-cost, confidential business advising and training. For more information about the Indiana SBDC, visit isbdc.org.

The investment will help Solinftec expand its digital farm operations platform leveraging real-time data to make farming practices more efficient, sustainable, and resilient to changing weather and climate conditions.

 

Solinftec, one of the world’s largest independent precision agriculture companies, has secured a $60 million growth investment round led by the Lightsmith Group. The investment will enable the company to further expand its digital farm operations platform in North America and South America. Lightsmith is joining existing investors in the company, Unbox Capital, which also participated in the round, and Circularis Partners (TPG ART). Additional undisclosed investors are also participating in the round.

Solinftec’s digital farm operating system is used to manage more than 27 million acres in Brazil, the United States, and across Latin America, by growers, cooperatives, and agricultural retailers for field crops such as sugarcane, soy, corn, and cotton, and perennial crops such as citrus, coffee, and timber. Solinftec serves 85% of Brazilian sugarcane growers, the top 5 grains producers in Brazil, and GROWMARK, one of North America’s largest agricultural cooperatives. The company is based in Aracatuba, Brazil and West Lafayette, Indiana, and has more than 700 employees worldwide.

Since 2007, Solinftec has been developing solutions to solve the practical challenges faced by growers in managing their complex farming operations. The company deploys sensors, computers, and displays in farm equipment to provide customers with a rich set of real-time, in-field data on crops, equipment, inputs, and weather conditions. Solinftec’s farm operations management software, powered by its artificial intelligence platform, ALICE AI, allows customers to optimally schedule and plan their farming operations and to make real-time decisions and adjustments to ensure the best, real-world results. ALICE AI is an integrated, end-to-end farm operations management platform covering all key operations and equipment on farms, including planting, spraying, harvesting, and tendering. Solinftec recently added to its farm operations management platform with the launch of its robot to autonomously scan and monitor fields, providing farmers and agronomists with a new level of data to further increase yields, avoid wasted inputs, and lower environmental impacts.

Lightsmith’s investment is part of its focus on investing in growth-stage climate resilience solutions companies – technology companies in agriculture and food, energy, water, finance, and supply chains that can help to assess and manage the increased risks and impacts from climate change. “As climate change and other disruptions continue to put pressure on agricultural productivity and food costs, we need to scale solutions that can help farmers increase productivity per acre while reducing input usage and increasing their responsiveness to changing climate and weather conditions,” notes Sanjay Wagle, Managing Director at the Lightsmith Group. “We are excited to partner with Solinftec in their next stage of growth to become the ‘operating system’ for intelligent, sustainable, and resilient farming.”

“Disruptive technology, in other words, artificial intelligence, data, and automation, can help the agricultural sector overcome its biggest challenge: to produce more food in every square meter of land, with less impact,” said Solinftec CEO Britaldo Hernandez. “Our mission is to give each farm a sustainable future, promoting the accessibility of technologies to producers and transforming agriculture into a more productive practice, while preserving the planet,” he added.

 

GREENFIELD, Ind. & HEERLEN, Netherlands–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN: NYSE) and Royal DSM have created a strategic alliance connecting two leading, sustainability-focused companies to address one of society’s most significant opportunities of the decade, mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming. Elanco has secured the exclusive U.S. licensing rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Bovaer® for beef and dairy cattle.

Bovaer® is a first-in-class methane-reducing product for beef and dairy cattle approved in Europe, Brazil, Chile and Australia. As part of its authorization in those countries, more than 50 peer-reviewed studies and 48 on-farm trials in 14 countries show Bovaer® consistently reduces enteric methane emissions by approximately 30% for dairy cows and even higher percentages for beef cattle1.

DSM and Elanco intend to seek U.S. authorization for the product to provide farmers, dairy and beef companies, and retailers with a solution to substantially lower the carbon footprint of beef and dairy production, supporting the animal protein industry’s ESG efforts and helping secure a sustainable future for the planet. Based on published research, the methane reduction from feeding a million cows Bovaer® is equivalent to planting 45 million trees or removing 300,000 cars from the road. With 9 million dairy cows and 14 million beef cattle on feed in the U.S. alone, the product, if authorized in the U.S., would contribute to a significant and immediate reduction of the environmental footprint of meat and dairy products, supporting the Global Methane Pledge to cut emissions 30% by 2030.2

The strategic alliance is expected to enable both parties to maximize the opportunity for the product in the U.S. market, once approved, while also nearly doubling previously announced Bovaer® production capacity globally. Elanco will be responsible for the U.S. approval process, commercialization strategy and product supply, supporting DSM supply in markets outside the U.S. Elanco will assess and evaluate the regulatory submission and manufacturing options with the intent to bring Bovaer® to the U.S. market as quickly as possible. Already the State of Indiana, for example, has indicated its support for expanded manufacturing investment in the state as it continues to build public-private partnerships supporting the state’s growing agriculture economy.

“We are excited to partner with DSM to start the process of bringing this game-changing innovation to U.S. livestock producers,” said Jeff Simmons, president and CEO of Elanco. “It will further strengthen Elanco’s efforts to create the livestock sustainability market and the next era of value for farmers by adding to our efforts to reduce, measure and monetize emission reductions, including Experior™, Uplook™ and Athian. We are eager to work with regulators to bring a unique innovation like DSM’s Bovaer® to the U.S. market as quickly as possible to support farmers and positively impact the climate crisis.”

Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, Co-CEOs of Royal DSM, commented: “This agreement marks an important milestone for DSM, Elanco, and the climate change mitigation efforts of the U.S. We believe Elanco, as a company that shares our determination to revolutionize the sustainability of the cattle industry, is the ideal partner to help us increase and accelerate the total impact of our game-changing feed additive by bringing us closer to customers across the U.S. This alliance will help us realize Bovaer®’s potential as a powerful solution with a significantly positive impact on the planet. In addition, and fully aligned with our purpose-led performance-driven strategy, the alliance enables us as DSM to monetize our long-term innovation faster.”

With an estimated global market opportunity for livestock methane reduction of $1 billion to $2 billion, Elanco expects Bovaer® to have blockbuster annual revenue potential in excess of US$200 million in the U.S. market with initial contribution by mid-decade. This alliance is not expected to impact Elanco’s previously stated financial commitments.

The Wabash Heartland Innovation Network (WHIN) is working with Telrad Networks to pilot the next generation of broadband technology in the WHIN region. 

“WHIN is developing its ten-county region as a Living Laboratory for technology related to the Internet of Things, or IoT,” says Johnny Park, CEO of WHIN. “The I in IoT means connectivity in all of its forms, including the high-speed internet that our rural region needs in order to grow and prosper.” 

According to Park, next-generation private LTE wireless technology is a game-changing tool for solving the digital divide more rapidly. 

“Wireless technology can be deployed quickly and cost effectively to cover large areas,” says Park. “Most importantly, the new generation of wireless technology does more than connect fixed addresses to the internet. It can allow user devices to connect from anywhere in its footprint and, if needed, to roam through national carriers.” 

In fact, according to Greg Jarman, Vice President of Broadband Partnerships for WHIN, the Telrad technology that WHIN is piloting in the region resembles cellular MVNO technology, and that is by design. 

“Until very recently, rural broadband has not had access to the kind of spectrum and powerful gear that makes high-speed mobile communications possible,” says Jarman. “With the Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS) auction in 2020, the FCC changed its approach to licensing a mid- band spectrum, specifically to help solve the digital divide. The new model allows the CBRS bands, which can provide 4G LTE and 5G service, to be shared among rural service providers and wireless carriers.” 

The new technology enables a new standard in quality and reliability of service, according to Jarman. 

“The shared model gives companies that build the gear for 5G services, like Telrad, a new market in rural areas,” says Jarman. “So, for the first time, rural wireless service providers can provide 5G service with more powerful gear, and without seeing it degraded by interference. Thanks to its alignment with mobile communications, the next generation of rural broadband gear also meets the LTE standard, which is what allows service to sensors, mobile and handheld devices and not just to fixed addresses.” 

Through its experience working with rural and last-mile customers across the United States, Telrad foresaw the potential of the CBRS band early on and began developing solutions that would take full advantage of the new spectrum. Telrad’s flagship BreezeCOMPACT base station is OnGoTM Certified, which means that it has been independently tested and verified to meet high standards of quality, interoperability and security in CBRS applications like this one. 

“Telrad is committed to bringing cutting-edge communications to underserved areas and challenging environments because we recognize that innovation happens everywhere, not just in urban centers. Private LTE has emerged as an accessible and versatile way to foster that innovation,” says Alex Freylekhman, VP of Sales at Telrad Networks. 

“By working closely with bold, forward-thinking partners like WHIN, we’re excited to play a key role not just in closing America’s digital divide but also transforming traditional agriculture and manufacturing into state-of-the-art IoT-enabled operations.” 

WHIN is demonstrating the capability of the new approach to rural broadband with a pilot in Williamsport, with a goal of users seeing up to 100 Mbps/20 Mbps service.

The footprint for WHIN’s deployment is along the Wabash River in Warren County, where the terrain has made it challenging to serve,” says Ben Dispennett, Executive Director of the Local Economic Development Organization for Warren County. “Residents are interested to see how more powerful radios and antennas can help.” 

Jarman says that after initial testing, WHIN will seek service providers to serve customers with the new gear. 

“Once we have validated the coverage from the Williamsport tower, our pilot will also explore other capabilities of the Telrad gear, which includes the ability to create private virtual networks for use in eLearning and similar applications,” says Jarman. “We are also looking at innovative deployments for specific use cases in other counties in the WHIN region where there are gaps.” 

WHIN’s pilots will allow the organization to publish use cases demonstrating how innovative network technology and network designs can be sustainable, rapid, and effective solutions for rural broadband. The organization was recently awarded $1.7M from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to advance its broadband initiatives in support of the region’s advanced manufacturing, agricultural and technology industries.

“WHIN’s Living Lab is unique,” says Park. “We want our region to be known nationally as the place to come to solve this very complex and challenging problem.”

TechPoint, the nonprofit, industry-led growth accelerator for Indiana’s tech ecosystem, today honored 125 nominees and 16 award winners during the organization’s annual Mira Awards gala, with presenting sponsor Salesforce.

Winners come from Fishers, Indianapolis, Nappanee, New Albany, Noblesville and West Lafayette, and are recognized by their peers in the Indiana tech ecosystem to be:
• Reinventing industries through virtual-first and hybrid approaches;
• Turning everyday business processes into marketing opportunities and profit centers;
• Shifting progress-resistant traditional marketplaces into advanced digital spaces;
• Bringing new thinking to healthcare delivery and administration that is literally saving lives;
• Helping expand diversity throughout the Indiana tech ecosystem;
• Transforming lives by encouraging and helping people into tech careers; and
• Inspiring others by their actions and examples.

“Community matters, not only in challenging times, but also in times of celebration and hope,” said Mike Langellier, president and CEO of TechPoint. “Now is one of those times, and the Mira Awards gala is our tech community’s rallying point to come together, share stories of success and look to the future with hope and determination.”

Recognizing Indiana’s need to dramatically increase the supply of tech talent in a globally tight market, TechPoint created a new award category this year to laud leadership and excellence in workforce development. The Talent Impact Award went to Eleven Fifty Academy, which is headquartered in Indianapolis with a campus in Fishers, Ind.

“The Mira Awards gala is the biggest tech event of its kind in the state. It’s also a perennial barometer of Indiana’s tech industry growth, strength and dynamism,” said Langellier. “The robustness of this year’s class of nominees bodes well for our tech community’s future.”
The 2022 TechPoint Mira Award winners:

• RxLightning Specialty Enrollment Platform for Tech Product of the Year: New Albany, Ind.-based startup company RxLightning is completely disrupting the fast-growing specialty medications market with its end-to-end platform that connects prescribers, specialty pharmacies, manufacturers, hubs, payers and foundations all in one place. The process, which was previously 100% paper-based, is now completely digital and far more efficient, cutting wait times from an average of two weeks or more to just two or three days. Also, by generating partnership and licensing revenue from pharma, pharmacies, payers and health tech players, the platform can be offered to physician practices at no cost. Those practices experience a significant cost savings with RxLightning, given the decrease in time required for each specialty enrollment. Since the product launched, retention among prescribers has been strong, a testament to the benefits realized by practices. Among those who RxLightning supports, the most important is patients – they get critical, life-altering therapies faster, with less emotional toll.

The Mira Awards Judges said RxLightning is literally helping physicians and specialty pharmacies save lives by eliminating barriers and inaccuracies and getting life-altering medications into the hands of the patients who need them.

• LiftBridge CXO for Service Partner of the Year: The Fishers woman-owned company fills a critically important gap for early-stage tech companies that can be long on innovation, product and markets but short on financial acuity. LiftBridge CXO created a customizable package of services derived from a comprehensive financial roadmap that all businesses need to succeed. Veteran LiftBridge CXO’s professionals embed in their clients’ business, work on an “as-needed ‘ basis, and become a seamless part of the executive team. Just six months after launching in 2021, LiftBridge CXO grew revenues more than 500%, helping 40 Indiana tech companies achieve success while also bringing greater diversity to boardroom and leadership meetings.

The Mira Awards Judges determined LiftBridge CXO’s effectiveness with its clients, the majority of which are located in Central Indiana, is likely to have a lasting impact on the success of Indiana tech ecosystem startups and scale-ups well past the critical five-year survival mark.”

• Neurava for Innovation of the Year: The West Lafayette startup co-founders and Purdue University grad students Jay Shah and Vivek Ganesh developed a wearable device for refractory epilepsy patients who are at high risk for a deadly complication of the disease that affects one-third of Americans. The device monitors key biomarkers and sends a wireless signal to a caregiver when it detects abnormalities typically linked to the complication. An estimated 3.5 million people in the U.S. and more than 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy.

The Mira Awards Judges said the groundbreaking, non-invasive device is an elegant solution that addresses serious risks to patients that many physicians don’t even talk about because there hasn’t been a solution, until now.

• Darrian Mikell, CEO and Co-founder, Qualifi for Rising Entrepreneur Award: A Noblesville resident, Mikell is the co-founder and CEO of Qualifi, a SaaS platform that powers the fastest phone interview experience in the world and helps recruiting teams hire great candidates faster than ever. Before earning success with Qualifi, Mikell flipped watches on eBay, launched a T-shirt business with a friend, sold a variety of products on Amazon, and was laid off from a company he co-founded after growing it to 70 employees and earning millions in revenue. Next, Mikell co-founded Qualifi with his brother, Devyn Mikell (COO), DeSean Prentice (VP of Engineering) and Keenan Jaenicke (VP of Product) in March 2019, but didn’t draw a salary for six months. Outside funding proved elusive for the disruptive new concept but in 2021, Qualifi signed key customers and secured solid funding and now employs more than 40 people.

The Mira Awards Judges were impressed with Mikell’s hard-won success and the velocity of growth Qualifi has generated, securing $3.3 million from venture capital firms, notable funds and angels. They admired his intentional focus on building a diverse workforce and recognize Qualifi as one of the most diverse tech employers in Indianapolis, built from the ground up.

• Jake Simons, Wa-Nee Community Schools for Tech Education Award: Six years ago, Jake Simons started a robotics team of 10 fifth grade students at Woodview Elementary, a rural Amish community in Nappanee, Ind. Two years later, his program beat out 6,000 teams from 40 different countries to be crowned World Champions. Since then, his focus has been on growing the robotics initiative in his community and around the globe. Now, as Director of Robotics for Wa-Nee Community Schools, he oversees 15 teams with more than100 students.

The Mira Awards Judges noted the significance of the Woodview Eaglebots’ win at the World Championship. The field began with 6,000 teams. Four hundred advanced to the world stage and 12 advanced to the finals. Of those 12, nine were from China, one was from Hong Kong and two were from Nappanee, Ind.. He mentors dozens of coaches, runs summer camps, hosts competitions, organizes leagues, and leads clinics. He also helped develop a free, 22-week curriculum that is used worldwide by beginner coaches. His personal efforts had an impact on 2,450 students and 463 coaches in 2021 alone.

• Sixty8 Capital for Investor of the Year: The massive majority of venture capital investment in the U.S. and Indiana has historically gone to White and male-led companies, which means companies led by Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Asian, Native American, Women, LGBTQIA+, and disabled founders often are underfunded and undercapitalized. General Partner Kelli Jones co-founded Sixty8 Capital to change things. The Indianapolis-based venture firm made history in 2021 as the first Black, woman-led fund in Indiana focused on investing in diverse founders. Sixty8 Capital is also training underrepresented people and undercapitalized entrepreneurs about scale-ups and investing, with a focus beyond the B2B SaaS specialty to reach sectors where Black and Latinx founders overperform.

The Mira Awards Judges think Sixty8 Capital is poised to make an oversized impact in Indiana and the Midwest and Southeast—the firm’s target regions To date, Sixty8 Capital has made eight investments in six Black-led companies, one non-POC woman-led company and one LatinX-led company. Of these eight investments, three are based in Indiana, and four others have already hired talent and have begun doing business in Indiana, having a direct impact on job creation and population growth.

• Akilah W. Darden, Founder and President, The Darden Group for Community Impact Award (Individual): The Indianapolis business leader has accomplished on the construction jobsite what few, if any, others have: 100% diverse participation. What’s more, she did it for Cook Medical’s new 38th Street and Sheridan Ave. manufacturing facility (a forward-thinking, community-based project in its own right) in a tight labor market by meeting people ”where they are” on Instagram, creating an animated video to promote her project and offering onsite interviews with diverse construction professionals to allow the community to “see what they could be” in construction. She also created an e-course to help construction professionals with construction core competencies go from technical hands-on construction professionals to managerial professionals teaching operational and administrative strategies.

The Mira Awards Judges were impressed by how Darden artfully leveraged technology to disrupt the industry and augment opportunities for under-represented groups, her passion for projecting success, leading by example and bringing others along with her on the journey to success. They were inspired by Akilah’s ability to not just see the need for inclusion in the building trades, but to set out to solve the problem using tech-enabled resources that eliminated barriers and instilled a growth mindset that she, herself, modeled for the community.

• Indy Women in Tech (IWiT) for Community Impact Award (Group/Organization): IWiT is a non-profit organization created to address the gender gap in the tech workforce. Since 2017, in addition to popular programs that encourage girls to stick with science and math studies, the organization has provided scholarships, mentorship, professional development and wraparound services that have enabled more than 300 women to step successfully into tech careers where many of them have financial freedom for the first time. On average, the women participating in IWiT pathways see a 68% increase in their personal income and 89% graduate on time and with zero debt.

The Mira Awards Judges congratulated IWiT for bucking a national trend of six out of 10 community college students dropping out of training programs without earning a degree despite their students also dealing with family responsibilities and financial hardships. They were particularly impressed that IWiT ramped up its programs and invested more resources into assisting women with changing careers and entering the tech workforce throughout the pandemic, when women were being set back more than ever before and many assistance programs were suspended or unable to continue.

• myCOI for Exceptional Employer Award: Indianapolis-based myCOI’s advanced software solution automates and centralizes compliance for companies that can have thousands of separate certificates of insurance. Failing to be in compliance puts those companies at risk for millions of dollars.

The Mira Awards Judges were impressed by how myCOI created a positive and productive employee community in the new remote and hybrid work environment, by really listening to employees, supporting their growth, and empowering them to be their personal and professional best. Based on their Emplify employee engagement data, myCOI’s workplace culture has continued to thrive and improve quarter-over-quarter, which is reflected in a very low turnover rate and most of their open jobs being filled through promotions and employee referrals. The judges really liked myCOI’s Leadership in Training program in partnership with ADVISA, and the company’s thoughtful focus on diversity and inclusion.

• Eleven Fifty Academy for Talent Impact Award: Indianapolis-based Eleven Fifty Academy was created to change the economic trajectory of low-income, less educated or underemployed adults and their families by increasing post-secondary educational attainment and employability. With community and employer partners, Eleven Fifty is building a tech workforce pipeline at scale. Its graduates have filled more than 800 tech jobs since the start of the pandemic, earn average starting salaries of $54,000 and 97% of them remain in the Indiana tech ecosystem.

The Mira Awards Judges think the Academy’s results speak impressively for themselves, but the Academy leaders don’t stop there. President and Founder Scott Jones created, championed and shepherded the nation’s first Progressive Income Share Agreement for tech workforce training, which the Indiana General Assembly funded to the tune of $75 million. Eleven Fifty also worked with partners on the “Advancing Tech” initiative resulting in grant funding focused on building tech talent from non-traditional sources. Lilly Endowment Inc. provided $5 million to support students living in the lowest income zip code in the state.

• RxLightning for Startup of the Year: With RxLightning, healthcare providers can quickly and easily complete the enrollment process for every specialty drug in every therapeutic area, reducing paperwork, streamlining communication and accelerating speed to therapy for patients.

The Mira Awards Judges were “blown away” by RxLightning’s speed to market and growth trajectory with a product that has revolutionized a complex healthcare niche with a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use solution that is currently being used by 75,000 partners and generating revenue in excess of seven figures for the small business. The company’s value proposition is appealing across every aspect of the ecosystem, and customer retention has been strong, a testament to the benefits realized by practices. The company raised $3 million in 2021, grew its team significantly and began generating revenue. RxLightning is positioned to undergo a Series A funding raise, which will enable quick scale helping even more patients get access to their specialty medications faster than before.

• Market Wagon for Scale-up of the Year (Indiana Headquartered): Nick Carter, an Indianapolis farmer and tech entrepreneur, launched the online farmers’ market in 2016 to save family farms across the country. It is a place to shop for local fresh products and a platform to discover local farms and connect with farmers, chefs and artisans to learn about the food they produce. More than 2,500 local farmers and artisans use Market Wagon to deliver products to the doorsteps of 45,000+ local customers in more than 33 markets across 20 states. Built to scale quickly, Market Wagon surged from just six markets to 33 during the first 18-months of the pandemic. In 2021, Market Wagon grew from 36 to 76 workers to meet demand. Over the next three years, Market Wagon anticipates doubling its employment base and expanding to up to 20 more new markets, before embarking on a massive revenue increase and nationwide expansion through 2025.

The Mira Awards Judges think Market Wagon’s business model is ironically disruptive in a world where humans are farther and farther removed from what they eat, often thousands of miles and as far away as the other side of the planet. Market Wagon provides food producers with a transparent and reliable local supply chain that bypasses the Big Ag, corporate grocery stores, and the issues impacting them still today.

• Wunderkind for Scale-up of the Year (>$100M, Acquired or Headquartered Out-of-State with Indiana Operations): Wunderkind is a leading performance marketing engine that delivers one-to-one emails and texts for the world’s largest brands. With offices in London, New York City and Indianapolis, the company has helped retailers drive $2.8 billion dollars annually in directly attributable revenue. Wunderkind has a 130 person-strong Indianapolis office, and is actively hiring for over 140 open positions.

The Mira Awards Judges were impressed by Wunderkind’s stable position at the top of the personalization space for the past three years serving a majority of the largest brands in the world. The explosion in online shopping provides the company ample opportunity to be the market-leading omnichannel performance marketing engine. Wunderkind has raised more than $44 million from prominent VCs, and the company itself grew by 46% last year and is expected to grow by double digits again this year too.

• IU Health for Large Enterprise of the Year: Headquartered in Indianapolis, IU Health is Indiana’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare system with 16 hospitals and 36,000 employees. Healthcare workers were heroes of the pandemic. IU Health demonstrated that it wasn’t just doctors and nurses that responded heroically. So did the IT and cybersecurity teams that enable those frontline healthcare interactions. In a matter of weeks virtual care interactions went from less than 100 per month to thousands, totaling 400,000 over the length of the COVID-19 crisis. IU Health’s Informatics and Information Systems division provides the complex technology infrastructure that underpins patient care and the digital experience at IU Health.

The Mira Awards Judges were impressed with how the IU Health team rapidly adapted to the needs of the crisis as well as launched several new technology initiatives such as the Google Healthcare Data Engine, the “I Can Help App”, Virtual Nurses, and the Medical Device Security Lab at 16 Tech. Their innovations will serve patients long into the future, both when they are healthy and when they are sick.

Previously announced TechPoint Mira Awards were presented as well to:
• Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce (iDEW) for TechPoint Foundation for Youth Bridge Builder Award: The Bridge Builder Award recognizes visionary leaders who offer underserved student populations in Indiana experiential learning opportunities that encourage science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Based in Indianapolis and launched in 2015, iDEW is a partnership between academia, Indiana corporations and organizations and is led by high school teachers, with training and support provided by IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI faculty, staff, and near-peer mentors that open opportunities for underrepresented minorities.

“Working in eight Indianapolis high schools and with education and industry partners, iDEW has taught tech skills and provided career opportunities to more than 2,500 girls and students of color, groups that are underrepresented in the state and national tech sector. Nearly 80 percent of those students are college bound, pursuing STEM degrees,” said Foundation President and CEO George Giltner.

• Bill Oesterle for TechPoint Trailblazer Award: The Trailblazer Award recognizes visionaries whose contributions have had lasting and significant impact on the state and its technology ecosystem. Oesterle, born in West Lafayette but an Indianapolis business leader, co-founded Angie’s List; is a pioneer in the effort to attract and retain the best talent in Indiana; and is an outspoken champion for human rights and equity. He has invested millions of dollars to revitalize neglected areas of Indianapolis, including the former Angie’s List campus, which is now known as Elevator Hill, and the 38th Street Corridor in Midtown.

Among those commenting about Oesterle being this year’s recipient was former Governor Mitch Daniels and current Purdue University President: “Bill Oesterle has been one of the most important and impactful Indiana business leaders in the modern era, but he’s so much more than that. He has been one of our state’s most constructive and influential citizens. He once worked for me, but for many years, I have felt like I’ve worked for him; his ideas and insights have shaped my own, and I owe him a bigger debt than I can ever repay.”

The Mira Awards are the state’s largest and longest running technology awards program recognizing the “Best of Tech” in Indiana. Fifty-two independent, volunteer judges spent more than 850 total hours evaluating applications, interviewing nominees, and selecting this year’s winners. Judges included an impressive roster of company founders, CEOs and presidents, CTOs, CIOs, engineers and other industry professionals.

ABOUT TECHPOINT:
TechPoint is the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology companies and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on attracting talent, accelerating scale-up companies, activating the community and amplifying stories of success. For more information, please visit www.techpoint.org.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb joined local officials and executives from Intelinair, an agbioscience company, today to celebrate the grand opening of the company’s new headquarters in Indianapolis, which will support up to 100 new, high-wage jobs by the end of 2025.

“Indiana is committed to creating an environment that attracts startups like Intelinair to grow operations while continuing to grow agtech solutions geared toward an economy of the future,” said Gov. Holcomb. “This investment will further strengthen Indiana’s position as a top agricultural state and help attract a diverse talent pool.”

The company, founded in 2014, was previously based in Pasadena, California, and is relocating its headquarters to Indianapolis to be closer to its customer base, join the city’s tech industry and tap into the area’s base of agtech talent. Located at 9510 N. Meridian St., the company is hiring agronomists, software engineers and developers, adding to the current 16 employees in Indiana and eight in Illinois. Interested applicants may apply online.

“We selected Indianapolis for a number of reasons,” said Tim Hassinger, CEO and president of Intelinair. “First, Indiana’s thriving business environment with access to both ag and tech talent who either already reside in the state and those graduating from area universities. The move also brings us closer to our farmer and channel partner customers. Early in our process, it became clear that Indianapolis was the right fit for Intelinair, and we look forward to being part of this community.”

Intelinair uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze high-resolution aerial imagery from aircraft, satellites and drones. The company recently announced the launch of AGMRI Enterprise, a new service that has been designed specifically with ag retail customers in mind. AGMRI Enterprise provides a current view of what is happening in customer fields with regularly scheduled flights throughout the season. The AGMRI® and AGMRI Enterprise platforms are supported by in-season aerial imagery from aircraft or satellites.

Earlier this year, the company also announced a collaboration with Jacobs to provide a scalable, high-grade multispectral sensor systems and aerial imagery services, while Intelinair provides its artificial intelligence (AI) powered crop analytics AGMRI® platform to deliver a complete view of every acre, every field from planting to harvest.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) partners with industry organizations like AgriNovus Indiana, the state’s initiative dedicated to promoting and accelerating the growth of the agbiosciences community, in order to target business recruitment in high-skilled, high-growth sectors. AgriNovus works to cultivate business development needs within the agriculture sectors, helping recruit organizations like Intelinair to expand or locate in Indiana.

“Agtech is the fastest growing category of Indiana’s $52 billion agbioscience economy,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “Our proven strength in software as a service coupled with our deep expertise in production agriculture make Indiana the destination of choice for companies like Intelinair to innovate, scale and serve producers around the world.”

Based on the company’s job creation plans, the IEDC committed an investment in Intelinair of up to $2.5 million in the form of incentive-based tax credits. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired. The city of Indianapolis supports the project in partnership with Develop Indy, the economic development organization for the city of Indianapolis and Marion County.

“Intelinair joins a fast-growing local tech landscape, as Indianapolis has in recent years welcomed dozens of firms—from startups to global leaders—all using data and advanced tech to enhance our lives in a changing world,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “As our nation’s crossroads, and as a midwestern capitol, our city offers a lot to Intelinair as they seek to reach America’s farmers. And Intelinair offers a lot to Indianapolis, as they look to hire 100 high-wage positions and excel as another strong player in our thriving business ecosystem.”

Photo courtesy of Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC).

The 2nd Ag Alumni Fish Tank Pitch Competition will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 2:30-3:30p ET. To RSVP and learn about the event go to: https://bit.ly/AgFishTankRSVP

Hear from Purdue Foundry Ag-Celerator finalists in the early stages of plant technology commercialization!

About this event

Join the Purdue Foundry at the Spring 2022 Ag-Celerator Demo Day on April 22, 2022 at 9:00 AM ET. Finalists will present their plant technologies and showcase their innovative talents!

Finalists:

  • AgroKnow
  • FiberX
  • KeyByte LLC
  • LeafSpec LLC
  • Molecular Signatures
  • NanoBio Designs LLC
  • Plantennas
  • ReproHealth Technologies

Purdue Foundry’s Ag-Celerator™, created in 2015, is a $2 million plant sciences innovation fund designed to provide critical startup support for Purdue innovators who wish to commercialize patented intellectual property or Purdue “know-how” technologies. Funding is considered for innovations that impact the life sciences, such as advancing crop traits, generating higher yields, using big data to improve farm management, finding new uses of plants, using precision agriculture, and discovering advanced breeding techniques. Purdue students, faculty, and alumni can receive up to $100,000 in funding through the program. Investments are made per semester on a competitive basis.

Register here.

BiomEdit intends to discover and develop animal health products that leverage microbiome science to improve animal health, animal protein production, and livestock disease monitoring

 

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN), a leading global animal health company, and Ginkgo Bioworks, the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, today announced the launch of BiomEdit, a microbiome innovation company that is expected to discover, develop and introduce novel probiotics, bioactive molecules, engineered microbial medicines and microbial monitoring services for animal health.

Microbiome science is a rapidly growing field creating breakthroughs in animal health based on the microbial communities in animals and the surrounding environment. BiomEdit intends to discover, develop and introduce differentiated products that address some of the greatest needs for innovation in animal health, including medicated feed ingredients, nutritional health and therapeutics for livestock and pet species, as well as biosecurity technology for animal disease monitoring.

In October 2021, Elanco announced its intention to carve out its microbiome platform and pipeline under the leadership of Aaron Schacht, BiomEdit CEO and former Elanco executive vice president of Innovation, Regulatory and Business Development, to concentrate and focus more resources on its high value late-stage Pet Health pipeline. BiomEdit is the result of this separation, and was developed with Ferment Co., the company creation studio that helps ideate and launch new companies across a variety of end-markets that use cell programming to support human and environmental health and well-being.

Elanco will contribute intellectual property and a pipeline of ongoing programs to BiomEdit, which will be staffed with members of the former Elanco microbiome R&D team. The team brings the expertise and experience needed to build on the foundation of microbiome work started at Elanco. By leveraging foundational programs from Elanco, intellectual property from both Elanco and Ginkgo, and an experienced team, BiomEdit should be well positioned as a stand-alone company to develop and launch innovative products to address unmet needs in animal health.

“Livestock producers and veterinarians are calling for new products that address antibiotic resistance and improve livestock sustainability,” said Mr. Schacht. “Coupling the platform, pipeline and deep expertise of the former Elanco microbiome team with Ginkgo’s unique screening and strain engineering capabilities will accelerate and amplify our ability to advance novel animal microbiome inspired products for animal health.”

“Elanco is excited to continue its participation in the microbiome by partnering with Ginkgo, Viking Global Investors and Anterra Capital to create the next-generation animal health innovation player,” said Jeff Simmons, president and CEO of Elanco Animal Health. “We wish Aaron and his team the best as they build out this novel innovation platform to address unmet needs in animal health, such as alternatives to antibiotics.”

Ginkgo has significant expertise in the discovery, design and monitoring of microbes at scale for a wide array of functions. BiomEdit plans to leverage Ginkgo’s state-of-the-art cell programming platform to improve the design and development of probiotics, bioactives, engineered microbial medicines, and microbial monitoring services. BiomEdit joins other Ginkgo Bioworks platform ventures such as Joyn Bio, Motif FoodWorks, Allonnia, Arcaea, Verb Biotics and Ayana Bio.

“We are always on the lookout for opportunities to accelerate our partners’ abilities to address massive challenges, such as antibiotic resistance in livestock,” said Jason Kelly, CEO of Ginkgo. “Together, we see Ginkgo and BiomEdit addressing significant opportunities in the animal health industry with new breakthroughs based on microbiome science. We deeply depend on the health of animals in our ecosystem and supply chains; the potential applications for our cell programming platform in this area are far reaching.”

In addition to the assets and intellectual property contributed by Elanco and Ginkgo, BiomEdit is launching with a targeted Series A funding raise of $40 million, with participation by Viking Global Investors and Anterra Capital. In exchange for their respective asset and intellectual property contributions, Elanco and Ginkgo are expected to retain approximately 40% combined proportional ownership of BiomEdit, on a fully-diluted basis, upon the completion of the Series A financing. Elanco’s ownership will be in non-voting shares.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted on behalf of Elanco as sole placement agent on the financing.

Byproduct feed for chickens. Solar panels to power facilities. MPS Egg Farms recently announced a partnership with Kroger’s Simple Truth Brand to bring the world’s first carbon-neutral eggs to the United States. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier talks with Sam Krouse, VP of Business Development for MPS Egg Farms. 

They talk about what it takes to make eggs carbon-neutral, the partnership with Dutch-based company Kipster and when you will find these available in a Kroger store near you. 

Listen here:

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