Agtech startup FarmSense, announced that it has been named one of two winners in the 2023 Radicle Inclusion Challenge presented by Nutrien.
Winners were named at the 2023 Women in Agribusiness Summit (WIA), which was held in Nashville, Tenn. Winners were each awarded a $750,000 investment as part of Radicle and Nutrien's initiative to drive diversity and inclusion within the commercial agriculture sector.
Radicle Growth described the competition's focus to be on the "less than 3 percent of U.S. venture capital invested in women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs to help unpack insights and challenges faced by these historically underrepresented groups."
"I'm so proud of our diverse and innovative team who made this possible. FarmSense strongly believes that diversity and inclusion stand as beacons of future growth and innovation in commercial agriculture," said Leslie Hickle, co-founder and CEO. "Empowerment of historically marginalized groups will help sculpt a vibrant and robust landscape for generations to come."
The competition garnered more than 190 entries from agriculture-focused startups around the globe. In addition to the $750,000 investment award, FarmSense also will gain access to valuable collaboration with senior executives at Radicle Growth and Nutrien as well as access to Radicle's company-building platform.
FarmSense's award-winning FlightSensor utilizes technology, computational entomology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and real-time analytics to improve insect monitoring and crop management efforts. The FlightSensor is a revolutionary step forward in pest management, saving growers time, labor, money and reducing the need for pesticide use while improving crop yield.
This story also appears on Agricultural Equipment Guide.
