Plug and Play Topeka Announces Batch-Five Startups For Spring Accelerator Program
Plug and Play Topeka has announced 11 startups were recently selected for the fifth batch of its Animal Health accelerator program. This program aims to bring global innovation to the heartland by facilitating opportunities for business development and mentorship, as well as spurring pilots and initiating proof of concepts between the selected startups and the program’s three founding partners, Cargill, Evergy and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
The startups, chosen by partners of the program, span five countries and represent a broad range of new innovations focused on things like supply chain, sustainability, anti-waste, new materials, and pet health and wellness.
“We are excited to see such diverse startups that showcase how comprehensive the animal health industry is,” said Lindsay Lebahn, senior program manager for Plug and Play Topeka. “Our goal is to help these emerging companies gain valuable resources, mentorship, and partnerships, which can ultimately bring their innovative ideas to market and make a real impact in the animal health industry.”
“Cargill is proud to support the Plug and Play Topeka Animal Health accelerator,” said Eric Flanagan, director of emerging products and solutions for Cargill’s North American Protein business. “The startups selected represent some exciting and innovative technologies that have the potential to enhance our work across the food supply chain and make an impact on the animal health corridor.”
“We’ve been impressed by the depth of the startups going through Topeka’s Plug and Play accelerator,” said Jeff Martin, vice president customer operations for Evergy. “The latest cohort represents a range of cutting-edge innovations, and we’re eager to see how their products advance through this program.
“We are already seeing the difference being made by innovative startups going through the Plug and Play program,” said Dave Baloga, vice president of science and technology for Hill's Pet Nutrition. “The latest batch is full of potential, and we look forward to helping advance some of the exciting ideas they bring to the table.”
“These startups are developing exciting new technologies and products that will enhance the animal health industry,” said Stephanie Moran, senior vice president of innovation for GO Topeka. “We are excited to introduce them to the resources and support available to them in Topeka and hope that they will consider our community for their growth needs as they continue to develop.”
Click each of the company names below to learn more about the 11 startups participating in the program:
Animoscope — Animoscope offers veterinary advice to all dog and cat owners.
Aquapak — Aquapak Polymers is focusing on bringing multi-functional plastics into a circular economy.
Curbicus — Curbicus provides a clean, compostable solution to dog waste for modern pet parents.
FaunaLabs — FaunaLabs helps optimize animal health and welfare by delivering valuable insights to enable carers (owners, farm managers and veterinarians) with scalable fur-penetrating sensors and AI-driven predictive medicine.
Okeanos — Okeanos can replace the majority of plastic in packaging with stone; meet Made From Stone™, nature's solution to plastic pollution.
Pastoral — Pastoral financially incentivizes livestock farmers to be more environmentally sustainable, providing the tools and data required to transition to low-GHG regenerative farming while generating valuable carbon credits and carbon accounting data. We turn livestock farmers into Carbon Farmers.
PeelON — PeelON, innovating the way we pack.
Prevera — Prevera provides a solution that specializes in protecting waters and foods.
Titan Bioplastics — Titan Bioplastics develops functional, sustainable materials for a wide variety of industries and applications.
Treetop Biopak — Treetop Biopak provides sustainable packaging solutions for industry, with a focus on compostable materials.
Völur — Völur is optimizing the meat industry by reducing waste and making it more sustainable.
