Plug and Play Topeka Agtech Accelerator Program Batch

After a year-long break, Plug and Play Topeka is excited to relaunch their Agtech Accelerator Program this fall and announce the companies participating in Batch 11. The companies, which range in fundraising stage from Pre-Seed to Seed, have technology applications relevant to row crops, specialty crops, and mixed farming.

Ventures Associate Mark McAllister, who led the startup sourcing, said this: “Our team’s selection criteria for this batch was driven by the industry need for tools that fit real production systems, use scarce resources more efficiently, and make agriculture more resilient without adding unnecessary complexity. We believe agricultural innovation is becoming most useful at the intersection of automation, biological precision, climate adaptation, and applied intelligence. Advances in robotics and computer vision are moving technology from observation into field-level action; new biological platforms are making crop protection and resilience more targeted; and agriculture-specific AI is improving how knowledge reaches the people making decisions. This batch was assembled to meet those theses.”

Though the ultimate goal of the program is the same as it’s always been to connect corporate entities with startups that can help them address immediate and long-term needs and goals, the new iteration of the program will revolve more heavily around in-person events. The cohort will have the opportunity to participate in any of the three in-person events set to take place over the course of the program. For those events, which you can learn more about below, the Plug and Play Topeka team is collaborating with other Agtech entities and/or other Plug and Play locations to engage different ecosystems.

“Agtech is an industry built on collaboration, and this batch is a great reflection of that,” said Director Lindsay Lebahn. “We’re focused on partnering across the ecosystem creating connections and opportunities that move innovation forward together.”

Sept. 16: Agtech Hot Takes and Speed Dates—Fargo, ND
Hot Takes and Startup Dates is where emerging AgTech companies meet the people who can tell them whether their technology actually matters. Hosted by Grand Farm and Plug and Play ahead of Autonomous Nation, the event will bring together growers, cooperatives, retailers, industry leaders, and startups for candid discussion and structured startup speed-dating around the next wave of agricultural innovation.

Oct. 1–3: War Chest—Bryan, TX
War Chest is an exclusive technology showcase hosted at the premier Bush Combat Development Complex in the City of Bryan. This high-impact gathering will bring together defense leadership, industry pioneers, and venture innovators to highlight dual-use solutions at the absolute forefront of national security and commercial capability. The event will include immersive live demonstrations from leading startups driving breakthrough advancements across three key sectors: advanced Mobility solutions, high-yield AgTech, and state-of-the-art Drone & Counter-Drone defense systems.

Nov. 3–5: Plug and Play November Summit—Sunnyvale, CA
Summit is the biggest event that Plug and Play puts on—the average attendance of the last two Summits having surpassed 3500 people. The three-day event comprises Expos from 15 or more of the Plug and Play verticals, keynote speakers and panels, breakout sessions, demos, and daily networking opportunities.

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform connecting world-class startups, corporations, and investors. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're also present in 50+ locations driving innovation across 20+ industries. Their vision is to build the world’s leading innovation platform and make innovation open to anyone, anywhere. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/.

Agtech Batch 11 Startups:

AgriDynamics Robotics Inc. (East Lansing, MI)
We develop rugged physical AI for agriculture, starting with robotic apple harvesting.

Hermes Vision (Pittsburgh, PA)
Hermes Vision builds aerial intelligence that automates weed and invasive species management in any terrain using drone-based precision.

KissanAI (Sunnyvale, CA)
Delivering Agentic AI capabilities to farmers worldwide.

Supercool Earth (San Francisco, CA)
Supercool delivers reliable precipitation on demand using biology.

Upstream Biotechnology, Inc. (Durham, NC)
Upstream develops next-gen seed traits, enabling more resilient crops.