NY Farm Bureau Member CryoBio Heads to Semifinals in American Farm Bureau's Ag Innovation Challenge
Albany, NY — Ten innovation-driven enterprises across the country will go head-to-head for the top prize of $100,000 in the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) 2026 Ag Innovation Challenge — and New York Farm Bureau member CryoBio is one of them. The biotechnology company, headquartered in Ithaca, NY, is developing the first crop spray that can protect against extreme frost.
“Frost has become a massive problem for growers nationwide, particularly in frost-prone regions like New York, due to unpredictable weather patterns. This highlights a critical need for innovative solutions,” said CryoBio CEO Murli Manohar. “At CryoBio, we are addressing this challenge by using the most innovative biotechnology approaches. We are incredibly proud of our selection as an Ag Innovation semifinalist. This recognition not only validates the important work we are doing, but it also provides us with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with American farmers.”
The Ag Innovation Challenge, now in its 12th year, is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to present to a panel of judges their emerging ideas and businesses in the agricultural industry, with a chance to earn $100,000 in startup funds. American Farm Bureau is offering a total of $145,000 in funding throughout the course of the competition.
The 10 semi-finalist teams, who will participate in a virtual pitch first round, represent a variety of states and facets of agriculture. Joining CryoBio are Agriwater (Illinois), FarmSmarter.ai (Louisiana), Gather Agriculture, Inc. (California), KinnanFAB (Nebraska), KiposTech (Pennsylvania), Renner Ag Solutions (Iowa), Terraform Tillage (Iowa), Verility, Inc. (Indiana) and Vivid Machines (Washington).
The four teams advancing to the final round will each receive $10,000 and will be announced on Sept. 10. These four teams will compete on Monday, Jan. 12 at the AFBF Convention in Anaheim, CA in front of a live audience of Farm Bureau members, investors and industry representatives. The top-prize-winner receives a total of $100,000, while the runner-up receives a total of $25,000.
New York Farm Bureau member Labby, a company based in Rochester, NY, that tests milk and herd health in real time using proprietary cameras and software, won the runner-up prize last year at the AFBF conference in San Antonio, TX.
“New York has long been a leader in agricultural innovation, so we applaud CryoBio for joining the ranks of Labby and other innovators in the state. To be a semifinalist in the Ag Innovation Challenge is truly an accomplishment, and we wish them well as they prepare for their pitch,” said NYFB President David Fisher.
The Ag Innovation Challenge is the first national business competition of its kind to cater to rural entrepreneurs launching agricultural and food businesses. To learn more, visit fb.org/challenge.
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New York Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general agricultural advocacy organization. Its members and the public know the organization as “The Voice of New York Agriculture.” New York Farm Bureau is dedicated to solving the economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural community.
