AgLaunch has officially opened applications for the 2026 AgLaunch365 Accelerator, a bold, multi-stage challenge designed to catapult the next generation of agtech startups - not in a lab or a pitch room, but in the field, shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers. Applications are due by September 15, 2025.

If you (or someone you know) is building a breakthrough startup that can reshape how we grow food, raise animals or steward the land, then we want to hear about it!

AgLaunch365 isn’t like other accelerators. We embed founders directly into the real-world complexity of farming. Selected startups will partner with AgLaunch’s aligned and connected national farmer network, made up of farmers working hundreds of thousands of acres, more than 150 crops and all major classes of livestock. Using standard trial protocols and milestones, these innovation-ready producers operate across diverse regions and production systems throughout the country, forming a massive, real-time feedback loop that powers technology validation and adaptation at scale.

 

What Accepted Startups Gain: 

  • Investment: $100K initial investment, with additional milestone-based capital available through seed round to prepare for a strategically timed Series A.
  • Farmer Insight: Endorsement and co-development support from the trusted national farmer network.
  • On-Farm Trials: Commercial-scale testing in real-world conditions in key markets, funded through sponsored cost-share program developed with Tennessee Department of Ag and now being replicated across U.S.
  • Farm Data Access: Datasets from farm operations to train, test and refine your model(s).
  • Technical Expertise: Guidance from in-house agriculture expertise from managing farm trials to building regional teams.
  • Business Development: Deep understand of market entry and scaling within complex agricultural system.
  • Strategic Partnerships: Unparalleled access to influential partners like Ag Ventures Alliance and Farm Journal.
  • First Access: Priority integration into new AgLaunch ventures including the AgLaunch Data Cooperative and others in development.

What Accepted Startups Will Give: 

  • 10% equity: Founder-friendly terms to a shared pool benefiting farmers and mission-driven partners,
  • Time and Commitment: Willingness to iterate, refine, and scale your technology in collaboration with AgLaunch and its ecosystem.
  • Embedded Engagement: Boots-on-the-ground approach to solving complex agricultural challenges in farm regions across the U.S.
  • Unwavering Focus: Relentless drive to achieve bold, system-changing outcomes.

What Type of Startups Should Apply: 

Early-stage, pre-seed startups that are working on groundbreaking technologies that need ongoing feedback iterations from farmers.

  • Intelligent Farm Systems: Autonomous machinery, smart infrastructure, AI-driven tools, “plants as sensors”
  • Regenerative Biological Solutions: On-farm biomanufacturing, microbial and living inputs
  • Farmer-Centered Data Platforms: AI copilots, sensors and cooperative data ecosystems
  • Regionally Adapted Innovations: Solutions grounded in place, ecology and local culture
  • Full-Stack Ag Robotics: Scalable robotics for labor, precision and value delivery

A full list of 20 areas of interest is available here.

How It Works:

The journey begins with a farmer-sourced down-select to yield invitations to a 2-day competitive, in-person Challenge Event in Memphis, Tennessee this fall. Challenge participants will interact with AgLaunch, farmers and investor partners, refine their business models and pitch to secure a spot in the exclusive 2026 AgLaunch365 cohort, which will start in January 2026 with multi-year farm trials starting in spring of 2026. The startups chosen for the 2026 cohort will receive deep support through product development, field validation and early commercialization built around real farmer trials and co-development across the U.S. integrating into milestone- based capital allocation.

 

How to Learn More: 

Join us for one of three Q&A Webinars:

How to Apply: 

Deadline to Apply:
Priority date is September 1, 2025
Final deadline is September 15, 2025
Apply at: www.aglaunch.com/aglaunch-365

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