ANAHEIM, Calif. — A project led by a Pennsylvania Farm Bureau member was named runner-up in the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Hema Ravindran, a Lancaster County Farm Bureau member, is team lead for KiposTech, which is revolutionizing poultry farming with plasma-based air disinfection and AI-powered monitoring solutions that protect birds from airborne diseases, dust and ammonia. The team received $25,000 for second place.
KiposTech’s flagship product, KiposPro, is a non-thermal plasma-based device that cleans barn air 24/7, neutralizing airborne pathogens, reducing ammonia and dust and lowering the risk of disease outbreaks. They pair KiposPro with KiposEye, an integrated Internet of Things platform that monitors air quality parameters like ammonia, carbon dioxide, particulates and humidity. Using AI models trained on farm environmental data, KiposEye provides real-time alerts and recommendations for ventilation and outbreak risk.
Louisiana-based FarmMind won this year’s competition. Colin Raby, a Louisiana Farm Bureau member, is team lead for the company, which brings agricultural workflows together in one place, including field notes, GIS management, regulatory compliance, financial tracking and real-time agronomic insights. FarmMind received a total of $100,000 to grow the business.
The final four teams that competed in Anaheim were selected from a field of 10 semi-finalist teams that participated in a virtual pitch round in September.
CryoBio from New York and Vivid Machines from Washington reached the final four round of the competition and received $10,000 each. The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, now in its 12th year, provides opportunities for Farm Bureau members to showcase business innovations being developed for agriculture.
