Reporting from Lexington, Kentucky, US.
Two “advanced-stage” Irish agri start-up companies will showcase their “proven technologies” to thousands of global industry leaders at ONE19: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky.
The companies – InTouchGo, aimed at “ensuring ration results” and Terra NutriTech, focused on “intelligent herd nutrition” – have been selected with just seven other start-ups from across the world for The Pearse Lyons Accelerator – a late-stage ag-tech accelerator programme.
This year’s programme received more than 250 applications.
InTouchGo – headed up by founders Martin Minchin and Conan Condon, based in Carlow – is described as an “intelligent mobile application” that uses insights from daily milk production and feeding data to deliver real-time automatic ration recommendations directly to a farmer’s smartphone.
Terra NutriTech – headed up by founding brothers Padraig and Tom Hennessy, based in Moone, Co. Kildare – is aimed at adding precise feeding supplements to water systems on farms, reducing labour and improving returns.
Both innovations will be presented today, Monday, May 20, on the ‘mainstage’ at the Lexington Convention Centre.
70 countries
More than 3,500 representatives from across the global spheres of agriculture, agri-business, agri-technology and agri-innovation have gathered for the conference, opened by Alltech CEO and president Dr. Mark Lyons – son of the late Irish businessman and founder of Alltech Inc. Dr. Pearse Lyons, who passed away in March 2018.
Speaking at the official opening – which also featured a motivational speech from adventurer and television personality Bear Grylls who is originally from Donaghadee, County Down – Dr. Lyons said: “Today we welcome more than 3,500 people to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference.
From 70 countries and diverse backgrounds, you share one uniting passion – the pursuit of one meaningful idea that could change your life, your business and perhaps your world.
“Alltech’s founder and my father, Dr. Pearse Lyons, was a dreamer too. Yet, he was never content to simply dwell on dreams.
“Like our keynote speaker Bear Grylls, he took life’s adventure with boldness, curiosity and resilience. His ideas became real possibilities when he infused them with his positivity.
Today, too much of our world envisions our shared future as a planet of peril. I believe that is because we are failing to catch a vision of what is possible.
“With the advent of new technologies [and] the adoption of improved management practices, a world of abundance could be ours,” he said.
Stay tuned to AgriLand for more updates from the conference.