By Blake Jackson
Ten innovation-focused companies from across the U.S. will compete for the top prize of $100,000 in the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Ag Innovation Challenge, and New York Farm Bureau member CryoBio is among the semifinalists. Based in Ithaca, NY, CryoBio is developing the first crop spray designed to protect plants from extreme frost conditions.
“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.”
Now in its 12th year, the Ag Innovation Challenge provides entrepreneurs a platform to present their emerging agricultural businesses and ideas to a panel of expert judges. The competition offers a total of $145,000 in funding, including the $100,000 top prize.
The 10 semifinalist companies represent diverse states and sectors of agriculture. Alongside CryoBio, participants include 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).
Four teams advancing to the final round will each receive $10,000, with the finalists announced on September 10.
The final competition takes place on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the AFBF Convention in Anaheim, CA, where the top-prize winner receives $100,000 and the runner-up receives $25,000.
Last year, New York Farm Bureau member Labby, a Rochester-based company specializing in real-time milk and herd health testing, won the runner-up prize 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 competition of its kind, specifically designed for rural entrepreneurs launching agricultural and food-related businesses. For more information, visit fb.org/challenge.
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