"Outside-the-Box" Entrepreneurs to Address Resource Constraints, Crop Shortages at Fifth Ag Innovation Showcase

ST. LOUIS, July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The fifth annual Ag Innovation Showcase will be held Sept. 9-11, 2013 at the Danforth Plant Science Center (www.AgShowcase.com).  With food at the center of global attention, the event hosted by the Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, Danforth Center and the Larta Institute, will feature presentations by "outside-the-box" entrepreneurs with revolutionary technology solutions to the industry's immediate challenges of resource constraints and crop and food shortages aggravated by droughts, environmental degradation, pestilence and increasingly limited pesticide resistance.

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The event will open with a keynote address by Dr. Robert Fraley, Chief Technology Officer at Monsanto Company, and close with a keynote by Dr. James Budzynski, Venture Partner at Open Prairie Ventures.  It will include panel discussions featuring ag-tech leaders exploring the industry's hottest trends, with a focus on the thematic areas of precision agriculture, the use of biological solutions in agriculture, the continued development of renewables, and the investment outlook for early stage ag-tech companies.

"With technology driven solutions recognized as critical to the way forward for the industry, the Ag Innovation Showcase has evolved into the premier innovation event that provides a platform for dialog and deal-flow centered around solutions of the future," said Sam Fiorello, COO Donald Danforth Plant Science Center & President of BRDG Park.

Historically, the Showcase has proven to be particularly valuable for emerging ag-tech entrepreneurs. Ninety-five percent of presenters found potential partners and four of every five presenters found potential investors. In addition, post-Showcase, two presenters were acquired by strategics in attendance at the event, and the cohort of past presenters went on to raise more than $96 million in funding.

"Over the past five years, we have seen the industry take note of the prominence and relevance of the issues highlighted at the Ag Innovation Showcase every year, reflected in increased support from industry sponsors, including corporate strategics and investment groups, international country partners and most significantly, commercial success for past presenters," said Rohit Shukla, CEO and founder of Larta Institute.

About the Ag Innovation Showcase

Established in 2009, the Ag Innovation Showcase is the leading annual global event for agriculture's industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and capital providers. It promotes emerging technologies in ag-bio, food and nutrition, biofuels, sustainable materials, clean-tech, information technology and animal health, and highlights the issues that are driving global approaches to food safety and security. For more information or to register, visit http://AgShowcase.com

For additional information, contact:
Nandini Taneja, Email, (213) 538-1449

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SOURCE Larta Institute