Agrifood innovators converge on St. Louis for the 3rd annual BioSTL Global AgriFood Innovation Summit. The Summit brought together some 200 leaders from the local and global agrifood ecosystem to network, engage, and participate in the annual Dolphin Tank session. That’s when select startups get the opportunity to pitch their companies, receiving live feedback and possibly future customers and investors.

Erin Marlow, owner and operator of Milne Seed and Cropwise Consulting in Maryville, MO, was in the crowd watching and listening for ideas to help farmers in Northwest Missouri.

“I work directly with farmers on implementation of anything that’s row crop production,” said Marlow. “I am a BioSTL fangirl. I just love the technology and the fact that it’s right here (in St. Louis, MO) and everybody is looking to solve problems.”

“St. Louis is a huge agrifood powerhouse,” said Vijay Chauhan, BioSTL Global Lead. “In St. Louis are some of the largest global companies across the entire agriculture chain.”

During the Summit, 11 global startups were featured in the Dolphin Tank and six international innovation hubs convened. The approximate 200 people in attendance included representation from the U.S., Israel, Argentina, India, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Great Britain, Chile, and beyond.

“The folks that are here are trying to solve problems that a lot of farmers may not even know they have,” said Marlow. “So, it’s exciting and very forward thinking, and I just have a huge appreciation for it.”