By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
The Beef Alliance, an organization of cattle feeding companies, is seeking to support, encourage and drive innovation to ensure a sustainable cattle feeding segment through Feeding Innovation: The 2021 Startup Challenge.
The virtual pitch competition is an opportunity for startups and feedyards to engage directly to put viable solutions to work, according to Scott Whitefoot, Beef Alliance incoming chairman.
“Central to the Beef Alliance vision is to be a trusted leader that drives positive change in the cattle feeding industry. We can’t achieve that vision sitting on the sidelines, and the Startup Challenge is an opportunity to step up and be a leader in our industry through supporting and driving innovation in cattle feeding,” Whitefoot said. “This event aligns commitments to continuous improvement and enhanced transparency and stewardship in cattle feeding with an openness to new technologies that improve our ability to deliver a high-quality product to our customers and ultimately enable consumers to access high-quality beef.”
The goal of the contest is to put new and innovative technology directly into the hands of prospective customers.
Finalists will pitch their product directly to major feedyard decision-makers for an opportunity to win a $50,000 cash prize and the chance to pilot their product with a Beef Alliance member company.
Several companies with operations in Texas are members of the Beef Alliance, including Adams Land & Cattle, Cactus Feeders, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding and Friona Industries.
Entrants must have a novel solution with a clear value proposition to address cattle feeding challenges and must be the majority owners of a for-profit company. Non-profits are ineligible to apply.
Eligible companies may be at any development stage from pre-revenue to in-market but must be generating less than $2 million revenue on an annual run rate.
Companies that meet the eligibility criteria with any product for cattle feedyards are eligible to apply, though preference will be given to solutions in the following areas:
- environmental and natural resource management
- animal health, including product development, disease identification and definition
- animal nutrition and production efficiency
- livestock monitoring and traceability
- business management
- improvement in operational efficiency
- food safety
In addition to a chance at the grand prize, contestants will have an opportunity to engage with potential strategic investors and gather meaningful feedback directly from target users.
If selected as a finalist, the entrant must be available to present the company in a 10-minute pitch and 10-minute question-and-answer session at the virtual pitch event set for March 9, 2021.
Applications are due Feb. 15, 2021.
For more information, visit the Beef Alliance’s Startup Challenge website.