The AgTech and animal health industries are coming together for the fourth year of the Plug and Play pitch event in Topeka, set for June 6.
The event will include demonstrations of products and services, live pitches from both industry leaders and startups, as well as trend presentations and networking.
Anne Gunden, Program Manager of AgTech and Animal Health at Plug and Play explained the event has an international presence.
“We have one coming from Bristol in the United Kingdom; we have one coming from Rio de Janeiro; and one from there is one coming from Sweden. So that’s kind of cool to see that potential impact as far as expansion can go,” said Gunden.
Registration for the Plug and Play event will start at 8:30 a.m. in Townsite Tower in Topeka, and is free to attendees. The event has already received interest from more than 190 attendees, according to Gunden.
Gunden detailed demonstrations expected at this year’s events.
“One of the AgTech companies coming uses a tractor that uses UV light in place of chemical pesticides. On the animal health side, we’ve got a couple of different diagnostic technologies that are going to make it easier to assess whether or not animals are okay. So it’s quick diagnostics that’s less expensive than what’s currently out there.” said Gunden
The animal health section of the event will start at 9:15 a.m and will cover a keynote, startup panel, and animal health pitches. This part of the event will cover seven focus areas, including alternative feed, livestock monitoring, animal health, early disease detection, drug and vaccine development, production efficiency, and sustainability.
The AgTech portion of the event will be held after lunch, starting with a keynote at 1:00 p.m., followed by a panel and pitches. During the AgTech portion, attendees will gain a better understanding of soil sensing and analysis, field monitoring, precision farming, automation, analytics, sustainability, and the supply chain.
Networking and demonstrations are scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. An Evel Knievel networking dinner will close out the event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
“I think anyone who’s interested in the economic development of Topeka and anyone who’s interested in innovation within AgTech and animal health would be interested in the event. So there’s lots to get connected to and find interest in, no matter who you are,” Gunden said.
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform connecting startups, corporations, and investors. The Topeka location focused on animal health is one of more than 50 locations driving innovation across more than 20 industries.
For registration and more information about the Plug and Play event visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/events/topeka-expo/
