Agriculture is one of Pennsylvania’s most important industries, supporting more than 600,000 jobs and contributing more than $132 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy each year. Innovation is helping shape its future. Across the Commonwealth, entrepreneurs are developing new technologies to protect livestock, strengthen soil health, create new markets for agricultural products, and connect agriculture with renewable energy and transportation.
That innovation is gaining momentum across Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth recently announced $9.7 million in Agricultural Innovation Grants supporting 97 projects that are putting new technologies and practices to work across the industry. The state’s 2026–27 budget provides another $10 million for the program’s third year.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners is helping advance that same momentum by supporting entrepreneurs and companies developing new approaches to some of agriculture’s most persistent challenges. Across Pennsylvania, four companies show just how broad the possibilities can be.
KiposTech
Building Active Air Biosecurity for Animal Agriculture
location:
Lancaster, PA | Central & Northern Pennsylvania
sector:
Food & Agriculture Tech
FounderS:
Hema Ravindran, CEO & Co-Founder
Raj Singh, CTO & Co-Founder
Poultry and livestock producers face an ongoing challenge: airborne pathogens can still spread within animal housing even when other biosecurity measures are in place. KiposTech is developing active air biosecurity technology for these demanding environments. Its patent-pending KiposPro platform continuously treats barn air to reduce airborne microorganisms, dust and ammonia, while KiposEye monitors air conditions and system performance.
Through Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern Pennsylvania’s TechCelerator program, KiposTech strengthened its business model and conducted customer discovery that helped lead the company toward animal agriculture. Ben Franklin’s support has continued with follow-on investment, mentorship and strategic connections as KiposTech advanced from an early MVP to commercial-scale systems. The company is now preparing for commercial validation with a leading Pennsylvania poultry producer and has secured more than $1 million through investments, grants, awards and other non-dilutive funding.
“The TechCelerator served as a catalyst for our growth, empowering us to take the first step towards realizing our entrepreneurial dreams. The expertise and resources provided us the necessary foundation to thrive in the competitive startup landscape.”
— Raj Singh, Co-Founder & CTO, KiposTech
Americhanvre Cast Hemp
Building New Possibilities for Pennsylvania Hemp
location:
Allentown, PA | Northeastern Pennsylvania
sectorS:
Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology, Food & Agriculture Tech
Founder:
Cameron McIntosh, President, Principal Owner & Founder
Americhanvre Cast Hemp is creating new possibilities for an agricultural crop through hemp-based building materials. The company specializes in hempcrete, a lightweight, carbon-storing material made from hemp and a lime-based binder that provides insulation and helps regulate moisture.
As the exclusive U.S. licensee of the EREASY spray-applied hempcrete system, Americhanvre is helping introduce the technology to builders and homebuyers across the country. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania has provided ongoing guidance, advising, encouragement, and support as the company grows its business and expands awareness of this emerging technology.
Our relationship with Ben Franklin Technology Partners can best be described as fully empowering. Any entrepreneurial journey is punctuated with ecstatic highs and gut-wrenching lows — the difference for Americhanvre in the last three years is that we have had BFTP in our corner. This team, and specifically our advisors Marisa and Wayne, have been there when we needed them the most. Financial assistance is greatly appreciated, but the moral support and encouragement we received while facing our challenges has had the greatest impact on our business. Ben Franklin is a family, and this team truly exemplifies the values of the man for whom the organization is named.”
— Cameron McIntosh, President, Principal Owner & Founder, Americhanvre Cast Hemp
Holganix
Restoring Life to the Soil
location:
West Chester, PA | Southeastern Pennsylvania
sector:
Food & Agriculture Tech
FoundeR:
Barrett Ersek, CEO & Founder
Healthy crops begin with healthy soil. Holganix is helping farmers restore biological activity through regenerative solutions that harness naturally occurring microbes to improve root growth and crop yields while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizer.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania first invested in Holganix in 2010, followed by two additional investments over the next decade. Since then, Holganix has expanded nationwide, and its technology has been applied to more than 10 million acres of farmland. Farmers using Holganix can reduce fertilizer use, in some cases by more than 40 percent, while improving root growth and crop yields.
“Our mission is to celebrate the farmer and be their long-term partner in creating a flywheel.”
— Barrett Ersek, CEO & Founder, Holganix
Optimus Technologies
From Farm to Fuel
location:
Pittsburgh, PA | Southwestern Pennsylvania
sectorS:
Clean Technology & Energy, Food & Agriculture Tech
FounderS:
Colin Huwyler, Co-Founder & CEO
Jon Ewing, Co-Founder & VP of Strategic Initiatives
Pittsburgh-based Optimus Technologies enables heavy-duty diesel engines to operate on 100% biodiesel (B100), a renewable fuel that can be made from agricultural resources. In May 2026, Perdue Farms deployed six trucks equipped with Optimus technology to transport fresh chicken using B100 made from American-grown soybeans, including soybeans from Perdue’s farmer network.
Innovation Works, a Ben Franklin Technology Partner, first supported Optimus through its Technology Commercialization Initiative, helping fund the development of SMARTFuel, a system that became critical to fleet adoption. Innovation Works has continued to invest as the company has grown. Today, Optimus-equipped vehicles have logged more than 200 million miles.
“That original funding helped with the development of the technology that was a critical unlock for us.”
— Colin Huwyler, Co-Founder & CEO, Optimus Technologies
Ag Innovation Taking Root Across Pennsylvania
These four companies are part of a much larger agricultural innovation story unfolding across Pennsylvania.
Several recipients of Pennsylvania’s latest Agricultural Innovation Grants also have connections to the Ben Franklin network. Pine Creek Seed Farm, for example, previously received a $10,000 pre-seed investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern Pennsylvania to support manufacturing expansion and has now received a $310,000 Agricultural Innovation Grant to further enhance its seed-processing infrastructure.
Ernst Biomass and INTAG Systems, which have also received support from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern Pennsylvania, were among this year’s grant recipients.
In Northeastern Pennsylvania, recipients include F.M. Brown’s Sons, Inc., a Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania portfolio company, and Alvernia University, a longtime strategic partner through its O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Fueling Ideas. Powering Pennsylvania’s Jobs.
Learn more about the companies we’ve helped and explore additional Pennsylvania Innovation Stories.
