The Iowa Ag Expo, a trailblazer in advancing agricultural innovation and host of Innovation Hub – a dynamic center for groundbreaking technologies and forward-thinking ag solutions – has invited 6 companies to compete for cash prizes during the Startup Showcase at Innovation After Hours.

Innovation After Hours is an exclusive event showcasing an evening of innovation, and technology entrepreneurs with venture capitalists. Attendees will connect with start-ups, investors, and executives from innovative ag companies and partners from across the country and beyond.

Company (Headquarters) – Description (website)

  • Cross Plains Solutions (Wisconsin) – Cross Plains Solutions is a manufacturing and scientific research company that is focused on producing a safe & environmentally friendly firefighting foam that not only contains no PFAS but also no fluorinated chemicals, made from rapidly renewable and sustainable soybeans grown by U.S. farmers. In 2025, Cross Plains Solutions received the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Challenge Award for safer, degradable chemicals and was named a Popular Science Best of What’s New Grand Award Winner in Emergency Services. (com)
  • Terraform Tillage (Iowa)– Terraform Tillage began when founder Josh Jeske noticed his tractor lugging through high-traffic zones while ripping yet gliding through the rest of the field. After 120+ years of blanket tillage, his family saw the cost in soil health, time, and dollars. Knowing compaction quietly robs yield below the surface, and with no practical way to measure compaction on the market, he built modern tools to map it. (com)
  • Renner Ag Solutions (Iowa) – Renner Ag Solutions is an Ag Safety company that is developing a replacement for bin sweeps that saves farmers lives and limbs. The net automatically unloads a bin and the farmer no longer is required to enter during the load out process. The concept is currently under development through an engineering firm and is patent pending. Founder, Caleb Renner, is also looking towards the future in developing more ag safety products that center around grain storage and grain handling. (com)
  • Agribrink (Canada) – AgriBrink CTIS (central tire inflation/deflation system) is used to change tire psi on the go as farmers enter and leave the field. Tire are designed to have high psi on the road but in the field tire psi can be reduced by 50% or more. This helps to greatly reduce compaction, reduces fuel consumption by 15%, extends tire life by 20%, reduces HP requirement, increases traction in the field and on the road increases safety. (com)
  • Aerterra (Florida) – Aerterra is a clean-air company building renewable, corn-based HVAC air filters that improve indoor air quality while reducing environmental impact. Our filters use bio-based materials derived from U.S. corn and are designed to match the performance and price of conventional filters while drastically lowering waste and fossil-plastic use. Aerterra sells through direct-to-consumer subscriptions, affinity partnerships with corn associations, and government and institutional buyers. (aer-terra.com)
  • Scanit Technologies (California) – Scanit Technologies is an agtech scale-up founded in 2015 that autonomously detects airborne crop disease pathogens in near real time. Using patented sensors and AI, we deliver field-level “ground truth” data on pathogen presence, enabling growers and ag partners to manage disease proactively—before infections spread or yield is lost. (com)

Innovation After Hours is presented by Farm Credit Services of America, Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association, Catch Des Moines, InnoVenture Iowa, BioConnect Iowa, Iowa State University, Start Something, Ag Startup Engine, AgVentures, and Stine Seed.

About the Iowa Ag Expo

The Iowa Ag Expo is February 3-5, 2026 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, IA. Hours are 9:00am-4:00pm Tuesday and Wednesday, and 9:00am-3:00pm Thursday. Regular admission is $10 at the door. This year, visitors can register online and purchase tickets in advance to save $5 on admission. Registration information is used for demographic, sponsor, and marketing purposes. Student tickets are free with a valid student ID.

The Iowa Ag Expo is owned and managed by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA). The show is sponsored by: Diamond Sponsors – Farm Credit Services of America and AgDirect; Platinum Sponsor – Stine Seed Company; Gold Sponsor – Premier Chevy Dealers—“The Official Truck of the 2026 Iowa Ag Expo Sukup Manufacturing; Silver Sponsor – Spraytec.

In addition to the hundreds of companies and exhibitors with cutting edge solutions at the Iowa Ag Expo, the Innovation Hubs host transformative ideas from 46+ ag start-ups and pioneering companies who demonstrate their exceptional ingenuity. This dedicated space offers an immersive experience where the latest innovations converge, spotlighting trailblazers redefining agriculture. The Hubs are a combined vision of the Iowa Ag Expo and various venture capitalists, and is a catalyst for ag start-ups and entrepreneurs.

The Iowa Ag Expo, owned and managed by the Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA), recognizes that innovation knows no boundaries.

For more details about the Iowa Ag Expo visit: https://iowaagexpo.com/

Contact
Cindy Feldman, Marketing Director
Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA)
M: 515.508.1313 | E: cindyf@ineda.com

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