Radicle Growth Announces Judges for the Corn Value Chain Challenge Sponsored by US Corn Farmers

Radicle Growth is thrilled to announce the four judges selected for the highly anticipated Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge Sponsored by US Corn Farmers, set to take place on October 22, 2024, in San Francisco.  These esteemed judges bring a breadth and depth of industry knowledge, and are positioned to offer keen insights into the future of sustainable biofuels and biomaterials.

The Challenge sets out to invest a minimum of US $1.5M in start-up and growth companies worldwide whose innovative technologies and business models create new uses for corn and long-term sustainable demand for corn production. These companies are expected to be developing new uses for corn that result in replacements for fossil fuel-derived materials with plant-derived materials such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), drop-in chemicals and plastics, compostable materials, and as yet unidentified products and product categories that could be new areas for corn-derived products to be used.

The judges are:

Neal Gutterson, Partner & CTO, Radicle Growth.

Neal Gutterson is an industry-leading scientist, strategic thinker and innovator, with deep experience designing and developing innovative organizations. He has worked in the ag industry for nearly 40 years, including as a leader in both small technology companies and large, multinational companies. He was recognized by his industry peers with the Crop Science Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 when he retired from Corteva as CTO.

Rob Dongoski, Partner and Global Lead, AgriFood, Kearney.

Rob Dongoski, partner and global lead of Kearney’s agrifood sector, brings 25+ years of knowledge and experience across the food system to his clients. With his deep experience in strategy M&A and innovation he has been involved in some of the industry’s most iconic mergers and disruptive business model designs and partnerships. As an expert on how trends, macroeconomics, and geopolitics create both opportunities and challenges across the food system, his clients include crop input, meat and grain processors, manufacturers, grocery, and restaurants companies. He primarily focuses on multinational corporate clients and private equity and has also supported investors, start-ups, and incubators.

Eric Bowen, RYAM Board of Directors and Strategic Advisor, Terviva.

For over 20 years, Eric Bowen has been at the forefront of the energy transition.  He currently serves as a member of the RYAM (NYSE: RYAM) Board of Directors, and is a Strategic Advisor to Terviva.  Mr. Bowen held a number of roles at Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) from 2010 through the sale of REGI to Chevron in 2022.  His last role at REGI was General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Vice President of Strategy, where he was instrumental in growing the company’s renewable diesel business and the sale of REGI to Chevron. Prior to that, Mr. Bowen was Vice President, Corporate Business Development & Legal Affairs, where he positioned the company into emerging decarbonization markets, including renewable diesel, and was head of the REG Life Sciences business unit from inception through the sale of the business unit to Genomatica.  Prior to REGI, Mr. Bowen was Founder, President and CEO of Tellurian Biodiesel, Inc., a leading California waste-based, low-carbon fuel company, which was acquired by REGI in 2010.

Jim Lane, Editor and Publisher, The Daily Digest.

Jim Lane is editor & publisher of The Daily Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily, delivering daily insights into emerging technology, policy, finance, risk and projects, for the Digest’s 56.3 million unique readers and followers.

These distinguished judges will assess the pitches of our four finalists on October 22 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. The competition promises to be an exciting showcase of cutting-edge ideas and breakthrough solutions across the landscape of biofuels and sustainable materials.

The winner of the Pitch Day Competition will receive up to $1M in funding, as well as valuable networking and mentorship opportunities.  For more information about the Pitch Day Competition and to stay updated on event details, please visit www.radicle.vc/challenge or contact Natale Clark, Director of Operations at nclark@radicle.vc.

About Iowa Corn:

Iowa Corn works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is a 7,000-member strong grassroots-driven organization, headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, serving members across the state, and lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its farmer members to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.

Media Contact:

Shannon Textor, Vice President of Communications

stextor@iowacorn.org

About Radicle Growth:

Radicle Growth selects innovative, early-stage companies for investment, ensuring that disruptive AgTech & Food Tech companies reach their full potential. In addition to providing seed-stage capital, Radicle Growth provides a fertile environment for visionaries in the ag and food space to flourish. Their proprietary platform is one of a kind in the ag and food industry, filling a huge void in the market by identifying the most innovative technologies and accelerating them with a range of value-creation initiatives. To connect and learn more about Radicle Growth follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

To stay informed on Radicle Challenges, visit:  https://www.radicle.vc/challenge.

Media & Investor Relations Contact:

Natale Clark, Director of Operations

nclark@radicle.vc