Startups Invited to Compete for Space in Ag Tech Incubator

Thanks to a partnership with Bayer, the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative’s Seed2Grow agricultural technology incubator will open its doors for the first time to an early-stage startup company outside North Carolina State University’s research community.

As part of its Golden Ticket program, Bayer will fund 12 months of incubator space in NC State’s Plant Sciences Building for a winning ag tech startup. Located on the university’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh, the building has emerged as a vital part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park region and its strong ag tech sector.

The winning company will also gain access to a lab bench and cubicle in the incubator, as well as to Bayer’s global innovator network and the benefits that come with being part N.C. PSI’s Seed2Grow startup program.

The year-old entrepreneurship program is designed to help ensure that NC State plant sciences discoveries benefit farmers and consumers. Through Seed2Grow, ag tech startups can use shared equipment, build connections with NC State students and faculty members and receive support from a Commercialization Advisory Council that includes entrepreneurial leaders with NC State and in the Research Triangle and the larger ag tech community.

Competition Builds on Shared Commitment to Ag Innovation

Through the competition, Bayer and the N.C. PSI aim to support and accelerate the advancement of innovative ideas and technologies that can reduce agriculture’s environmental impact and increase its productivity.

“This competition is a great way … to grow our entrepreneurial ecosystem while helping bring novel solutions to growers.”

As N.C. PSI Executive Director Adrian Percy explains, “NC State and Bayer Crop Science have a long history of partnering to advance ag tech research and commercialization. This competition is a great way for us to work together to continue to grow our entrepreneurial ecosystem while helping bring novel solutions to growers.”

Bayer Director of Ecosystem Development Phil Taylor said that similar values motivated the global life sciences company’s decision to expand its Golden Ticket programs to include the Seed2Grow incubator.

“Through our Golden Ticket programs, we aspire to connect with and support early-stage startups who are advancing breakthroughs in agricultural technology. Even though we have a robust internal research-and-development organization, we are always looking for new ways to accelerate innovation and support bold new ideas that align with our company mission of ‘Health for all, hunger for none,’” Taylor said.

“N.C. PSI is the perfect place for collaboration, thanks to its combination of a bold, interdisciplinary mission, world-class facilities and a focus on commercializing innovation.”

“N.C. PSI is the perfect place for collaboration, thanks to its combination of a bold, interdisciplinary mission, world-class facilities and a focus on commercializing innovation,” he added, noting Bayer’s presence as part of the N.C. PSI’s Innovation Hub since the building’s opening in 2022. “We’re excited to build on that with this latest project.”

Competition Marks Seed2Grow’s Entry on the Global Stage

Up until now, entry into the Seed2Grow incubator and the startup program has been limited to companies with direct ties to NC State.

As the N.C. PSI’s Kathleen Denya notes, the current roster of eight Seed2Grow companies includes startups that were founded by NC State faculty members, students or young alumni or are commercializing technology developed at NC State.

“Bayer’s proposal came at a great time, with Hoofprint Biome recently becoming our first Seed2Grow company to graduate and vacate the incubator,” Denya said. “Seed2Grow has only been running for a little over a year, and we saw this new space availability in the incubator as a great way to continue our partnership with Bayer and share what we are doing with a global audience.”

More About the Competition and Its Sponsors

• Ag tech startup companies from any location are encouraged to apply at go.ncsu.edu/goldenticket. Follow the link to learn more about terms and conditions and the incubator’s research capabilities.The submission deadline is Oct. 31, 2025. 
• Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. 
• With over 100 faculty affiliates from nine North Carolina State University colleges, the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative brings together the brightest minds from academia, government and industry to solve complex agricultural challenges through interdisciplinary scientific discovery and innovation, extension and outreach, and education and workforce development. It is part of NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with ties to the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs.

This post was originally published in Plant Sciences Initiative.