UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition

Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies.

The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between UGA and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that — in part with a Stage Two grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC).

This funding will enable UGA Grand Farm and its nationwide partners to further expand its efforts to support innovative agriculture technology startups and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The grant was part of $3 million in awards from the Small Business Administration to 44 accelerator partnerships across the country.

“We’re very excited to be part of the Growth Accelerator Fund competition with Grand Farm and our other partners. This initiative is designed to bring together ag ecosystem builders from across the country to support underserved and underrepresented ag-tech founders,” said Chris Rhodes, recently named executive director of the UGA Innovation District. “This funding comes at a particularly opportune time, as we are getting UGA Grand Farm up and running. The award will give us the ability to include some new partners that we might not have otherwise been able to include and will add to the richness of the first year of operation.”

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