Meet the Five Finalists Competing in FEMA’s AgTech Arena Pitch Competition
Five innovative AgTech startups. One stage. One opportunity to showcase what’s next for agriculture.
FEMA’s inaugural AgTech Arena Pitch Competition is bringing five emerging technology companies to the stage during the 2026 Marketing & Distribution Convention in New Orleans.
Selected from a field of applicants, the five finalists represent a wide range of technologies designed to solve real-world challenges facing farmers, equipment manufacturers and the broader agricultural industry. On October 28, they will pitch their ideas live to an audience of agricultural equipment manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, investors and industry leaders.
The competition is designed to do more than spotlight promising startups. It is an opportunity to connect innovators with the companies and people who can help turn good ideas into products, partnerships and businesses. The winner will receive a $10,000 Grand Prize, while the audience will select a $1,000 People’s Choice Award. Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association
Meet the Finalists
Renewables | Santa Rosa, California
Renewables is bringing electrification to small and diversified farms with the e2T, a compact, remote-controlled electric two-wheel tractor that works with the PTO implements farmers already own. Founded by Steve Heckeroth, the company already has more than 75 reservations with deposits and is building the tractor with right-to-repair in mind. FEMA-2026-Pitch-Contest-Finalis…
Soldier Fly Technologies | Kingsburg, California
What if agricultural byproducts and food waste could become valuable feed and fertilizer? Soldier Fly Technologies operates a commercial Black Soldier Fly facility in California’s Central Valley, converting waste streams into protein for animals and nutrients for crops. Since 2020, the company has doubled larvae per rearing bin and increased egg production per square meter by approximately 450%. FEMA-2026-Pitch-Contest-Finalis…
Sounder Solutions | Texarkana, Texas
Feral swine cause an estimated $2.5 billion in agricultural damage and control
costs each year. Sounder Solutions is tackling the problem with Sentinel V3,
an autonomous trapping platform that uses thermal and optical AI to detect,
count and capture entire sounders without requiring an operator to monitor a
camera. FEMA-2026-Pitch-Contest-Finalis…
Mechro | Tulsa, Oklahoma
As agricultural equipment becomes more sophisticated and experienced
technicians become harder to find, Mechro is using AI to help bridge the gap.
The company builds branded AI service tools for equipment manufacturers,
turning expert knowledge and service history into step-by-step troubleshooting
assistance for technicians. Its launch customer, McElroy, has seen 100%
adoption among onboarded distributors. FEMA-2026-Pitch-Contest-Finalis…
KartVeyor | Otsego, Minnesota
KartVeyor is focused on one of harvest’s biggest challenges: keeping heavy
trucks out of the field. Its patented high-speed multi-crop cart moves crop
from the harvester to the trailer and can unload 30 to 35 tons in as little as
60 seconds. The system is designed to reduce soil compaction while improving
harvest efficiency. FEMA-2026-Pitch-Contest-Finalis…
See the Ideas Take the Stage
The five finalists will pitch live during FEMA’s AgTech Arena on October 28 in New Orleans. The event is part of FEMA’s 2026 Marketing & Distribution Convention, October 27–29 at the New Orleans Marriott.
From electric tractors and insect agriculture to artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and harvest technology, this year’s finalists demonstrate just how quickly agricultural technology is evolving.
The future of agriculture is taking the stage. Be in the room to see it firsthand.