Terraton Challenge

Focusing global innovators on agriculture as a climate solution

The Terraton Challenge rallies innovators to develop solutions that accelerate the drawdown of atmospheric carbon dioxide into agricultural soils.

In its inaugural year, The Terraton Challenge focuses on three critical areas: methods to quantify soil carbon, technologies that accelerate soil carbon sequestration, and innovative financial offerings that reward growers for capturing and maintaining soil carbon.

Put Your Idea to the Test

We believe the best lab for testing innovative agricultural solutions is the farm itself. Qualifying Terraton Challenge Semifinalists will have the opportunity to test their solutions in real-world farms such as Indigo Research Partners (IRP), the world’s largest agricultural lab.

Explore the World’s Largest Ag Lab

Tackle Climate Change from the Ground Up

By submitting solutions to support the drawdown of carbon dioxide into soils, Terraton Challenge participants will infuse Indigo Carbon with a level of innovation and competition never before directed at climate-based solutions.

Learn More About Indigo Carbon

Grow Your Impact

Refine your solution with feedback from leading mentors in agtech. Present to stakeholders across the ag value chain. Get feedback directly from growers. Terraton Challenge Semifinalists have access to a wealth of resources to take their solutions to the next level.

Want to Shape the Future of Ag? Join Our Expert Network

Semifinalists chosen

265

Applications received

Countries applied from

awarded

3500

In cash prizes for submitting ideas

up to

3000000

In total contract prizes

up to

60000

In total grant prizes
($20k per track)

Application

July - October 2019

During this 10-week period, applicants from all around the world, at all stages of development, submitted soil carbon sequestration solutions across three Challenge tracks.

Cohort Selection

October - November 2019

A panel of judges including thought leaders, academics, and entrepreneurs reviewed proposals in search of solutions with an explicit impact on carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, with demonstrated tech validation, and a clear plan for testing and results within the 2020 growing season. 35 Semifinalists were announced on November 1, 2019.

Incubation

November 2019 – January 2020

Semifinalists joined a cohort with access to mentors, expert speakers, real-world experimentation, and entrepreneurial resources.

Experimentation & Refinement

February - September 2020

During this time, select Semifinalists will pilot their solutions in greenhouses, on research acres, or remotely. Semifinalists will connect with and receive mentorship from industry experts as they continue to refine their solutions and business models.

Demonstration & Evaluation

October - November 2020

current phase

The Terraton team will review experimental results and assess each Semifinalist's technology, business model, and commercial readiness.

Award & Contract

December 2020

A recipient from each Challenge track will be awarded up to $20,000 in equity-free grants. Select Finalists with effective and scalable solutions will be eligible for up to $3M in contracts, all while maintaining business independence and IP rights to their solution.

July - October 2019

During this 10-week period, applicants from all around the world, at all stages of development, submitted soil carbon sequestration solutions across three Challenge tracks.

October - November 2019

November 2019 – January 2020

Semifinalists joined a cohort with access to mentors, expert speakers, real-world experimentation, and entrepreneurial resources.

February - September 2020

October - November 2020

The Terraton team will review experimental results and assess each Semifinalist's technology, business model, and commercial readiness.

December 2020

The inaugural 2019-2020 Terraton Challenge cohort brings together more than 30 innovators from 5 countries across 20+ technology areas to advance solutions that catalyze the drawdown of carbon dioxide into agricultural soils.

Accelerate

Quantify

Reward

Since the dawn of agriculture, significant amounts of soil carbon have been released as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Agricultural soils have the ability and capacity to reabsorb this carbon when beneficial farming practices are used. The Accelerate track seeks novel products, processes, or services that accelerate the rate at which carbon dioxide is sequestered and maintained in cropland soils.

AG Energy

On-farm biochar production

Biogea

Mycorrhizael root growth stimulator

GSR Solutions

Microalgael CO2 capture

Amata Green

Mobile pyrolizer for biochar production

Soil Works

Calcium input to enhance aerobic zone

CSU & Leprino Foods

Lactobionate to benefit soil health

WISErg

Upcycling food scraps to create fertilizers

Organilock

Enriching biomass to feed soil ecosystems

Earnest Earth

On-site bioreactors to create fertilizer

EkoGea

Prebiotic SOC microbial metabolizer

Conventional methods of quantifying soil carbon require soil core sample collection, transportation, and lab analysis to deliver precise results. While these methods are trusted and widely adopted, they can be time consuming, labor intensive, and expensive. The Quantify Track seeks to catalyze soil carbon sampling and measurement systems that are efficient, accurate, and low-cost.

SoilReader

Real-time multi-depth soil analysis

SoilOptix

High resolution, predictive soil maps

LaserAg

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

MicroBIOMETER

Soil microbial biomass analysis

Arva

AI-Assisted aerial SOC monitoring

Cloud Agronomics

Aerial hyperspectral SOC monitoring

Haystack

Hand-held FTIR spectroscopy

X-centric

Volumetric X-Ray SOC measurement

Platfarm

Mobile SOC baseline tool

Plant Group

SOC via phone camera

Rabbit Tractors

Robotic Soil Sampling

AgriCarbon UK

Soil carbon management tool

Smart Cloud Farming

AI-assisted soil carbon tool

Agerris

Autonomous surveying and sampling

Hone

Portable, AI-powered soil measurement tool

Growers have not been financially motivated to view soil carbon as a critical input to the profitability of their farming operations. The Reward Track seeks novel financial products and services that reward growers for sequestering soil carbon and drive rapid adoption of regenerative management practices.

Land Core

Land lease platform

American Farmland Trust

Education platform for NOL's

Farm Together

Farmland investment platform

EnTrade

Marketplace for ecosystem services

Explore other tracks

Thank you to our partners for their support in this global effort.

Soil is the key to making agriculture a solution to climate change, rather than a contributor to it. Not only that, but healthy soil mitigates against the damage caused by climate chaos. I'm excited to be involved in this effort to stop treating soil like dirt!

Sara Eckhouse, FoodShot Global, Terraton Challenge Judge

Get Involved

Join Our Expert Network

Volunteer your time and become a Terraton Challenge judge or mentor to help innovators shape the solutions that will transform the future of agriculture

Partner With Us

Join partners like those listed above to help us develop an enduring challenge framework that engages innovators from across the globe to develop ag solutions that address climate change.

Get In Touch

Are you a 2019-2020 Cohort Member?

Follow this link to log into your Accelerator App profile. See upcoming events, schedule time with mentors, engage with other participants, and more.

The Terraton Challenge