We’re excited to announce that FiberX has been named the winner of the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, organized by AgriNovus Indiana in partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance. This victory not only comes with a $25,000 prize to advance the commercialization of our solutions but also validates a pillar of our mission: to create new revenue streams for farmers.
The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge called on companies, entrepreneurs, students, and innovators to develop solutions that would increase efficiency and return on investment for producers’ operations without changing current workflow. Out of 21 competing teams, FiberX’s innovative approach to upcycling corn stover into valuable feedstock for the industrial chemical and materials sectors stood out to the judges.
Our President and CEO, Dave Skibinski, shared his thoughts on this achievement:
“Winning the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge is a tremendous honor for FiberX. This recognition from AgriNovus Indiana, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, and the Indiana Soybean Alliance affirms our commitment to creating value for farmers and driving innovation in agriculture. The $25,000 prize will accelerate our efforts to scale up production and bring our high-performance sustainable solutions to market. We’re excited to continue working closely with corn growers across Indiana to transform what has been considered by some as a waste product into a valuable resource for multiple industries.”
At FiberX, we’re pioneering a new approach to agricultural sustainability by working directly with corn growers to source and convert corn stover into feedstock for the chemical and materials sectors. Our product portfolio includes natural fiber-reinforced plastic polymer pellets and fiber for the plastic injection molding industry. These biocomposite plastics offer superior strength and cost-effectiveness, with the potential to replace up to 50% of petroleum-based plastic polymers in various applications.
We’re particularly proud of our focus on durable products for long-term use, such as outdoor furniture. This approach not only adds value to farm operations but also contributes to reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials, creating a win-win situation for farmers and the environment.
The judges, including Indiana Soybean Alliance Board Director Denise Scarborough and Indiana Corn Marketing Council Board Director Janis Highley, noted the difficulty in selecting a winner due to the high quality and diversity of the projects presented. Their recognition of our solution as a potential game-changer for farm efficiency and sustainability is incredibly encouraging.
This win builds on our recent successes, including receiving a Manufacturing Readiness Grant from Conexus Indiana and an Innovation Voucher from Elevate Ventures. These achievements, combined with our victory in the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, provide us with valuable resources and recognition as we continue to develop and refine our technology.
As we move forward, we’re excited about the potential impact of our solution on farm income and sustainability. We’re committed to working closely with producers to ensure that our technology not only creates new revenue streams but also integrates seamlessly into existing farm operations.
We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to AgriNovus Indiana, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, and the Indiana Soybean Alliance for this opportunity and their continued support of agricultural innovation. We’re proud to be part of Indiana’s vibrant AgTech ecosystem and look forward to contributing to the future of sustainable agriculture.
Stay tuned for updates as we put this award to work, scaling up our operations and bringing our innovative, farmer-focused solutions to market!