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IFA Announces Inaugural Cultivate Challenge Finalist Cohort
The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) has today announced the finalist cohort of 13 startups for the first-ever IFA Cultivate Challenge. The finalists were selected from more than 100 applicants from more than 40 countries and the announcement took place during a live online session led by Alzbeta Klein, IFA CEO/Director General; Patrick Heffer, Deputy Director General; and Jack Keeys, Innovation Hub Lead.
The thirteen finalists are:
- Capsber
- Ficosterra
- HydGene
- LiveGrow
- Marvin
- MazaoHub
- NitroCapt
- NitroVolt
- Paul-Tech
- Peregrine
- Phospholutions
- PlasmaLeap
- Taxon
The Cultivate Challenge initiative, a key component of the IFA Innovation Hub, showcases startups that are addressing critical challenges within the fertilizer value chain, such as the decarbonization of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer production, enhanced phosphorus use efficiency, and nutrient use efficiency tracking, along with a wildcard category for ‘out of the box’ innovation.
After rigorous pre-screening and due diligence conducted by SVG Ventures, EIT Food, and IFA specialists, 33 semi-finalists were evaluated and the top 13 chosen for their groundbreaking approaches and scalable impact.
These exciting startups will each receive:- A year’s membership of IFA: Full access to IFA’s global network, events, data resources, and the Innovation Platform.
- Regional showcase opportunities: Presentations at events such as the Thrive Impact Summit in Silicon Valley; World Agritech Innovation Summit in London, the IFA Crossroads Asia-Pacific Conference in Bangkok, and the IFA Strategic Forum in Rabat.
- Invitation to the grand final of the competition at the IFA Cultivating Tomorrow Conference in 2026.
- Tailored business development program: Connecting finalists with industry-leading organizations, VC specialists, and fertilizer experts to accelerate growth, knowledge development, and network-building.
- And more: including access to IFA’s wider ecosystem and an alumni program.
- Platinum: Arab Potash Company; Koch Agronomic Services; Maaden; Nutrien; OCP Nutricrops; SABIC AgriNutrients;
- Gold: Coromandel International; Fauji Fertilizer Company; Haifa Group; ICL; Indorama Corporation; International Raw Materials; Pivot Bio.
"Our inaugural Cultivate Challenge demonstrates IFA’s commitment to innovation-driven plant nutrition solutions, to help feed the world more sustainably," said Alzbeta Klein. "These 13 startups are working on cutting edge solutions with the potential to decarbonize fertilizer production, optimize nutrient use, and transform global food systems. I’m excited to see their progress during this first year of the Challenge."
What is next?Finalists will deepen their connection with the fertilizer industry and wider ecosystem through upcoming regional showcase events and prepare for the grand final at Cultivate Tomorrow 2026. Their journeys, presentations, and updates will be shared via IFA’s LinkedIn page.
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