Fall '23 Newsletter - From the Desk of Dr. Allan Gray

DIAL Ventures hosted the Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop on Sept. 19 and 20 and it was a great success! Over the two-day event, we united 60+ industry leaders.

From The Desk of Allan Gray

Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop

DIAL Ventures hosted the Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop on Sept. 19 and 20 and it was a great success! Over the two-day event, we united 60+ industry leaders.

Here is what we all experienced:

  • Industry Opportunities: We were presented with an array of innovative opportunities, each carrying the potential to reshape the future of food and ag. The insights and feedback from the participants were invaluable in refining these ideas.
  • Convergence of Minds: The collaborative brainstorming allowed us to delve deep into the top-5 ranked opportunities. There was a lot of engagement and the quality of solutions proposed were great.
  • Impactful Presentations: Our Fall Cohort of Fellows showcased their findings, providing a roadmap for future directions. Their presentations were not just informative, but also a testament to the depth of our research and commitment to innovation.
  • Networking with Purpose: The interactions during our happy hour event and informal dinners were about forging partnerships, sharing visions and committing to collaborative growth.

A special shoutout to our Keynote Speaker, Rob Schultz, whose insights and experiences added immense value to our workshop! His journey, passion and commitment to innovation served as an inspiration to all of us.

Take a look at some photos from the event:

Our Research Manager, Lourival Monaco, discusses DIAL Ventures’ newly launched Agrifood Economy Sentiment Survey.
Rob Schultz of Serra Ventures provides his insights on venture investing in the agri-food tech industry.

While the Workshop was a significant milestone, it is just the beginning. We are now poised to take these ideas, refine them further and work toward bringing them to market. The future looks promising, and with the collective strength of our community, I am confident we will continue to make waves in the Agri-Food sector.

‍We Have Been Nominated For A 2023 Impact Award!‍

Speaking of making waves, we are excited to have been nominated for the 2023 Impact Awards, presented by InnoLead! The awards, renowned for celebrating significant contributions and initiatives within large organizations, have recognized DIAL Ventures' commitment to innovation and impactful change. Among this year's list of finalists, there's a pronounced emphasis on AI and automation, enhancing health care accessibility and fairness, and promoting sustainability.

The finalists also include the likes of BMW, General Mills, IBM, NASA, OpenAI and others.

‍We Launched Two More Startups

We have successfully launched two more startups:

• Gripp – Digitizes equipment management processes to allow manufacturers and farmers to be more proactive on things like preventative maintenance, process safety management, vendor/servicer engagement, and employee training.

• Oaken – Seamlessly connects farmers to stakeholders, including landowners, lease processors, insurance companies and banks, optimizing farmland lease management.

Congrats to our past Fellows who helped drive the de-risking process of both of these companies, as well as our partners at High Alpha Innovation! To celebrate, we invited partners and investors to our inaugural “Launch Party,” which of course included our first portfolio company Croft. A good time was had by one and all!

DIAL Ventures portfolio company launch party held on August 30, 2023.

Fall Residency

‍At the beginning of the Fall Cohort of Fellows, we traveled to various businesses in the agri-food industry to learn about the problems they face. The goal: identify opportunities to solve those problems through our venture studio model. It was an eye-opening experience for our Fellows, and they gleaned a lot of great information that helped formulate the discussion at the Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop.

Here are some photos from the trip:

An insightful visit at the Rahr Malting facility and research center, followed by an end-of-day taste tests of some fabulous brewery end products.
After an in-depth visit at Hormel Foods, we take it down a notch with a visit to the nearby SPAM Museum.
Discussing end farm services and applications with the team at Ceres Solutions.
Visiting with Belstra Milling a leader in livestock and small animal feed products.
Taking a tour of Beck’s Hybrids research & development facility.

Thank you for being an integral part of this journey. Your support and belief in our mission make all the difference. Here's to many more successes and groundbreaking innovations!

Best wishes,

Allan Gray, Executive Director of DIAL Ventures

From The Desk of Allan Gray

Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop

DIAL Ventures hosted the Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop on Sept. 19 and 20 and it was a great success! Over the two-day event, we united 60+ industry leaders.

Here is what we all experienced:

  • Industry Opportunities: We were presented with an array of innovative opportunities, each carrying the potential to reshape the future of food and ag. The insights and feedback from the participants were invaluable in refining these ideas.
  • Convergence of Minds: The collaborative brainstorming allowed us to delve deep into the top-5 ranked opportunities. There was a lot of engagement and the quality of solutions proposed were great.
  • Impactful Presentations: Our Fall Cohort of Fellows showcased their findings, providing a roadmap for future directions. Their presentations were not just informative, but also a testament to the depth of our research and commitment to innovation.
  • Networking with Purpose: The interactions during our happy hour event and informal dinners were about forging partnerships, sharing visions and committing to collaborative growth.

A special shoutout to our Keynote Speaker, Rob Schultz, whose insights and experiences added immense value to our workshop! His journey, passion and commitment to innovation served as an inspiration to all of us.

Take a look at some photos from the event:

Our Research Manager, Lourival Monaco, discusses DIAL Ventures’ newly launched Agrifood Economy Sentiment Survey.
Rob Schultz of Serra Ventures provides his insights on venture investing in the agri-food tech industry.

While the Workshop was a significant milestone, it is just the beginning. We are now poised to take these ideas, refine them further and work toward bringing them to market. The future looks promising, and with the collective strength of our community, I am confident we will continue to make waves in the Agri-Food sector.

‍We Have Been Nominated For A 2023 Impact Award!‍

Speaking of making waves, we are excited to have been nominated for the 2023 Impact Awards, presented by InnoLead! The awards, renowned for celebrating significant contributions and initiatives within large organizations, have recognized DIAL Ventures' commitment to innovation and impactful change. Among this year's list of finalists, there's a pronounced emphasis on AI and automation, enhancing health care accessibility and fairness, and promoting sustainability.

The finalists also include the likes of BMW, General Mills, IBM, NASA, OpenAI and others.

‍We Launched Two More Startups

We have successfully launched two more startups:

• Gripp – Digitizes equipment management processes to allow manufacturers and farmers to be more proactive on things like preventative maintenance, process safety management, vendor/servicer engagement, and employee training.

• Oaken – Seamlessly connects farmers to stakeholders, including landowners, lease processors, insurance companies and banks, optimizing farmland lease management.

Congrats to our past Fellows who helped drive the de-risking process of both of these companies, as well as our partners at High Alpha Innovation! To celebrate, we invited partners and investors to our inaugural “Launch Party,” which of course included our first portfolio company Croft. A good time was had by one and all!

DIAL Ventures portfolio company launch party held on August 30, 2023.

Fall Residency

‍At the beginning of the Fall Cohort of Fellows, we traveled to various businesses in the agri-food industry to learn about the problems they face. The goal: identify opportunities to solve those problems through our venture studio model. It was an eye-opening experience for our Fellows, and they gleaned a lot of great information that helped formulate the discussion at the Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop.

Here are some photos from the trip:

An insightful visit at the Rahr Malting facility and research center, followed by an end-of-day taste tests of some fabulous brewery end products.
After an in-depth visit at Hormel Foods, we take it down a notch with a visit to the nearby SPAM Museum.
Discussing end farm services and applications with the team at Ceres Solutions.
Visiting with Belstra Milling a leader in livestock and small animal feed products.
Taking a tour of Beck’s Hybrids research & development facility.

Thank you for being an integral part of this journey. Your support and belief in our mission make all the difference. Here's to many more successes and groundbreaking innovations!

Best wishes,

Allan Gray, Executive Director of DIAL Ventures