Applications open until Sept. 18 for companies to demo technology, receive grower input
Applications are now open for UC ANR Connect, a grower-informed commercialization program operated by UC ANR Innovate, the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with ag tech venture firm Farmhand Ventures. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 18.
Selected companies receive commercialization support, direct feedback from California growers and agricultural professionals, industry connections and the opportunity to demonstrate their technology live at a field day.
The current application cycle is focused on commercially available technologies for permanent crops, including fresh fruit, table grapes, pistachios, desert vegetables, berries, citrus and avocados.
“Entering the California market requires more than a strong technology. Companies need to understand how farmers make decisions, how their products fit into agricultural operations and what it takes to earn trust,” said Helle Petersen, director of UC ANR Innovate. “UC ANR Connect gives companies a structured way to build that understanding while developing relationships across California agriculture.”
The program begins with challenges identified by California growers and agricultural professionals. UC ANR Innovate’s advisory board and agricultural partners help define priority needs and evaluate whether applicants have commercially available solutions that are relevant to those needs.
Participants engage directly with growers, UC Cooperative Extension advisors, researchers and industry partners through customer-discovery conversations and feedback sessions. That input helps companies refine their value proposition, strengthen their market positioning and communicate more effectively with the people who may use, recommend or support their products.
“The unique thing about our program is that it starts with grower priorities based on their biggest operational constraints,” said Hannah Johnson, industry lead for UC ANR Connect. “We are looking for teams that have solutions to those problems and are ready to build lasting relationships in California agriculture.”
The program culminates in a live field-day demonstration, where companies show their technology in an agricultural setting, explain how it works and answer questions from growers and other attendees. The demonstrations give companies immediate, practical feedback while allowing growers to evaluate emerging technologies before considering adoption.
During its first two years, UC ANR Connect has worked with 55 companies through eight program cycles and brought more than 1,000 growers, researchers, agricultural professionals and industry representatives to its field days.
Past participants have included Carbon Robotics, Verdant Robotics, Sami Robotics, Bonsai Robotics and Verdi Ag, with technologies spanning weed control, equipment automation, irrigation management, mechanical pollination, disease detection and harvest assistance.
Applications must be submitted by Sept. 18, 2026. Learn more and apply at ucanr.edu/site/uc-anr-innovate/ucanr-connect.
UC ANR Innovate will host a virtual information session for prospective applicants and other interested stakeholders on Sept. 10, 2026, at 8 a.m. PDT. The webinar will explain how the program works, who should apply, how companies are selected and what participating companies can expect.
Register for the webinar at https://ucanr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5x2lvlO-SjWcQjUIW3PFdQ#/registration.