AgConverge Conference to Highlight Ag Innovation, Entrepreneurship
Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 11, 2025 — Innovators, entrepreneurs, producers, researchers, corporations and investors will gather in Gothenburg on Nov. 24 for the inaugural AgConverge Conference. The producer-focused event will showcase how agriculture, technology and entrepreneurship intersect to shape the future of food, energy and water.
Hosted by Spur Ventures in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with Bayer Crop Science and collaborators across the state, AgConverge will bring together industry leaders, startup founders, faculty and students for a day of conversation, networking and discovery, with the goal of supporting Nebraska producers.
The event will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bayer Crop Science Water Utilization Center, 76268 NE-47, Gothenburg. Attendance is free for producers and students, though all attendees are asked to register in advance. Learn more and register here.
A highlight of the day will be the formal launch of Spur Ventures, an initiative designed to support entrepreneurship and industry partnerships.
“Spur AgConverge is the right place to introduce Spur Ventures to Nebraska and beyond,” said Ankit Chandra, director and lecturer of entrepreneurship in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and founder of Spur Ventures. “We’re moving past conversation to implementation, and this event reflects the momentum we’re building.”
One of the event’s signature features is the Farm Tech Adoption Challenge, a first-of-its-kind, farmer-led competition that flips the traditional startup pitch format. Instead of startups competing for cash prizes, farmers take the lead. Startups present their solutions, and producers evaluate whether those technologies address their real-world challenges, fit their operations and are practical for adoption.
“Spur AgConverge is about building connections,” said Mark Stone, department head of Biological Systems Engineering. “Nebraska is already a global leader in agriculture, but through events like this, we’re building bridges between entrepreneurs, industry, the University of Nebraska and Nebraska producers to grow our state’s largest industry.”
The conference will feature an industry-academia panel discussion and startup and technology showcases highlighting Nebraska’s role as a testbed for agricultural innovation. Entrepreneurs and representatives from startups will have the opportunity to hear directly from producers about how they can better tailor their products or develop new tools suited to the unique needs of Nebraska producers.