HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and gener8tor Launch Fifth AgTech Accelerator Cohort to Support the Future of Agriculture
(May 15, 2025) Huntsville, Ala. – HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will launch the Spring 2025 cohort of the HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator powered by gener8tor, a global venture firm and startup accelerator.
This innovative program will provide an unparalleled opportunity for early-stage agricultural startups to advance their technologies, attract investment and grow their businesses. With a focus on sustainable farming practices and cutting-edge agtech solutions, the Accelerator will support companies that are tackling some of the most pressing challenges in agriculture today.
“We’re excited to accelerate the best and brightest startups that help to mitigate agricultural inefficiencies,” said Christopher Udall, Managing Director of the Accelerator. “By leveraging the expertise of HudsonAlpha and the resources of gener8tor’s network, we aim to foster innovation that will drive lasting change in the agricultural sector.”
Together, gener8tor and HudsonAlpha are helping bring economic diversity and job growth to north Alabama. The HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator is supported by the Innovate Alabama Tax Credit Program through Innovate Alabama.
Founders will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public. Investors, mentors and community members interested in connecting with this cohort are encouraged to contact Christopher Udall at christopher@gener8tor.com.
The following companies will participate in the program:
Downland helps landowners navigate the Great Wealth Transfer by creating succession plans to pass agricultural land down to the next generation. Downland is developing an AI-driven estate planning and land-matching platform that ensures farmland stays in production while honoring family legacies. For those without an heir, Downland also supports and matches farmers looking to pass down these assets. Downland has generated $50K in revenue, signed 17 landowner letters of intent, and built a waitlist of over 200 aspiring land stewards.
Founder & CEO: Jessi Roesch | jessi@godownland.com | https://godownland.com
Ecobrew captures and reclaims carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the brewing process, turning a major cost and environmental liability into a source of operational savings for craft breweries.
Breweries use Ecobrew’s proprietary plug-in carbon capture system to become self-sufficient, save thousands, and reduce emissions by reusing the CO₂ they already produce from the brewing process.
Ecobrew has signed 4 letters of intent, identified 2 pilot sites, and attracted $190K in funding, including $137K non-dilutive from Amazon, Intel at ASU Innovation Open, and University of Alabama’s Crimson Accelerator & Aldag Prize.
Founder & CEO: Brian Henderson | brian@ecobrewco.com | https://ecobrewco.com
Oceanfarmr provides farm management software and tech-enabled farm financing to systemize and scale shellfish and seaweed operations. Oceanfarmr’s SaaS platform has 92 active software subscriptions and an annualized revenue of $145K. To date, Oceanfarmr has deployed over $500K in farm finance, with a pipeline of more than $50 million in ocean farming finance inquiries.
Co-Founder and CEO: Ewan McAsh | ewan@oceanfarmr.com | https://oceanfarmr.com
Tylmen Tech uses stationary cameras to instantly scan livestock postmortem, capturing precise data on fat distribution, yield, and cutability. This real-time insight is designed to help meat packers reduce waste and maximize carcass value, addressing a $5.7 billion loss in the U.S. beef industry. Tylmen Tech’s system is built to operate on high-speed assembly lines across all meat-packing facilities, with support for both cows and pigs and flexible cloud or on-site processing.
Co-Founder and CEO: Lloyd Yates | lloyd@tylmen.com | https://tylmen.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
HudsonAlpha: Adam Kelley – akelley@hudsonalpha.org
Gener8tor – Emily Wykle – emily@gener8tor.com
About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 45 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.
About HudsonAlpha Agtech Accelerator
HudsonAlpha Agtech Accelerator, powered by gener8tor, leverages HudsonAlpha’s deep experience in agriscience, specifically agriculture genomics, plant breeding and crop diversity, with gener8tor’s national network of mentors and investors, and Huntsville’s innate strengths as a technology hub. The program invests $100,000 each in the best and brightest startups tackling the challenges of sustainably feeding and powering a growing planet.
About HudsonAlpha
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to developing and applying scientific advances to health, agriculture, education and commercialization. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second-largest research park. The state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. HudsonAlpha is a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education and fosters more than 45 diverse biotech companies on campus.
