AU startup Healthycrop wins prestigious award at Euroseeds 2024
Healthycrop, a startup company from Aarhus University founded by Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, has won the InnovAction Award at Euroseeds 2024 for their innovative plant protection technology. CEO Pernille Ollendorff Hede received the award and highlighted the company’s progress in fungal resistance in field crops.
Healthycrop is a startup that originates from research at the Department of Agroecology with Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen as the founder. The company has now won the prestigious InnovAction Award at the Euroseeds 2024 congress in Copenhagen, where more than 1200 participants from the plant seed and breeding industry attended.
HealthyCrop was recognized for their groundbreaking work in plant protection and sustainable agricultural technology. The award was given after intense competition among 12 nominated companies, including BetterSeeds, RoBoTec PTC GmbH, Computomics, Multiplex, phenoLytics, Arable, Cibus, Solynta, True Potato Seeds, and Rainbow Crops.
A victory for innovation and sustainability
The Euroseeds 2024 InnovActionStage competition focused on the most innovative solutions in plant breeding and sustainable agriculture. Healthycrop impressed the judging panel with their advanced technologies aimed at reducing the use of chemical pesticides and promoting a more sustainable future for agriculture.
Healthycrop’s CEO, Pernille Ollendorff Hede, received the award and expressed her excitement: “We are very excited to have participated in the InnovAction competition in Copenhagen. For us, it is the perfect stage to showcase our progress in developing field crops with natural and durable fungal resistance. Our new resistance mechanism, based on a natural plant protease, has proven to provide a high degree of fungal resistance in both maize and barley, and we are now expanding to a wide range of other field crops.”
In connection with the award ceremony, Healthycrop participated in a panel discussion with the other finalists, where they shared their visions for the future of agriculture and the role of innovation in creating a sustainable world.
What is Healthycrop?
HealthyCrop is an innovative startup company with roots at Aarhus University. The company focuses on developing sustainable solutions for plant protection by utilizing natural mechanisms to combat plant diseases. Their goal is to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and promote a more environmentally friendly approach to agriculture.
Fact Box: What is an AU Startup? An AU Startup is a company founded by researchers, students, or staff at Aarhus University. These companies are based on the latest research and innovation and aim to translate academic knowledge into commercial solutions that can create value for society. AU Startups receive support and guidance from the university’s incubation programs and have access to a broad network of experts and resources. |
Pride at Aarhus University
For Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, the recognition means a lot: “It is, of course, a great honor for HealthyCrop, and it is a testament to the profitability of the hard work and dedication our team has put into the project. We are proud to represent Aarhus University and show how research and innovation can go hand in hand to create solutions to global challenges.”
More Information
Read more: You can read more about HealthyCrop here.
Contact: Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Tel.: 51239017 or email: hbp@agro.au.dk