Nearly 200 leaders from local and global agrifood ecosystems gathered in St. Louis February 3–5 for the 2026 BioSTL Global AgriFood Innovation Summit, a multi-day convening designed to move regenerative agriculture from early innovation to real-world impact.
From Dolphin Tank pitches (our version of the Shark Tank), and global innovation hub workshops, to ecosystem tours and curated business development meetings, the Summit brought together entrepreneurs, farmers, corporations, investors, and research leaders with a shared goal: building a more resilient, profitable, and sustainable agrifood system.
This year’s Summit reinforced St. Louis’ role as a global convener, where collaboration doesn’t end with conversation, but accelerates into action.
Together, participants reflected the depth and global reach of today’s regenerative agriculture movement.
The Summit began with an immersive look at the St. Louis ag innovation landscape. Visiting innovators and global hub leaders engaged directly with the institutions, agtech startups, and corporate partners that make the region a leading agrifood center.
Highlights included:
The day centered on a simple but powerful premise: innovation systems are best understood in practice. By experiencing the ecosystem firsthand, global partners saw how ideas move from research to adoption in St. Louis.
Wednesday’s public convening focused squarely on regenerative agriculture and the partnerships and capital required to help farmers transition sustainably and profitably.
A featured session explored patient risk capital models, including case studies from the U.S. and India, examining how financing structures can reduce risk and support long-term adoption.
The day’s signature event, the Dolphin Tank, spotlighted 11 global innovators advancing solutions across the agrifood value chain:
Through live pitches and candid dialogue, experienced industry leaders offered feedback, challenged assumptions, and explored pathways to scale. More than a pitch session, the Dolphin Tank created space for practical problem-solving and connecting innovators directly with potential customers, collaborators, and investors.
A keynote lunch examined untapped levers for farmer profitability and industry collaboration, while an afternoon “Where Are They Now?” session highlighted the continued progress of Summit alumni innovators.
The day concluded with a networking reception, deepening relationships across startups, growers, corporations, and investors.
While Wednesday anchored the public convening, Thursday focused on translating conversations into tangible next steps.
Curated one-on-one meetings connected innovators with regional agrifood corporations and ReACH Coalition members to explore pilots, partnerships, and commercial pathways. In total, 70 business development meetings were scheduled throughout the day, complemented by additional ad-hoc introductions facilitated by the BioSTL team to accelerate meaningful connections.
International hub leaders, including Nordic Research Park, Global AgXelerate – AgVaya, MIGAL, Israel AgriFood Tech Valley, Scottish Enterprise, and StartLife, convened for focused working sessions. Discussions centered on ecosystem strengths, critical success factors, and a roadmap for cross-regional collaboration.
By design, the Summit extends beyond networking. It creates intentional time and space for aligned priorities and long-term partnership building.
For more than 25 years, BioSTL has served as a backbone organization for the St. Louis bioscience ecosystem. Working to align research institutions, startups, industry partners, investors, and global collaborators around shared opportunity.
Through global engagement, startup development via BioGenerator, and talent initiatives, BioSTL works to position St. Louis as a globally connected center for bioscience-driven growth.
The BioSTL Global AgriFood Innovation Summit reflects that integrated approach: convening global ag innovators and hubs, showcasing regional strengths, and reinforcing St. Louis’ role as a leader in regenerative agriculture and agrifood innovation.
The work continues well beyond these three days.
We look forward to building on this momentum and to welcoming you back next year.
Search
