About

F³ Tech (Farm-Fish-Food) is a statewide private/public initiative that is creating a renaissance of economic growth and prosperity through innovation and technology that is built upon Maryland’s traditional industries of agriculture and seafood. F³ Tech provides solutions by developing new products and services in response to market-driven problems and challenges. This is accomplished through a series of stages that guides entrepreneurs from idea through commercialization. LEARN MORE…

F³ Tech Consists of the Following Three Industry Sectors

Agritech

Agritech

offers opportunities for technology and products to feed a projected 10 billion people by 2050. These opportunities include improving yield, efficiency, and profitability.

Aquatech

Aquatech

offers opportunities for improved farming of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic plants, algae, and other aquatic organisms. Technological innovations include cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions.

Envirotech

Envirotech

offers opportunities to address the impact of agriculture and aquaculture activity on the environment. This includes applying environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring, electronic devices, and other products and technologies to monitor, model, and conserve the natural environment and resources.

Program

F³ Tech started in 2017 as a collaborative statewide initiative to increase economic growth in the rural areas of Maryland. Other State priorities focus on the Baltimore/Washington corridor’s strong technological resources; F³ Tech focuses on Maryland’s traditional industries of agriculture and seafood statewide. The overall F³ Tech program consists of three stages that provide entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, and existing businesses with the resources to achieve proof-of-concept and commercialization of new product and service ideas and innovations.

Stage 1 - Challenge Events

Stage 1 – Challenge Events

These are one-day challenge events at colleges/universities or incubator facilities. Teams respond to real-world, market-driven challenges to develop innovations and technologies that can be commercialized. LEARN MORE...

Stage 2 - Pre-Accelerator

Stage 2 – Pre-Accelerator

This is a 6-week virtual program that prepares individuals or teams with early-stage ideas to participate in a traditional accelerator program or plan an early product launch. LEARN MORE...

Stage 3 - Accelerator

Stage 3 – Accelerator

This is a rigorous 4-month program that prepares startups to launch and commercialize products or services through concentrated mentorship, training, networking, and investment. LEARN MORE...

Symposiums

Symposiums

These are one-day events, held each quarter, that include a broad outreach to industry, entrepreneurs, and innovators. The purpose is to advance awareness and to open a dialogue with stakeholders about agriculture, aquaculture, and environmental problems and challenges.
LEARN MORE...

Innovation Readiness Course

Innovation Readiness Course

This is a 7-session course designed in partnership between UMCES Horn Point and hotDesks that helps entrepreneurs and innovators better understand the innovation and commercialization process and how to bring technology to market. LEARN MORE...

Challenge Events Help Advance New Industry Sector Focus in Maryland

F³ Tech Challenge Events are one-day innovation competitions in which students, entrepreneurs, and innovators form teams and tackle real-world, market-based problems and challenges in Maryland’s traditional industries of agriculture and seafood. The teams present their innovations and solutions to a panel of industry judges and are eligible for $1,000 cash awards. Click below to learn more details, to see a schedule of Challenge Events throughout Maryland, and to register for an upcoming event.

See Fall 2017 Schedule and Register

Innovation Readiness Course for Entrepreneurs & Innovators

This is a 7-session course designed in partnership between UMCES Horn Point and hotDesks that helps entrepreneurs and innovators better understand the innovation and commercialization process and how to bring technology to market.

See details and application info

Spring 2018 Symposium at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, MD

The Spring 2018 F³ Tech Symposium will bring stakeholders together to discuss and spotlight the problems and challenges in the aquaculture industry. The Symposium objective is to encourage entrepreneurs and innovators to seek solutions.

Learn more and Register

Propose A Challenge to F³ Tech

Businesses and startups are invited to submit problems in agritech, aquatech, or envirotech that could be addressed in upcoming Challenge Events. Businesses that submit challenges may be connected with entrepreneurs and innovators who develop solutions. The next step may include proof-of-concept and commercialization of the solution.

Learn more and Submit a Challenge

Team

Mentors, coaches, investors, and other valuable members of the agriculture, aquaculture, environmental, innovation, and startup ecosystems provide their expertise to the accelerator program. The interactions and counsel they provide to participating startups is the most valuable aspect of the program.

  • Hannah (Cavey) Callihan North Central Insurance Agency
    Hannah (Cavey) Callihan North Central Insurance Agency

    Farm Insurance | Risk Management

  • Peter Ettinger Aldebaran Partners
    Peter Ettinger Aldebaran Partners

    Startup | Marketing | Operations

  • Andrew Rose MidAtlantic Farm Credit
    Andrew Rose MidAtlantic Farm Credit

    Technology | Financing

  • Dan Rider Maryland Forest Service
    Dan Rider Maryland Forest Service

    Forestry | Farming

  • Tom Haschen Novera Protein
    Tom Haschen Novera Protein

    Agriculture | Farms | Dairy

  • Tony Kern Deloitte (retired) | Pinoak Capital
    Tony Kern Deloitte (retired) | Pinoak Capital

    Technology | Investment

  • Tommy Luginbill College of Southern Maryland
    Tommy Luginbill College of Southern Maryland

    Innovation | Startup | Technology

  • Mike Thielke Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center
    Mike Thielke Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center

    Startup | Funding | Innovation | Logistics

View the Whole Team


Sponsors
We thank the following organizations for their generous financial support of F³ Tech programs
hotDesks
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
MARBIDCO
Rural Maryland Council
TEDCO



Partners
We thank the following organizations for their participation in and support of F³ Tech programs
Maryland Department of Agriculture
Entrepreneur and Innovation Center
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Maryland Department of Commerce
Kent County

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Contact Info

For questions and additional details, you are welcome to contact the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center -- the lead organization administering the F³ Tech Accelerator Program.