About

F³ Tech (Farm-Fish-Food) is a proof-of-concept and commercialization 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 enables solutions through the development of 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 Segments

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

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

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 and is a statewide initiative that utilizes the rural-urban collaborative environment in 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. Maryland’s rural knowledge and know-how combines with the urban ideas and investment. 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

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

This is a six-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

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

Symposiums

These are one-day events, held twice a year, 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.
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Innovation Readiness Course

This is a seven-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...

6

Challenge Events

11

Pre-Accelerator Companies

5

Accelerator Companies

3

Symposiums

21

Innovations & Solutions

7

Validated Ideas

2

Startups Commercialized

105000

Investments

Current Accelerator Companies

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 2018 Schedule and Register

Fall 2018 Symposium Shines the Light on Agritech and Aguatech as the Next Emerging Tech Sector in Maryland

The Fall 2018 F³ Tech Symposium on November 28, 2018 will be at The University at Shady Grove in Rockville, MD and will bring stakeholders together to discuss and spotlight how agriculture and aquaculture technologies are the next emerging tech sector.

Learn more and Register

News & Posts

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Dundalk Dan’s is growing a beef jerky business inside ETC

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot paid a visit to the Baltimore incubator and recognized the growing business this week.

Source: Dundalk Dan's is growing a beef jerky business inside ETC - Technical.ly Baltimore

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Scientists engineer shortcut for photosynthetic glitch, boost crop growth 40%

Most crops on the planet are plagued by a photosynthetic glitch, and to deal with it, evolved an energy-expensive process called photorespiration that drastically suppresses their yield potential. Researchers report that crops engineered with a photorespiratory shortcut are 40 percent more...

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On the cusp of a tech revolution (Editorial) 

Agricultural publications for the Mid-Technology has been part of agriculture since the first plow went in the ground but, here lately, advancements have farming on the cusp of a technological revolution.
This is the fourth such revolution, say Drs. David Rose and Jason Chilvers, in a recent...

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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.

View the Whole Team

Sponsors

Mid Shore Regional Council

USDA Rural Development

Maryland Technology Development Corporation

Rural Maryland Council

MARBIDCO

MidAtlantic Farm Credit

hotDesks

Entrepreneur and Innovation Center

Partners

Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore

Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology

Kent County Economic Development

MD Dept of Commerce

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Maryland Department of Agriculture

Ideagist

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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.