Cohort in the U.S. Southwest
LAS VEGAS, Nev., March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Frontier RNG, a global innovation center for
desert agriculture, today announced the launch of the fourth cohort of its flagship scale-up
program, START AgriTech. The program brings growth-stage companies to the U.S. market, taking
place across St. George, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada on May 10–15, 2026, and culminating in a
final Expo & Pitch event hosted in Las Vegas at the University of Nevada, Reno Extension.
Powered by Arieli Innovate, the innovation arm of Arieli Group, START AgriTech is in collaboration
with World Trade Center Utah, Utah Tech University, Haifa Group, and the Ramat HaNegev
Regional Council and Ramat HaNegev R&D Center, together with the College of Agriculture,
Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno, with support from leading
financial, academic, and public-sector partners including JPMorgan, GOED, LVGEA, the University
of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nucleus Fund, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, NSF Future
Engines, KittyHawk, HESY Aquaculture B.V., and Zero Labs.
A launchpad for climate-focused ventures, START AgriTech Scale-Up leverages global resources to
support startups working across desert crops, regenerative soils, agrivoltaics, precision agriculture
and AI, water and irrigation, sustainable inputs, postharvest solutions, and genetics and climate
control, providing participating companies with one-on-one business meetings and VIP events that
connect them with targeted international investors and global corporations as potential partners,
investors, and clients.
After three successful cohorts, Frontier has supported 24 companies that have collectively raised
approximately $11 million. Two graduates, Solarwine and Bioleaf, have joined Frontier RNG as
portfolio companies through its value creation model. Among the program’s graduates, Agrilight, a
patented agrivoltaics solution designed to improve orchard and vineyard yields, initiated a pilot
with a Washington State apple grower. Arugga deployed its farm robots for pollination, tomato
trellising, and crop management in the “Greenhouse of the Future” project in Ramat HaNegev,
enabling farmers to significantly reduce labor requirements.
The fourth cohort brings together a growing group of AgriTech ventures developing solutions
designed for arid and climate-stressed regions. AgriPass is developing an AI-driven robotic solution
for sustainable weed control, designed to help farmers reduce labor costs while protecting soil
health and boosting sustainability. Clean Soil focuses on soil disinfection using Pulsed Electric
Field (PEF) technology, enabling growers to eliminate soil-borne pathogens without chemicals and
plant immediately after treatment. Proscout is building AI-powered smart spraying analytics for
greenhouse and indoor farms, bringing measurable impact to spray coverage optimization throughreal-time sensors and computer vision that reduce waste and improve yield.
The fourth cohort’s return to Nevada comes as agtech commercialization priorities sharpen
globally. With agriculture consuming 70% of global freshwater withdrawals and climate volatility
accelerating adoption of precision technologies, START AgriTech is positioned to help founders
close the execution gap between technical validation and commercial deployment through
structured market access and partner-led engagement.
“Across three cohorts, we have supported early-stage companies as they transition from pilots to
real commercial footholds across the U.S. Southwest, reflecting the strength of a deliberately built
consortium that brings together academia, government, and industry to align research, capital, and
market demand in a way that creates durable economic value. At Arieli Group, we focus on building
pathways where innovation is shaped by future demand, from precision agriculture projected to
reach $24.09 billion by 2030 to smart irrigation expected to grow to $2.65 billion, forming a
foundation for sustained commercial collaboration and long-term impact,” said Or Haviv, Partner
at Arieli Group and Head of Arieli Innovate.
“In 2026, agritech is becoming far more selective. Companies that can demonstrate revenue,
capital efficiency, and demand-led growth are the ones attracting real interest, as the market
converges around more profitable models and consolidation accelerates,” said Yariv Erez, CEO of
Frontier RNG. “Our continued presence in the U.S. strengthens our ability to connect founders with
the partners and field-relevant stakeholders to progress deployment, especially in desert and
climate-stressed regions where the need for reliable, cost-effective solutions is immediate.”
“Our College is extremely pleased to support the AgriTech Scale Up program,” said Bill Payne,
Dean of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada,
Reno. “Collaboration among higher education and our researchers, industry and government is
essential if we are to meet the global challenges we face to produce food in various parts of the
world in increasingly challenging conditions. Clearly, we must tap into new technologies as they
become available to help promote sustainable agricultural operations.”
Frontier RNG invites the agritech and climate-tech community, as well as the broader high-tech
ecosystem to attend the final Expo and Pitch event at the University of Nevada, Reno.
About Frontier RNG:
Frontier RNG is a global innovation center for desert agriculture and climate solutions,
headquartered in Israel’s Negev Desert. Established in 2021 by the Ramat Negev Regional Council
and Arieli Group, Frontier serves as a business-oriented platform connecting researchers, startups,
and industry leaders across the agricultural value chain. Built on more than 60 years of research
from the Ramat Negev Desert Agro-Research Center, Frontier leverages 250 acres of dedicated
research infrastructure, a team of leading scientists, laboratory services and internationaloperations spanning the U.S. and beyond. The center focuses on climate-resilient agriculture,
water innovation, sustainable resource management, and food security. In addition to its
innovation ecosystem, Frontier offers strategic advisory services, partnering with governments and
companies, to assess, optimize, and convert underperforming land into productive, market-ready
agricultural hubs. For more information: www.frontierng.com.
