Biotech and predictive analytics startups dominate the Salinas, CA-based THRIVE AgTech’s Top 50 list of agtech companies shaping the future of agriculture for 2018. 

The largest technology category on last year’s list, “big data analytics,” has this year been overtaken by biotechnology, perhaps demonstrating the growing potential of biological crop inputs and gene editing technologies, both well-represented. New to the list in the biotech category are biologicals startups AgBiome, Agrimetus, Inocucor, New Leaf Symbiotics and Terramera.

The robotics category of the Top 50 list gains a few more startups this year as well, indicating some progress in this nascent category of agriculture technology. New to the list are apple-picking robotics startup Abundant Robotics, and weeding robotics companies EcoRobotix and  Naio Technologies.

Countries represented on the list this year include the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Israel, and Switzerland. The chosen startups will be honored at the annual THRIVE Innovation Forum in February.

Launched in 2016, the THRIVE Top 50 awards is part of SVG Partners’ corporate innovation program, which connects major corporate brands like Coca-Cola, DuPont Pioneer, Trimble, Land O’Lakes, Wells Fargo and others with promising growth stage companies for pilots and partnerships.

“Top 50 startups are scouted for exemplary leadership, technology, and traction, and selected based on alignments with specific organizational criteria and industry pain points outlined by corporate partners,” said THRIVE in a statement.

Next month, the Top 50 companies will be honored at the THRIVE Innovation Forum, an annual event bringing corporates, startups, academics and investors together to share industry milestones and opportunities. During the day, industry executives and startups will highlight industry updates in robotics and automation, farm management technology platforms, food safety and security, and accelerated genomics.