Tech Alpharetta, with the support of the city of Alpharetta, has concluded its inaugural AgTech Conference of the South. The three-day event brought together industry leaders from emerging and established companies as well as investors and academia to discuss the explosive growth in agtech that has resulted from the intersection of agriculture and technology. The Conference's nearly 200 attendees learned about the latest in agtech supply chain, big data, biotech, plant genetics and other innovation.

Held at the new Alpharetta Conference Center at Avalon, the AgTech Conference of the South had 48 speakers across 22 panels and presentations, including keynotes from Paul Bonnett with Syngenta, Naveen Singla at Monsanto and the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black. Additional highlights included Organic Farm Tours hosted by the City of Alpharetta Dept. of Parks and Recreation; panel discussions on big data in ag, investment in agtech and plant genetics; breakout sessions discussing logistics and supply chain, innovation and biotech; an overview of the southeast as an agtech leader, as well as the global launch of FARMWAVE.

"The reception to our inaugural Conference was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. From the caliber of speakers to the topics discussed, we could not be prouder of this event," shares Karen Cashion, CEO of Tech Alpharetta. "We were excited to be able to bring some of the top leaders in the industry here to Alpharetta."

To promote the future of the industry, the Conference hosted a Pitch Off competition where four startups – AgVoice (Atlanta), BeeHero (Israel), MyAgData (Effingham, IL) and Trackter (Atlanta) – presented to a panel of judges from leading companies, such as the Climate Corporation, Cox Enterprises Clean Tech division and Florikan; in addition to executives from TechStars, ATDC and the University of Georgia's Innovation Gateway. Trackter took home the top prize for its platform for trading truckload volumes of specialty crops and automating food safety monitoring and the logistics process. The company received free marketing and consulting services, the opportunity to meet 1:1 with corporate judges, and membership opportunities with Tech Alpharetta, ATDC, and TAG. The four presenting companies, along with nine of the finalists, were showcased  at the Conference cocktail reception on July 24.

"It's a true honor to be named the Pitch Off winner against such a talented field of agtech startups," says Josh Whitlock, co-founder of Trackter. "Given our decades of experience in produce and technology, we know firsthand how the agriculture industry can benefit from utilizing digital tools to streamline efficiencies. The inaugural AgTech Conference of the South was a great event to connect with industry leaders and potential investors to help our company reach a broader audience and continue the rapid growth we have experienced to date."

"We could not have hosted such a successful Conference without the hard work and support of our sponsors and partners," adds Cashion. "We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who assisted us along the way, including the City of Alpharetta, Cultura Technologies, Trevelino/Keller, Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Hotel at Avalon, AGCO, FARMWAVE, Entrepreneurs Organization, Object 9, SignStream.net, Technology Association of Georgia, ONESPRING, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Grown, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Greenhouse Accelerator, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Venture Atlanta, TechStars, Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce, TiE Atlanta, ATDC and Hypepotamus."