PONIX AWARDED $5 MILLION USDA GRANTTO BREAK “GROUND” ON CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE IN GEORGIA

Through USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program, the Initiative is Recruiting 24 Minority and Underserved Georgia Farmers to Adopt Hydroponic Farming

ATLANTA (April 22, 2024) – The Coalition of Food Security (CFS), led by
minority-owned AgTech start-up, Ponix, is implementing a $5 million United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, as part of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart
Commodities program, which helps measure and promote climate-smart farming
practices. The program will design and launch an inclusive marketplace for sustainable
vegetable producers, empowering minority and underserved communities to sell both
their produce and carbon credits to corporate partners.


CFS is researching which farming method produces less harm to the environment – a
tech-enabled farm that grows lettuce with Ponix’s proprietary indoor hydroponic vertical
farming methods or a conventional farm that employs outdoor farming practices.
If successful in emitting less greenhouse gas emissions than its conventional
counterpart, CFS’s tech-enabled farm would allow a new carbon credit program to
develop where farmers, major distributors and retailers, and individual consumers would
be able to earn, buy and sell carbon credits.


“We’re passionate about the benefits of hydroponic farming,” said Ponix CEO, Michael
Choi, who has incubated tech-enabled solutions for public and private sectors
throughout his 15 year career. “It’s hyper local and yields a more nutritious product that
doesn’t require pesticides, recirculates water and conserves land.” he said.


Last month, CFS established Ponix’s hydroponic farm within a 300 square-foot footprint
in a facility in Decatur, which is equivalent to one acre of an outdoor conventional farm.
Its first harvest is slated for mid-May. The Ponix hydroponic farm will grow just under a
ton of lettuce per month. Both the hydroponic and conventional farms are growing red
fire lettuce.


“With current conventional farming-related emissions estimated to account for 24% of
total greenhouse gas emissions, the success of the CFS pilot presents a major
opportunity for the future of the agricultural industry by creating a blueprint on how to
not only mitigate the devastating impact of climate change, but also reduce food
insecurity and racial inequities,” said Choi.


Studies show that nearly 25% of Atlantans live in food deserts – areas that have low
access to healthy, affordable food. Moreover, they are located largely inside minority,
underserved communities, who, without easy access to fresh, healthy food, rely on
inflammatory, unhealthy fast food.


CFS’s diverse coalition of multidisciplinary and minority-focused partners includes
Ponix; the PROPEL Center, the first innovation hub built for the future of HBCUs
powered by Apple and Southern Company; Slater Infrastructure Group, a woman- and minority-owned professional services firm that specializes in water, transportation,
environmental and energy services; GTC 360° Advisors, a business strategy,
government contracting and carbon credit consulting firm; FoodChain, an online
marketplace, which connects sustainable food producers with wholesale buyers; UDC,
an HBCU in Washington, DC; and Georgia Bio, a non-profit that is empowering the
next generation through biotech.


Through these partners, CFS is recruiting and educating 24 minority-owned
landowners, underserved farmers and HBCU students on how to use and adopt Ponix’s
AgTech hardware and software solutions. Additionally, CFS is providing internships to
HBCU students and providing agribusiness opportunities. More information can be
found at coalitionforfoodsecurity.com.


USDA is committed to supporting a diverse range of farmers, ranchers, and private
forest landowners through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. This effort will
expand markets for America’s climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas
benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and provide direct, meaningful benefits
to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers.


USDA is investing more than $3.1 billion for 141 projects through this effort and all the
projects require meaningful involvement of small and underserved producers.
“Through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, USDA will provide targeted
funding to meet national and global demand and expand market opportunities for
climate-smart commodities to increase the competitive advantage of American
producers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We want a broad array of
agriculture and forestry to see themselves in this effort, including small and historically
underserved producers as well as early adopters.”


USDA has already invested nearly $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first
pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and an additional $325 million
in 71 more projects under the second funding pool.


About Ponix:
Ponix, Inc., a pioneering, minority-owned, AgTech company, is revolutionizing the way
we grow food through its proprietary technology and turnkey, modular, smart indoor
farming solutions. Ponix indoor farms cultivate fresh crops year-round with zero
pesticides and require 90% less land and water than conventional methods, directly
addressing public health concerns, nutritional deficiencies, food insecurities and
breathing new life into both urban and rural communities. Discover more at
www.ponixfarms.com


About the USDA:
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the
Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater
focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all
producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities,
building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate
smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and
clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the
Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more
representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

UGA & Manus Among Awardees in $214M BioMADE Investment

April 30, 2026
BioMADE Announces $21.4 Million Invested in 14 Projects to Develop the U.S. Bioindustrial Manufacturing Industry and Advance National Security Priorities

Nutrivert announces first close on $6 million Series A-2 funding round

April 17, 2026
April 17, 2026 - Nutrivert Inc., a developer of non-antibiotic replacements for antibiotic growth promoters in livestock, today announced it has completed the first close, raising $2.375 million, of its Series A-2 funding round of $6 million. The round was led by global animal health investor Arrow Ventures with participation from other investors. The funding will be used to further develop Nutrivert’s manufacturing, human food safety and target animal safety and efficacy packages for the company’s lead product Nutrivert LDPP. Nutrivert LDPP is a proprietary, novel, orally available, lipidated synthetic enantiomeric desmuramyl analog of muramyl dipeptide, the smallest conserved immunoactive component of bacterial peptidoglycan. LDPP has no antibacterial effect but has consistently promoted growth and improved feed efficiency in pig studies. LDPP binds to the mammalian NOD2 receptor and is the only NOD2 ligand reported to inhibit the inflammatory signal NF-κB. In pilot studies, LDPP rescued 70kg pigs from an otherwise lethal dose of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and abrogated influenza disease symptoms in piglets. The Company intends to develop LDPP for all major livestock species worldwide. Patents have been granted in most major markets. The global antibiotic growth promoter market is worth an estimated $5.8 billion. Approximately 73% of all antibiotics are fed to livestock. The market is believed to be the world’s largest drug market by volume, with ~100,000 tons of active pharmaceutical ingredient administered annually. FDA’s latest data, for 2024, show a 13% rise in U.S. livestock antibiotic use since 2017. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that livestock antibiotics are mostly given to speed animal growth. Regulators and non-governmental organizations have called for reduction of antibiotic use in livestock, citing concerns that the global, intensive use of antibiotics, often at subtherapeutic doses, selects for antimicrobial resistance: bacteria that are “immune” to antibiotics and that therefore pose a threat to public health. Spillovers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from livestock to humans have been documented. “Nutrivert LDPP has consistently improved feed efficiency in pigs without antibiotics,” said Bernhard Kaltenboeck, CSO. “We are excited to have the support of Arrow Ventures and our other investors in bringing a new tool that will help producers reduce production costs and reduce selection pressure for antimicrobial resistance.” About Nutrivert LDPP: LDPP is an investigational compound currently undergoing clinical evaluation. It has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or any other global regulatory authority for any indication. The safety and efficacy of LDPP have not been established. Any mention of potential use is based on preliminary data and does not guarantee future regulatory clearance or commercial availability.

USDOL Approves National Biomanufacturing Technician Standards

April 16, 2026
[Seattle, WA] April 15, 2026 – Apprenti, the leading national intermediary for Registered Apprenticeship (RA), is proud to announce the formal approval and filing of the National Biomanufacturing Technician Standards with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Crafted under the strategic guidance of the Apprenti Life Science Advisory Board—which includes leaders from Pfizer, Merck, Thermo Fisher, and Biogen—these standards were developed in close partnership with the Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) and InnovATEBIO as part of a high-impact NIIMBL project. This approval represents a foundational shift for the industry, moving away from a fragmented, state-by-state approach to a scalable, consistent model for developing biomanufacturing professionals at sites across all 50 states. The national standards provide a “plug-and-play” framework that ensures a technician trained in Massachusetts or North Carolina meets the same rigorous, industry-vetted benchmarks as one in Ohio or Missouri. The foundational development of these national standards was informed by existing Life Science RA programs from organizations across the country, including: MassBioEd, Oregon Life Sciences, National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM), BioSTL, Wistar Institute, North Carolina Life Sciences Apprenticeship Consortium (NCLSAC) and others. A National Engine for Talent: The filing of these standards is a cornerstone of NIIMBL’s efforts to strengthen domestic biomanufacturing capabilities and develop the workforce of the future. Beyond the standards themselves, the project is delivering a suite of resources and tools—including a comprehensive Employer Toolkit and specialized screening rubrics—that state-based organizations and employers can leverage to implement RA programming for their most in-demand roles. “These national standards set the stage for a sustainable, skills-first pipeline that mirrors the rigor of the industry’s most complex manufacturing processes,” said Daniel Weagle, Director of Life Science Business Development at Apprenti. “By providing a unified approach, we are empowering national employers to scale their workforce development efforts strategically and accessibly.” The Value Proposition of Registered Apprenticeship For Life Science employers, the Registered Apprenticeship model offers a compelling business case rooted in cost-effectiveness and long-term stability: High Retention: RA programs boast exceptional retention rates—historically as high as 89% to 90%—as apprentices are trained within a company’s specific culture and protocols from day one. Cost Efficiency: Research indicates that for every dollar spent on apprenticeship, employers see an average return of $1.47 in increased productivity and reduced recruitment costs. Inclusive Innovation: The model expands access to untapped talent pools, including non-degreed individuals and career-switchers, ensuring the biomanufacturing workforce reflects the demographics of the communities it serves. As the global biopharmaceutical market is projected to exceed $570 billion by 2032 , this partnership between Apprenti, NIIMBL, and industry leaders ensures that the U.S. workforce is not just prepared for the future of manufacturing, but is actively driving it. This project was developed with an award from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (70NANB21H086). About Apprenti: Apprenti is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a U.S. Department of Labor recognized Intermediary. Apprenti designs and delivers scalable Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs in high-demand industries. By adapting the proven apprenticeship model, Apprenti helps employers meet workforce needs while training the next generation of skilled professionals. Apprenti’s programs are industry-recognized, federally approved, and supports employers across the country. Since launching in 2015, Apprenti has partnered with employers, government agencies, and education providers to create new apprenticeship pathways. About NIIMBL The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is a public-private partnership whose mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical innovation, support the development of industry standards, and educate a world-leading workforce. Media Contact: Dan Maiese, Communications Manager, dmaiese@niimbl.org , 302-831-3824 About the Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) The Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) is a national nonprofit coalition of state, regional and national life science associations and institutes who are working together to build a competitive, and future-ready life sciences workforce. Originally founded in 2012 as the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI), LSWC connects industry, academia, and government partners through data-driven insights, best practice sharing, and collaborative programs. Learn more at www.LifeSciencesWorkforce.org About InnovATEBIO InnovATEBIO is a National Center for Biotechnology Education, working to advance the education of highly skilled technicians for the nation’s biotechnology workforce. Toward this goal, InnovATEBIO provides leadership in biotechnology technician education, including support for development and sharing of best practices and emerging technologies in biotechnology workforce development. Read LSWC's full announcement here.
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