Testing and validating new technologies is an essential part of scaling an agtech business. This work being done at EMILI’s Innovation Farms and AIVA Network’s Validation Hubs helps innovators commercialize their products and increases the adoption of their solutions.
During this AIVA Network session at Agriculture Enlightened, Canada’s Agtech Conference, hear from Marcel Kringe, founder and CEO of BranValt, and Katie Friesen, founder and CEO of FarmerTitan, about their experience validating their technologies through the AIVA Network this season. The pair will be joined by Peter Frey, COO of Spade Technologies, and Darren Anderson, CEO of Vive Crop Protection for a discussion around what they have learned through the validation process in this panel moderated by Chelsea Platzke, board chair of BioTalent.
Marcel Kringe grew up on a family farm in Germany, where he pursued an ag engineering degree. Work and travel studies in Canada, Russia and Brazil led him to move to Canada. He learned English on the go while working on different farm operations all over Canada, before settling in Brandon, Manitoba for a job as a Cargill Agronomist. Marcel left his corporate career to focus full-time on his hobby, Bushel Plus, now BranValt. Today, the agricultural products of Bushel Plus Ltd. are sold in more than 35 countries and the company employs a team of 35 great people in three different countries.
Katie Friesen is founder and CEO of FarmerTitan. Katie grew up on a farm in Niverville, Manitoba. She left for Miami on a beach volleyball scholarship to Florida International University, then spent years in venture capital and worked at a Colombian tech startup that had just raised $58 million.
After returning to Manitoba to help on her family’s farm, she founded FarmerTitan, a QR code and mobile app for the entire farm team that provides a clear record of what got done, when it got done, and who did it. FarmerTitan helps farmers organize and communicate with their farm team, avoid preventable repairs, and most importantly, catch the little things that get missed before seeding and harvest before they stop the whole operation.
Darren Anderson is the co-founder and CEO of Vive Crop Protection and serves on the board of directors. Anderson is passionate about using technology to improve the sustainability of agriculture while creating quantifiable results for growers. Anderson is on the board of Croplife America and CropLife Canada, the trade associations for the pesticide industry in the USA and Canada. Anderson earned his PhD from the University of Toronto as an NSERC doctoral fellow.
Under Anderson’s leadership, Vive raised over $100M CAD of equity and debt, launched the first nanotechnology-enabled pesticide products that are approved by the EPA and PMRA, landed on Deloitte’s Fast 50 Cleantech List and Fast 500 Growth three years in a row, and built a patent portfolio of 112 granted patents.
Peter Frey is the chief operating officer at Spade Technologies, where he leads business operations and the growth of Spade’s platform. He brings experience across strategy, operations, and commercial leadership within the food and beverage, agriculture, and industrial sectors, with leadership roles at Ecolab, GE, VAS, and Vyla.
Peter is passionate about people, food, and technology, and especially the intersection of the three. He is focused on building strong teams and relationships, and deploying technology that creates meaningful impact. Peter lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Chelsea Platzke is chair of the board of directors at BioTalent Canada and director of
business development and innovation at the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS). With experience spanning human resources, strategy, business development, and innovation, she has helped strengthen organizations across Saskatchewan’s health, education, and innovation sectors. Chelsea holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, is a Certified Human Resource Professional (CPHR), and a Certified Leadership Coach. She is passionate about building strong, inclusive talent pipelines and advancing Canada’s food and agriculture innovation ecosystem
Since 2020, Agriculture Enlightened has brought together a diverse audience including more than 1,450 producers, agri-food and technology experts, industry leaders, decision-makers, researchers, and students from across North America and the globe. Our audience has consistently praised the depth of expertise our speakers bring to the conference, the variety of subject matter, and the many opportunities throughout the day to network. In 2026, we look forward to building on the success of our past events. Purchase your tickets today.