Denver, CO – March 25, 2021 – The Hemp Innovation Challenge™ (HIC) is back! Representatives from the successful 2020 effort at the World Ag Expo® will lead a panel discussion at NoCo7’s Jack Herer Foundation Stage on Saturday, March 27 from 1:50pm to 2:20pm. They will also staff NoCo7 booth 305 at the National Western Complex on March 26th and 27th in Denver, CO. As of today, the new website at www.hempinnovation.space is live and collecting innovations daily from hemp innovators around the world.
With NASA’s Perseverance rover exploring Mars, this year’s theme was selected by HIC founders to inspire hemp innovators to think outside of the box. As before, 2021 innovation submissions can be untested ideas or market-proven, hemp-related successes. A link to hemp’s applications beyond earth is not required. They can come from hemp innovators in universities, companies, research institutes, barns, and government agencies.
In only 90 days, last year’s HIC team received submissions from over 65 innovators in 14 countries on 5 continents. Led by Morris Beegle and Lizzy Knight from NoCo, Jennifer Fawkes from the World Ag Expo®, and Doug Edge from the Farm Journal, 18 HIC sponsors supported the event which was promoted on TV, radio, online, and in many print media outlets.
According to last year’s winner, Victory Hemp CEO Chad Rosen: “Participation in the 2020 Hemp Innovation Challenge helped Victory Hemp raise capital, validate current customers, and find new customers. It was a competitive process where we were vetted by industry experts. Our win was real third party validation for us. Our customers are food formulators. They know about plant-based proteins from peas, soy, and chickpeas. The 2020 Hemp Innovation Challenge helped us raise their awareness of the protein, fatty acid, and even sweetness-based benefits of hemp.“
2020 participants described their benefits:
- “We initiated joint venture talks with one of the HIC finalists” – HIC sponsor
- “I met 12 new prospects for our products” – HIC finalist
- “Feedback about my pitch improved my impact before and after the event” – HIC participant
- “The HIC exposure has been a real differentiator” – VP Marketing, HIC participant
“The HIC is designed to discover, amplify, and celebrate the wide range of hemp innovation from many industries globally” said Mike Reid, Cofounder and Executive Director of the Hemp Innovation Challenge. “We have big plans to accelerate the future of the hemp industry by supporting entrepreneurs, researchers and students who are launching the most disruptive hemp innovations in the world.”
As in 2020, prizes will be awarded for ideas connected to technology, software, and services driving growth and innovation into food, fuel, medicine, health, fiber, waste, and sustainable development as a few examples. Submissions will be open to for-profits, non-profits, and early stage concepts or impact projects including those aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs). The winners will receive strategic feedback about their innovation, business model, and go-to-market strategy.
To stay in touch with the HIC team, connect to leading hemp innovators, and hear details of the upcoming competition, go to the Contact Us page at www.hempinnovation.space.