Fargo, N.D. (October 18, 2021) – Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Grand Farm, Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC) and Plug and Play North Dakota, the Idaho-based AgTech startup, Soiltech Wireless, is opening an office in Fargo and is actively hiring for their first local position – a regional sales manager.
“Soiltech’s decision to grow here in our region demonstrates and brings full circle our work with Grand Farm and Plug and Play,” said Ryan Aasheim, GFMEDC’s Chief Business Development Officer. “They were hosted by Grand Farm and our office earlier this year, and since then, the relationship and regional connectivity has grown stronger. They also became part of Plug And Play’s current cohort, which further solidified their decision to maintain a presence here.”
The GFMEDC has worked with Grand Farm, Plug and Play North Dakota, and other partners to strategically attract companies into our AgTech ecosystem. This work includes many collaborative calls, meetings and events as well as one-on-one conversations with the companies to assess what programs and people we can tactically connect them to. Early efforts to align the strategies of Emerging Prairie/Grand Farm and the GFMEDC to attract and retain AgTech startups are paying off as we welcome Soiltech wireless as the first of what is expected to be many new ecosystem companies to the community.
“The decision for Soiltech to choose Fargo as the hub for our Midwest operations was an easy one. There is a genuine enthusiasm to foster development and provide true support to growing companies in the Fargo Moorhead region. GFMEDC, The Grand Farm and Plug and Play did not just talk – they took real action. They warmly welcomed Soiltech, helped facilitate meaningful connections and made the process of developing a presence there truly seamless. We look forward to expanding our operations in the region and hope to help the agriculture industry with our technology,” said Ehsan Soltan, Founder & CEO of Soiltech Wireless.
“We’re excited to see Soiltech Wireless opening an office in the Prairie Den and look forward to their continued collaboration in the Grand Farm ecosystem,” said Dr. William Aderholdt, Director of Grand Farm’s Project Management Office. “This is a great example of the ongoing commitment and collaboration from partners like the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation and Plug and Play that continues to energize our community through their resources and support.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Soiltech Wireless to the Red River Valley. The collaboration to make this happen has been phenomenal. Ehsan will not only bring cutting edge technology, but also a deep passion for growing the ecosystem and AgTech industry,” said Sarah Thorsrud, Program Manager of Plug and Play.
Soiltech Wireless, along with the other 13 startups in the Plug and Play North Dakota AgTech cohort, will also be presenting in-person and virtually at the Plug and Play North Dakota AgTech Expo on Thursday, October 21 in Fargo. For more information, see the event registration.
About Soiltech Wireless
Soiltech Wireless is an agtech startup working to make sustainable farming practices easy to access and implement. With an industry-first soil-to-storage solution for monitoring soil moisture, temperature, crop damage, location, and humidity, Soiltech is quickly growing among farmers that need rugged and easy-to-use solutions for real-life farm challenges. Their patent-pending soil sensor makes this possible through innovative plug-and-play functionality that was developed with farmers, for farmers. Soiltech has quickly grown their sensor and platform solution from one crop and one state to more than 25 crops across the USA, Canada, Mexico and South America. www.soiltechwireless.com
About the GFMEDC:
The Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC) is a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity. Using a comprehensive approach to economic development, the GFMEDC accelerates job and wealth creation in Cass County, ND and Clay County, MN. www.GFMEDC.com
About the Grand Farm:
Grand Farm, energized by Emerging Prairie, aims to capitalize on the region’s potential in the agriculture and technology industries. Grand Farm will create the farm of the future by 2025 as the global example in solving challenges to farming worldwide, while unleashing vast new potential for technology for the greater good. It will do so by growing and inspiring regional businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs to collaborate globally in developing technological and human solutions for farming in a new era. Learn more at www.grandfarm.com. For more information, you may contact William Aderholdt at williama@emergingprairie.com.
About the Plug and Play North Dakota:
Plug and Play is a worldwide organization with the goal of fostering innovation through open innovation. They are one of the most active VCs in the world investing in 200+ startups annually, while also running corporate backed accelerator programs in 19 different verticals. Plug & Play launched an office in North Dakota in the Spring of 2020 to accelerate agriculture innovation in the Midwest. For more information, you may contact Sarah Thorsrud at s.thorsrud@pnptc.com.
