AgriGates Awarded Pennsylvania Agricultural Innovation Grant Advancing Machine Learning for Food Animal Welfare
Philadelphia, PA – AgriGates, a pioneering Pennsylvania-based AgriTech company, has been awarded a Pennsylvania Agricultural Innovation Grant, a landmark initiative by Governor Josh Shapiro to drive advancements in precision agriculture. This funding will support AgriGates’ mission to enhance food animal welfare and sustainability through cutting-edge machine learning and sensor technology.
AgriGates is already collaborating with Dr. Parsons at Penn Vet’s Swine Teaching and Research Center and Dr. Cantor’s calf Lab at Penn State, developing species-agnostic models to transform food animal agriculture and provide data-driven insights into animal health and welfare.
Investing in Pennsylvania’s AgriTech Future
With over 250 million food animals in Pennsylvania, a ratio of 19 animals per resident—agriculture is the state’s largest industry by tax revenue. Yet, 63% of all US AgriTech is imported, and 99% of animal agriculture technology comes from outside Pennsylvania.
“This must change,” said Daniel Foy, Co-Founder & CEO of AgriGates. “This grant is an opportunity to develop Pennsylvania-made AgriTech that directly benefits our farmers and producers.”
In Summer 2024, Governor Shapiro signed the Pennsylvania Agriculture Innovation Fund, creating a $10 million grant program—the first of its kind in the U.S. AgriGates was one of the select recipients, chosen from over $68 million in funding requests.
As the only AgriTech-focused company awarded, AgriGates will use the funds to expand its sensor development lab, creating next-generation AI-driven livestock monitoring tools. These innovations will help enhance animal welfare, optimize farm efficiency, and provide data-driven solutions for farmers.
“This funding is a game-changer,” said Foy. “It accelerates our ability to develop welfare-focused AI tools and position Pennsylvania as a leader in food animal AgriTech.”
Celebrating Innovation: Upcoming Event in Southeast Pennsylvania
To mark this milestone, our partners, Penn Vet’s Swine Teaching and Research Center will host a celebration event in Southeast Pennsylvania. This gathering will bring together researchers, industry leaders, and fellow Agricultural Innovation Grant recipients to discuss the future of Pennsylvania AgriTech, showcase innovations, and demonstrate machine learning and precision livestock technology.
“This grant isn’t just about technology and Innovation—it’s about collaboration,” said Daniel Foy, Co-Founder & CEO of AgriGates. “We look forward to celebrating with our partners and sharing more soon.”
More details on the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
A Call to Action
AgriGates is actively seeking partnerships with researchers, agricultural institutions, farm operators, and investors to scale its technology and drive impact. AgriGates is actively in a funding round. The company invites stakeholders to join its mission to establish Pennsylvania as a global hub for AgriTech innovation and sustainability production.
About AgriGates
Founded in 2020 in Philadelphia, AgriGates is a leader in machine-learning solutions for food animal agriculture. The company develops advanced sensor technology, AI-driven behavioral monitoring, and precision livestock management tools—all designed to improve animal welfare and sustainability while ensuring farmers retain control over their data for improved decision support.
Media Contact:
Daniel Foy
Co-Founder & CEO, AgriGates Inc.
📧 d.foy@agrigates.io
📞 +1 (215) 929-5255