AgroGene Solutions Wins Top Prize at Startupfest 2026
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The Moncton-based biotech startup secured the $100,000 Best of the Fest award for its honeybee health monitoring technology.
AgroGene Solutions has emerged as the top winner of the 16th edition of Startupfest, securing the $100,000 Best of the Fest investment prize. Based in Moncton, New Brunswick, the company beat out 275 other pitches at the Montréal tech conference, which concluded on July 10, according to BetaKit.
AgroGene develops a software solution designed to monitor the health of honeybees and identify pathogens that can lead to hive losses. Because bees are responsible for pollinating the majority of crops essential to global food supplies, the company's focus on insect health is critical for sustainable food production. Pascale Michaud, CEO and co-founder of AgroGene, stated that the company utilizes a data platform paired with molecular diagnostics to detect infections before symptoms manifest, allowing beekeepers to better preserve their hives.
The victory comes as part of a broader distribution of $825,000 in cash prizes awarded to over a dozen startups during the three-day event. Other notable winners reported by BetaKit include Lyme Alert, a Cambridge, Mass.-based company that won both the Audience Choice Award and the $100,000 Women In Tech Investment Prize for its portable tick tests. Other $100,000 prizes were awarded to EN Solutions Hydro for AI-powered hydropower software, 3D BioFibR for commercial-scale collagen fibers, Tissue Tinker for human tissue engineering, and Finleaf Technologies for converting fish waste into fertilizer.