TerraForce founder and CEO Mike Jacob explains the potential transformational impact of AI-powered harvesting and planting innovations. (Photo courtesy of The Pantheon)
Knox County’s growing reputation as a strategic hub of ag tech innovation was raised another new notch with the formal announcement of the TerraForce this Spring. The Vincennes-based AI-focused startup scored $375,000 in funding from investors to build and refine its robotic harvester, which also attracted widespread media attention.
Focused initially on labor-intensive watermelons, pumpkins, and cantaloupe, the goal of TerraForce is to help farmers address a $42 billion labor challenge.
In its lead story of the day, Inside Indiana Business coverage of TerraForce noted that “the AI-enabled robotic harvester, packer and planter—set to launch later this year—will save farmers nearly $700 per acre by working 24 hours a day.”
“Right now, it’s tough for the fruit we grow in and around Knox County to compete with fruit that comes to us from Mexico, Central America or South America,” remarked TerraForce founder and CEO Mike Jacob during the launch announcement at the Pantheon Innovation Theatre in Vincennes. “The average farmer in Mexico makes about $3,500 a year. I think we pay our workers [in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio], which also primarily come from Mexico, $19.57 an hour. So that’s the issue at play here; if we don’t address the costs, our growers won’t be competitive on the global market.”
Interviewed for Hoosier Ag Today about the new funding, Jacob said “This oversubscribed round and pre-sales of our recurring services serve as a powerful validation of our vision to reshape the future of farming.”
The TerraForce CEO noted that the innovation environment created by The Pantheon in Knox County figured high in TerraForce’s success in putting together the ideas and focus for the new AI-driven ag tech. “The Pantheon’s Ag Tech Initiative has been instrumental for TerraForce,” he confirmed, adding: “Connecting with farmers who are seeking reliable, efficient, and data-driven solutions to their labor and productivity challenges is a result of the network fostered by The Pantheon.”
The Pantheon on Main Street in Vincennes also played a major role in helping AgroRenew plan and launch its major $83 million bioplastics manufacturing initiative.
“The Ag Tech Initiative at The Pantheon helps create entrepreneurial opportunities in a new and critical way, connecting area farmers with cutting edge technology and business-building resources,” said Chris Pfaff, CEO of Knox County Indiana Economic Development. “The county and region are fortunate to have resources like The Pantheon, which dovetail strategically with other area developmental resources like Vincennes University and its depth in grassroots innovation – all of this is building a strong brand of innovation for Knox County Indiana.”
“This is exactly why The Pantheon exists,” said Nichole Like, Pantheon CEO. “We are here to provide entrepreneurs with the tools, connections, and resources they need to succeed. TerraForce’s launch is not just a win for their team—it’s a win for innovation, for Indiana’s economy, and for the future of Ag Tech.”
To learn more about Knox County Indiana-based TerraForce, please visit TerraForce.ai