Ukuqala okusungulwe yi-alumnus yasePenn State Ama-Phospholutions, umholi kubuchwepheshe bomanyolo obuqhubekayo, muva nje umemezele ukutshalwa kwezimali okwengeziwe okuvela ezinkampanini ezihamba phambili zezolimo emhlabeni wonke okuhlanganisa u-$5.3M. Lolu xhaso luzosekela ukuthengiswa kobuchwepheshe babo be-RhizoSorb (uphawu lokuhweba olubhalisiwe) emakethe yezitshalo elandelanayo yase-US.
Lolu chungechunge olusha lokutshalwa kwezimali luhlanganisa ukutshalwa kwezimali okuvela kwa-Ospraie Ag Sciences (OAS), Bunge Ventures, inhlangano eyenza inzuzo, uphiko lokutshalwa kwezimali lomhlaba lwe-Bunge, kanye ne-UPL Ltd. Lolu chungechunge lulandela uchungechunge A lwesamba esingu-$10.3M esimenyezelwe ekuqaleni konyaka odlule, oluvumele i-Phospholutions ukuthi ngaphezu kokuphindwe kathathu ngosayizi. Ukwengeza, iPhospholutions isanda kuwina ukutshalwa kwezimali okungu-$250,000 ngesikhathi I-Radicle Challenge ye-UPL.
Umsunguli we-Phospholutions kanye ne-CEO u-Hunter Swisher waqala ukuthuthukisa i-RhizoSorb njenge-undergraduate ohlelweni lwesayensi yezitshalo e-Penn State. Njengengxenye yephrojekthi yocwaningo lweziqu zabafundi, u-Swisher wafunda ngobuchwepheshe obakhiwe futhi banelungelo lobunikazi ngomunye woprofesa bakhe. Ebona amandla emakethe obuchwepheshe, wasebenza ne-Penn State Office of Technology Management ukuze anikeze ilayisense ye-IP futhi aqalise i-Phospholutions.
“Impumelelo yethu nokukhula ngokushesha bekungeke kwenzeke ngaphandle kokusekelwa kanye nesisekelo uhlelo lwamabhizinisi e-Happy Valley olunikeza umphakathi,” kusho uSwisher. “Ukwesekwa kungesinye sezizathu esenze ukuba sigcine ikomkhulu lethu lise-Innovation Park.”
I-Phospholutions' RhizoSorb ingumkhiqizo othuthukisa umhlabathi osebenzisa ubuchwepheshe obakhiwe ekuqaleni Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Ngokucwaninga okubonisa ukuthi ngaphezu kwesigamu sikamanyolo ofakwe emhlabathini awukaze usetshenziswe izitshalo, i-RhizoSorb ihlose ukuthuthukisa ngokwemvelo ukugcinwa kwezakhi, ukwandisa ukutholakala kwezitshalo, futhi ekugcineni kunciphise ukuchithwa kwe-leaching kanye ne-phosphorus.
“Lokhu kutshalwa kwezimali kuzosiza ukusheshisa ukwethulwa kwethu kwezohwebo ngokusekela uhlelo lwalo nyaka lwesivivinyo sezentengiselwano, ubudlelwano bokuthuthukisa amasu, futhi kwenze umkhiqizo ulethwe emakethe yezitshalo elandelanayo yase-US ngesizini yokukhula ka-2023,” kusho uSwisher.
Ngaphezu kwalolu chungechunge olusha lokutshalwa kwezimali, i-Phospholutions iphinde yamemezela ukuthi i-alumnus ye-Penn State uStephan Levitsky ujoyine iqembu njenge-Chief Operating Officer kanye ne-Vice President of Sustainability. U-Levitsky uneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20 yokuhlangenwe nakho kwesikhulu esiphezulu ezinkampanini zokudla nezolimo ezihamba phambili.
"Ukwesekwa kombono wethu womhlaba wonke owabelana ngawo wekusasa elisimeme kwezolimo kusenze saqondanisa amasu nabatshalizimali bethu ababheke ukuletha izixazululo ezisekelwe yisayensi emakethe ukuze kube nomthelela ophusile," kusho uLevitsky.
Ngasekupheleni konyaka odlule, iPhospholutions nayo yaqokwa njengenye yezinkampani ezinhlanu zokuqala eziqokelwe ukwenza lokhu I-Farm2050 Nutrient Technology Trialing Platform eNew Zealand, ihlelwe ngu Ama-Finistere Ventures kanye ne-Innovations Endeavors. INew Zealand izojoyina iCanada, i-US, iTurkey, i-India, iBrazil kanye ne-Afrika ohlwini lwezindawo zokuhlola i-RhizoSorb zomhlaba wonke ezihlelelwe u-2022.
“Ubuchwepheshe be-RhizoSorb buhambisana eduze nomsebenzi wenkampani yethu yokwenza okuningi ngokuncane,” kuphawula u-Carl Casale wase-OAS. "Ubuchwepheshe bukhuthaza ukwanda kwenzuzo yomlimi futhi kunciphisa umthelela wemvelo ukuze kube neqhaza ekusaseni elizinzile lokulima."
Ukuze ufunde kabanzi mayelana ne-Phospholutions futhi ulandele uhambo lwabo, vakashela www.phospholutions.com noma ku LinkedIn.
Mayelana ne-Invent Penn State
I-Invent Penn State iyisinyathelo somhlaba wonke sokugqugquzela ukuthuthukiswa komnotho, ukwakhiwa kwamathuba emisebenzi kanye nempumelelo yomsebenzi wabafundi. I-Invent Penn State ixuba izinhlelo zemfundo ezigxile kwezamabhizinisi, ukuqeqeshwa kokuqalwa kwebhizinisi kanye ne-incubation, uxhaso lwezohwebo, kanye nokusebenzisana kwenyuvesi, umphakathi, kanye nezimboni ukuze kube lula inqubo eyinselele yokuguqula okutholwe ocwaningweni kube imikhiqizo nezinsizakalo ezibalulekile ezingazuzisa abantu basePennsylvania kanye nesintu.
Umthombo: https://www.psu.edu