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CROP INPUT DEVELOPER FROM BLACK FLIES CHONEX WINS CONVERGESOUTH REGIONAL PITCH COMPETITION
Sep. 2, 2026
Source: CHONEX news release
BIRMINGHAM, AL -- CHONEX, Inc., an agricultural biotechnology company that produces crop inputs from black soldier fly larvae and their derivatives, has won the Startup World Cup Regional Competition at ConvergeSouth in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. CHONEX was selected from a competitive field of 121 companies pitching across healthcare, biotech, artificial intelligence, B2B SaaS, food and beverage, and agriculture. They then took the overall title against the winners of the HealthTech and BioTech track and the Artificial Intelligence and B2B SaaS track. The win advances CHONEX to the Startup World Cup in San Francisco in November.
"We are honored that the judges at ConvergeSouth selected CHONEX to represent the North Carolina Regional Competition at the Startup World Cup among the incredible group of 121 businesses," said Michael Pisciotta, Chief Commercial Officer.
The win comes as CHONEX closes in on a $6 million Series A financing round to accelerate commercialization of its platform and expand its footprint among row-crop and specialty growers across the United States. "As a farmer, I know first-hand that battling problems in the field isn't getting any easier," said Sam Grey, Chief Operations Officer. "CHONEX's unique platform is creating real solutions that can easily fit into any grower's application systems. Winning at ConvergeSouth validates our progress and our plan. We see it scaling across specialty fruit and vegetables, peanuts, and as a seed treatment on corn, soybeans and cotton."
Founded in 2018, CHONEX builds crop production and crop protection tools rooted in biology rather than synthetic chemistry, giving growers effective, field-ready alternatives that integrate into existing farm operations, lowering the barrier to adoption at scale.
"What makes us unique is that we relied on nature to do the figuring out," said Michael Lynch, CEO and co-founder. "The core leadership of this company is farmers, agronomists and others who have made it their mission to support Southern agriculture."
CHONEX will compete at the Startup World Cup at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco, where more than 200 regional winners pitch in semi-finals on November 4. Ten finalists advance to the Grand Finale on November 6, where one company receives a $1 million investment from Pegasus Tech Ventures.
About CHONEX
Founded in 2018 and based in Birmingham, Alabama, CHONEX, Inc. creates agricultural inputs using a patented black soldier fly larvae biorefining platform. Its flagship product, StrongSoil, is registered as a soil amendment and plant biostimulant in 22 states and is OMRI listed. Built and led by farmers, agronomists, and scientists, CHONEX's core mission is to improve soil health, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, and build more resilient food systems. Learn more at chonex.ag.
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