Previous Challenge Grant Program Winners
2024 to 2025 Winners
Santerre International
Award Year: 2025
Location: Paducah, KY
Santerre International converts invasive Asian carp into fertilizer products — a liquid hydrolysate and a solid compost substitute — providing Kentucky’s organic farms with affordable, locally produced soil amendments while generating new rural livelihoods.
Orb Technologies
Award Year: 2025
Location: Lexington, KY
ORB Technologies manufactures the BiomieTM bio-composite building block from agricultural residues like grain straw and switchgrass, creating new income streams for Kentucky farmers while positioning the state as a leader in sustainable construction materials.
Kanbol Corn Containers
Award Year: 2025
Location: Auburn, KY
Kanbol uses a patented pulping process to transform corn stover — a byproduct of Kentucky’s bourbon and row-crop sectors — into compostable food containers, adding value to the farm economy while reducing plastic waste at scale.
2023 to 2024 Winners
Hempwood
Award Year: 2024
Location: Murray, KY
Hempwood uses a patented bio-mimicry process to transform hemp fibers and protein-based bonding agents into a durable substitute for solid oak, creating healthy, sustainable building materials from Kentucky-grown hemp.
Iristrac
Award Year: 2024
Location: Prospect, KY
Iristrac provides horse owners with a non-invasive equine identification system using a patented iris scanner, paired with a web platform for storing and accessing horse records — purpose-built for Kentucky’s equine industry.
Sunflower Fuels
Award Year: 2024
Location: Lexington, KY
Sunflower Fuels produces bio-based feedstocks for the power and refining industries by harnessing underutilized rural land to grow energy crops that extract carbon from the atmosphere while generating new revenue for Kentucky farmers.
Parasight Systems, Inc.
Award Year: 2024
Location: Lexington, KY
Parasight Systems offers the world’s only push-button fecal egg count system for veterinary clinics, delivering instant imaged results that streamline parasite management for horse and livestock operations across Kentucky.
ReadLeaf Biologics
Award Year: 2024
Location: Lexington, KY
RedLeaf Biologics combines proprietary plant genetics and extraction processes to develop phytochemical extracts with applications in health, cosmetics, wellness, and nutrition — opening new commercial markets for Kentucky agricultural crops.
Lepidext, Inc.
Award Year: 2024
Location: Lexington, KY
Lepidext discovers, develops, and commercializes bioinsecticides that control lepidopteran pests in food and fiber crops, delivering a safer, sustainable alternative to synthetic insecticides for Kentucky producers.
Spirited Biomaterials
Award Year: 2024
Location: Lexington, KY
Spirited Biomaterials produces Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a fully biodegradable plastic substitute derived from agricultural sugars, creating a compostable alternative to petroleum-based plastics rooted in Kentucky’s distillery economy.
