A company started by two Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute alumni is racking up recognition for its innovative use of technology in agriculture.

SwineTech, founded by University of Iowa seniors Matthew Rooda and Abraham Espinoza (both OEI ’16), was named a finalist for two 2017 LWBJ Prometheus Awards – Student Innovation of the Year and Ag Technology Company of the Year – the Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) and LWBJ announced.

“It means a lot to us to have a community that is there to help us succeed,” Rooda said of SwineTech being named a finalist for the awards. “You work so hard day in and day out to grow the company and this is just a great opportunity to step back and reflect on the year. This is also a great way for us to invite our employees out to have a great time.”

The LWBJ Prometheus Awards, which are in their 12th year, recognize innovative companies and individuals in Iowa’s $11 billion technology industry.

“The Prometheus Awards is the most prestigious recognition for Iowa’s technology industry and brings together leaders from the tech community to celebrate the year’s most momentous innovations,” said Brian Waller, President of TAI. “These awards showcase the great talent and companies in Iowa and further solidify Iowa’s reputation as a tech state.”

Rooda and Espinoza founded SwineTech in 2015. SwineTech describes its hardware as a “FitBit for pigs” that can analyze piglets’ squeals and determine when they’re being crushed by their mothers. The device – fitted around a sow’s chest – can send a gentle impulse that alerts the sow to stand up if it detects the specific squeal a piglet makes when being crushed by its mother, a significant industry issue.

More about SwineTech

 

Read a Silicon Prairie News profile on SwineTech.

 

(Photo: SwineTech founders Matthew Rooda (left) and Abraham Espinoza. Credit: F8 Creative)