Request for Introduction
Request for Introduction
Let’s Get In Touch
The Illinois Soybean Association’s Soy Innovation Center is now accepting Requests For Introductions from entrepreneurs, inventors, and doers who are working through challenges in commercializing, introducing, or scaling the availability of soy- and bio-based products into the marketplace.
The Support We Offer
The Center is focused on providing strategic advice, connections, and capital to companies and executives to accelerate the adoption of soy-based derivatives to help solve the world’s growing need for sustainably sourced products.
While many ag-tech organizations invest in advancements that help farmers increase the yield of their crops, the Center does not. If your research, product, or company is concentrated on supporting farmers and rural Illinois communities, please visit the Illinois Soybean Association’s ILSoyAdvisor website: www.ilsoyadvisor.com to learn about our investments in production agriculture.
Process
The Center cannot respond or meet with all individuals who request an introduction. You will receive an email confirming the Center has received your information. Over the following weeks, the Center’s team will evaluate the materials you provide and contact you to see if a formal introduction will be scheduled.
You do not need to follow up with the Center.
A Note
During this phase, the Center does not want your organization to provide confidential, sensitive, proprietary, or trade secrets in your initial outreach requesting an introduction. It’s your idea, your business, and your hard work. We want to see if our organization will be a good fit at this stage.
Funding Cycle Timing
The Center has the capital to invest in various businesses each calendar year. Requests for introduction are accepted at any time. If discussions continue, the Center’s staff will advise you of where we are in our funding cycle and what materials and deadlines are needed for continued diligence.
Our Impact
Since 1964, the Illinois Soybean Association has been serving the needs of farmers and communities across rural Illinois. The Soy Innovation Center is an extension of our mission, and it helps facilitate the additional usage of soybean derivatives to solve the world’s growing need for sustainably sourced products.
Our Funding
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development, soybean production and government relations efforts, while the membership program, Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG), and the Illinois Soybean Growers PAC actively advocates for positive and impactful legislation for farmers at local, state, and national levels. ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean farmers through promotion, advocacy, research and education with the vision of becoming a trusted partner of Illinois soybean farmers to ensure their profitability now and for future generations.
