León, Guanajuato, Mexico, September 11, 2025 – The iconic Foro PARUNO in León, Guanajuato was the epicenter of the sixth edition of the LEÓN AGTECH SUMMIT. The annual event, co-organized by the Kirchner Impact Foundation and the Innovation Directorate of the Municipality of León, brought investors, entrepreneurs, students, academics, and ecosystem leaders from across Mexico and beyond together on August 30th.
The Summit has become a flagship initiative in the national AgTech landscape, offering a platform for innovation, sustainability, and investment in food systems. The agenda of the event included individual presentations and panel discussions from national and international experts:
- Steve Dauphin (USA) – Shared insights from over 30 years of impact investing, exploring the dynamics between investors and entrepreneurs.
- Rodolfo Loyola (Mexico) – Presented tangible actions being implemented to strengthen regional food security.
- Rod Parker (UK) – Discussed the global food security challenge and proposed practical solutions.
- Adrián Durán & Toño Nogueira (Mexico) – Delivered a powerful talk on agricultural marketing trends and the importance of cultivating new vocations among young people in food production.
- Impact Investing in Agriculture Panel – Moderated by Marion Ochoa (Kirchner Impact Foundation), the panel featured Héctor Martínez (NATA-M) and Mildred Jiménez (Village Capital / ATTA Impact Capital), who examined the current landscape and emerging trends within the Latam impact investment ecosystem in agriculture.
The Summit featured a highly anticipated pitch competition where 12 early stage entrepreneurial teams presented projects spanning the entire agri-food value chain, from soil health and input technologies to functional food products and sustainable waste management. The Summit recognized five outstanding projects addressing key challenges across the food and agriculture value chain:
- 🏆 Overall Champion: MAV-A MAV-A manufactures a smart biodegradable paper that helps protect food from spoilage and extends shelf life naturally. The team was awarded a cash prize of $5,000 USD, along with personalized mentorship and technical support to accelerate their impact.
- 💡 Innovation Award: SEPOC SEPOC enhances seed performance using electromagnetic technology, enabling better crop yields without agrochemicals.
- 🌱 Environmental Impact Award: Mitera Mitera transforms agricultural waste into living biochar that regenerates soils, increases productivity, and captures carbon—eliminating the need for crop burning and reducing emissions.
- ❤️ Social Impact Award: Barritas de Resiliencia Barritas de Resiliencia produces nutritious food bars made with huizache flour, offering a local, drought-resistant, and sustainable solution to combat food insecurity in vulnerable communities.
- 👥 People’s Choice Award: RUBISCO RUBISCO is a biotechnology company focused on developing biological products for agriculture that improve soil health and plant resilience through nature-based innovation.
The LEÓN AGTECH SUMMIT 2025 was more than just a conference. The event featured live music, vibrant networking opportunities, and community-building activities, all designed to connect visionary entrepreneurs with the resources they need to grow.
Since its launch in 2019, the Summit has become a pillar in the regional innovation ecosystem, helping to position León as a national hub for food system innovation and agricultural transformation. For more information visit www.mexicoagtech.com