A Dryden food producer will compete for $100,000 in prize money on the Indigenous business pitch show Bears’ Lair this fall.
AgriTech North, an indoor farm growing produce year-round for communities in northwestern Ontario, was declared a semifinalist for the competition after the company successfully pitched its business idea to a panel of judges on Oct. 2.
As the episode's winner, AgriTech takes home $10,000 in prize money and now moves on to the semifinal round of the competition, which will be held later this month.
AgriTech is competing against 18 other Indigenous entrepreneurs from across Canada who are vying for a $100,000 prize to go toward the development of their business.
Launched in early 2022, AgriTech North grows fresh produce, such as lettuces, herbs and fruits, in an indoor farm that is then distributed via subscription boxes to individual and wholesale consumers across the northwest.
Led by partners Benjamin Feagin and Fabian Prince Velez, AgriTech North has a special mandate to assist Indigenous communities in accessing fresh produce at reasonable prices. Their ultimate goal is to reduce the cost of shipping produce to fly-in communities by 50 per cent.
Feagin was recently named an Emerging Indigenous Entrepreneur through the RBC Rock My Business program, receiving $10,000 to further develop the business. AgriTech is using the funds to launch a new e-commerce platform that will streamline the ordering process for clients.
Bears’ Lair airs on Sunday evenings on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).
