Questr Automation LLC Joins nsf i-corps: why it matters for family farm innovation

By Dave Oberting, Questr Automation LLC, [email protected], 304.679.1889

We just got some incredible news: Questr Automation LLC has been accepted into the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. If you're wondering what that means and why we're pretty excited about it, let me break it down.

What Is NSF I-Corps?

The I-Corps program is basically the NSF's way of helping researchers and startups take their ideas from the lab to the real world. It's not just funding (though there is some): it's intensive entrepreneurial training, mentoring, and a structured process to figure out if your innovation actually solves problems people will pay to fix.

For us, this means validation from the country's most respected science agency that our ROOST farm automation platform isn't just a neat idea: it's something with real national significance.

Why This Matters for Family Farms

Here's the thing: family farms face the same productivity challenges as big operations, but they don't have the same resources to solve them. Our ROOST initiative brings automation tools: drones, smart sensors, precision systems: to small and mid-sized farms without the massive upfront costs or technical complexity.

The I-Corps designation gives us credibility when we talk to farmers, co-ops, and funding agencies. It also connects us to a network of successful entrepreneurs and provides the framework to refine our business model based on real farmer needs.

What Happens Next

We're launching into immediate action with over 100 stakeholder interviews nationwide. We'll be talking directly to farmers, ag co-ops, and institutional partners to understand exactly what automation solutions will make the biggest difference.

This isn't just about technology: it's about proving that rural America can lead innovation, not lag behind it. Every conversation helps us build automation solutions that actually work for the farms that feed our communities.