CropVoice by InnerPlant Earns 2026 E+E Leader Award for Innovation in Sustainability

InnerPlant, the seed technology company engineering crops that communicate their needs, today announced that the CropVoice™ platform was named a Startup Disruptor winner in the 2026 Environment+Energy Leader Awards. The annual program recognizes companies delivering measurable progress in energy management, environmental performance, and sustainability.

Award-Winning Innovation

InnerPlant’s CropVoice platform was recognized in the Startup Disruptor category for redefining how farmers detect and respond to crop disease by introducing a new biological data layer in agriculture. Winners span categories including product innovation, project implementation, startup advancement, and organizational leadership.

The platform uses genetically engineered soybeans, InnerSoy™, that emit an optical signal when their immune system detects stress from fungal infection. These signals are captured via optical sensing technologies and validated through a multi-step process that includes field scouting, agronomic expertise, and data modeling, ensuring accuracy before alerts are delivered.

By improving the timing and accuracy of fungicide applications, CropVoice helps reduce unnecessary chemical use, lower environmental impact, and support more efficient farming practices. The platform represents a new approach to agricultural data by generating insights directly from the plant, providing farmers with earlier and more actionable information.

Judges highlighted the breakthrough nature of the technology and its real-world impact, noting the solution is “(…) genuinely innovative and tackles a major driver of unnecessary chemical applications,” and “The ability to reduce pesticide use, prevent yield loss, and scale rapidly through seed deployment provides major sustainability and economic value.”

CropVoice is designed as a full system that integrates biology, sensing, and data delivery into existing farmer workflows. Alerts are delivered through familiar platforms and simple communication channels, ensuring accessibility and ease of use in real-world conditions. The platform is supported by a high-touch customer success model that helps farmers interpret insights and act with confidence throughout the growing season.

In its first commercial deployment, CropVoice was rolled out across 50,000 acres in key U.S. growing regions, with plans to scale tenfold in 2026.

A Testament to Innovation in Sustainable Agriculture

“CropVoice takes the guesswork out crop management decisions so farmers can make better decisions with real-time, validated data from their fields,” said Shely Aronov, CEO and co-founder of InnerPlant. “This recognition highlights how plant-powered intelligence can improve productivity while reducing environmental impact.”

“As organizations navigate an increasingly dynamic and uncertain operating environment, the ability to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and deliver measurable results has never been more critical,” said Sarah Roberts, Co-President and Publisher of Environment+Energy Leader. “This year’s winners demonstrate the innovation and leadership required to move forward with clarity and impact.”

After key successes in 2025 – partnerships with major agronomic providers such as CHS and SunAg, and the world’s first real-time detection of a fungal infection in a commercial soybean field – InnerPlant is well positioned in 2026 to continue making an impact for farmers and the agricultural community.

About InnerPlant
InnerPlant is a seed technology company developing novel traits that harness plant physiology and unlock actionable data at scale. The Company’s technology enables the earliest detection of pathogens and other stresses in key crops to make farming more efficient, sustainable, and resilient. By tapping into plants’ immune systems, InnerPlant engineers crops that emit optical signals detectable from as far away as space when under attack by pathogens, pests, or other stressors. InnerPlant’s first commercial product, CropVoice, was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024. The company is backed by leading industry and venture partners, including John Deere, Systemiq Capital, and an alliance of North American farmers via Coutts Agro. For more information, visit innerplant.com

About the Environment + Energy Leader Awards
Now in its 14th year, the Environment+Energy Leader Awards program recognizes excellence across products, projects, startups and organizational initiatives that deliver meaningful advancements in environmental programs, sustainability, and energy management. Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts, with a focus on innovation, scalability, and measurable impact. Winners are recognized as leaders in advancing best practices and setting new standards across the global energy and environmental landscape.

For Media Inquiries, Please Contact:
Laura Often Crackle PR 508-887-3796 innerplant@cracklepr.com

Kay Harrison Head of Awards Program VP: Associate Publisher – kay@environmentenergyleader.com

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Contact Information

Laura Often

Media Contact

Crackle PR

(1) 508-887-3796

innerplant@cracklepr.com