Hoosier ag-tech startup lands grant for crop dehydration tech
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $600,000 grant to a West Lafayette-based ag-tech startup co-founded by a Purdue University professor. JUA Technologies International plans to use the funding to further develop its solar-powered crop dehydration technology.
The company was co-founded by Klein Ileleji, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue who serves as CEO and chief technology officer.
The funding, which is a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant, will support the proof of concept for design and manufacture of the company’s multipurpose solar dryer, Dehymeleon.
JUA Technologies previously developed and is now selling its Dehytray product, which uses solar power to dry grains, produce, fish and meat in order to extend their shelf life while also preserving their nutrients.
The technology has been tested in many developing countries. Two years ago, Purdue announced the company made a deal with Brazil-based BrazAgro Ltd. to distribute Dehytrays to multiple east African countries.
The Dehymeleon is a solar dryer that can hold multiple Dehytrays while also storing extra solar energy for use as a power generator. Ilelji says utilizing solar power can create more benefits for users than traditional food dehydrators.
“It is an energy-intensive process with huge operating costs because food dehydrators are typically powered by gas, electricity or fuel oil,” Ileleji said. “The high operating cost limits the ability of small and midsize growers and processors in the U.S. to produce dehydrated foods. In developing countries in the tropics, where postharvest losses of nutrient-rich horticultural produce can be as high as 50%, dehydrating foods hygienically using the abundance of solar energy available in these parts will not only help support nutrition security but also provide growers an opportunity to increase their income from value-added processing.”
Ileleji says the technology improves methods to process specialty crops in a way that improves quality and nutritional value. It also allows small and midsize farmers to add value to their crops and increase income, while also providing them with affordable technology powered by renewable energy.
JUA Technologies plans to use the funding to achieve four research and development goals with the Dehymeleon, including modeling and simulation to optimize performance and beta prototyping the product for manufacturing.
The company plans to test the technology’s field performance using fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs grown in Indiana and California.
In 2019, JUA Technologies received an SBIR Phase I grant totaling $100,000 from the USDA to further development of the technology. The funding came with a $50,000 match from Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures.
Earlier this year, Ileleji was named the Indiana and Great Lakes Region Exporter of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
In a May interview with IIB reporter Wes Mills, Ileleji said exports create a great opportunity for small business owners.
“Sometimes when we think of small businesses, we think of a small business just doing things here, just doing business within the states. But quite a few of us actually export our products overseas,” Ileleji said.