PowWow Energy Thrives Part 2

BlueTech Valley Gives PowWow Energy a Boost

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Farm News Director

The BlueTech Valley Central Valley Regional Innovation Cluster represents an expansion and interconnection of multiple incubators and/or entrepreneurship programs with services located at each of seven designated BlueTechValley Cluster hubs—collectively serving 39 counties, covering two-thirds of California’s geographic area.

Olivier Jerphagnon with PowWow Energy is part of the community at Fresno State. “We connected with the BlueTechValley community through the water energy technology incubator,” he said. “We came here three years ago and found a great place where we could take the time to meet growers, listen to their needs. At the same time, we benefit from the fact that people trust Fresno State in the economic community,” said Jerphagnon.

A big part of PowWow Energy is pump monitoring. “Our motto is, ‘Answers to farmers. Not more data.‘ We take existing data and work with agencies on large data sets,” said Jerphagnon. “For example, we have access to all the PG&E and Southern California Edison metering information from the pumps. We have weather data for every acre of California. We have historical aero-images for every foot of farmland.”

“We crunch all the data, and we’re able to create a couple of beneficial products,” noted Jerphagnon. “The first one is a simple compliance product. If you have to report your water usage, you can do that without investing a lot in hardware, because that metering infrastructure is already there for the electrical industry, so why not reuse it?”

“The second product is to identify where there could be more productivity. If one field historically has had issues, we locate it and try to diagnose what’s wrong so the farmer can make adjustments to his operational practices,” Jerphagnon asked. “I think we can find the right answers,” he said.

For more information and testimonials from growers, go to PowWowEnergy.com.

California Ag Today2017-09-11T14:57:23-07:00September 7th, 2017|

PowWow Energy Gets Major Funding

The Central Valley Angel Group Invests in PowWow Energy, Inc.

News Release

PowWow is applying data science to solve practical problems in agriculture. It provides a simple water compliance solution using a clever algorithm that turns energy data into useful text alerts and water records for growers.

The team of agronomists and computer scientists are extending the data-mining platform with 100 Terabits of aerial images and weather forecasts to identify where farms can recover revenue losses and improve their bottom-line.

Fund Chairman A. Emory Wishon said, “We are thrilled to invest in a company that is passionate about working with farming communities to save water and energy while preserving quality crops.”

PowWow CEO Olivier Jerphagnon added, “Central Valley Angel Group’s investment expands PowWow’s presence in the San Joaquin Valley. We started to work at the Water and Energy Technology incubator in Fresno three years ago, and we’ve taken the time to work closely with growers to understand their needs”.

The local commitment of Central Valley farmers and investors, when combined with the experience of Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and investors, strengthens the unique dual culture of PowWow Energy, which is critical to its continued growth and success.

Formed in September 2015, Central Valley Angel Group is a $1 million+ fund whose members are accredited investors. The Central Valley Angel Group invests in high-growth, early-stage companies that are located within the region. In addition to making a return on its investments, the goal is to educate local Angel investors and create ongoing investment capital to help the Central Valley’s start-up economy thereby retaining businesses and supporting job growth.

To learn more about the Central Valley Angel Group or to apply for funding visit www.centralvalleyangels.com

Contact: A. Emory Wishon III, Chair, Central Valley Angel Group, 559-439-4000

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:05:16-07:00August 29th, 2017|