U of A Startup CelluDot Wins Statewide Innovation Award

Fred Miller, Division of Agriculture

Joseph Batta-Mpouma (far left), and Gurshagan Kandhola (center) formed CelluDot in 2019 during their participation in the graduate New Venture Development courses. Professor Jim-Woo Kim (far right), supervised Batta-Mpouma's doctoral research.

LITTLE ROCK – A startup founded at the U of A that seeks to mitigate herbicide drift won the Innovation Pacesetter award at the 36th annual Arkansas Business of the Year Awards. 

CelluDot, which was formed by U of A College of Engineering alumni, was among five finalists that "are remaking an old industry or charting an entirely new course to create a new market," according to Arkansas Business, which oversees the awards. 

To be considered for the award, companies needed to demonstrate incremental, breakthrough or disruptive innovation. The ceremony was held Feb. 21 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. 

CelluDot's co-founder, Joseph Batta-Mpouma, said being named an Innovation Pacesetter raises the company's profile across the state. 

"It means citizens in Arkansas and key stakeholders in the industry, from farmers to agrochemical companies, start to pay close attention and value the socio-economic benefits we offer with our innovative technology," Batta-Mpouma said. 

Batta-Mpouma and Gurshagan Kandhola formed the company in 2019 during their participation in the graduate New Venture Development courses as part of the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship.  

Overseen by the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the certificate pairs graduate students from business and non-business disciplines on teams together, providing an incubation-like setting for exploring real business ideas and for connecting new technologies to market opportunities. 

Jin-Woo Kim, who supervised Batta-Mpouma while he earned his doctorate, said the award was an "important step" in highlighting the technology. 

"I take great pride in the accomplishments of Joe and Gurshagan, who have effectively translated the technology developed by our group into tangible results," said Kim, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering for the university's College of Engineering and the Division of Agriculture. 

"This award marks another important step in showing how practical and effective our technology can be." 

Herbicide drift occurs when environmental spray application practices or tank mix composition causes herbicides to move off target, resulting in unintended damage to nearby crops or other vegetation. It is a $3.1 billion issue for the agriculture industry. 

CelluDot addresses the issue with a nanocellulose-based formulation, trademarked as BioGrip. Made from forestry waste, like sawdust, the technology has three functions: drift-reducing agent, volatility-reducing agent and a surfactant. 

The eco-friendly product is designed to add weight to the herbicide spray droplets and make them fall more directly on target during field applications. It also works to reduce volatilization of the active ingredient without compromising its efficacy. 

In September, CelluDot received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to optimize and commercialize their technology. 

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.