Delaware weekly roundup: Drones for farming; 2024 Technical.ly Awards winners; EDGE grant recipients announced

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Delaware's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

Drones could become an essential farm tool

Delaware women are making big moves this month.

Drones have lots of uses, from filming aerial shots to delivering packages to search and rescue. At the BIPOC Farmers Conference in Smyrna this month, we learned about how drones — and robots — can help modern family farms.

The potential number of farmers using drones over the next decade may be higher than you think. A 2023 survey by Iowa State University found that 21% of responding farmers reported using drones and 32% percent said they plan on using drones in the future.

➡️ Read more about drones and the future of agtech

Meet the 2024 Technical.ly Awards winners

You voted, we counted and now we’ve announced the six winners of this year’s Technical.ly Awards.

See who won in the categories of Educator of the Year, Program of the Year, Product of the Year, Creator of the Year, Power Move of the Year and Money Move of the Year.

➡️ Find out the results

News Incubator: What else to know today

• The fall 2024 EDGE Grant recipients have been announced. Awardees either receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses for STEM startups or $50,000 for non-STEM small businesses. This year’s awardees include Otter Biotech, Nitro Biosciences and greentech company Rebisken. [Delaware Division of Small Business/Technical.ly]

• The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is partnering with Lyft and Uber for SoberRides, which provides Delawareans with $20 ride vouchers during Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. [Delaware.gov]

• Best Egg secured a $500 million loan purchase commitment from two investment companies. The purchase will help the Wilmington-based fintech company serve more high-risk borrowers. [Technical.ly]

• Representative-elect Sarah McBride has been garnering a lot of attention, and getting a “crash course in the dysfunction of Congress,” she said. [Philadelphia Inquirer/Technical.ly]

• The Innovation Space just launched its new Early Stage Growth Grant. It will provide two years of labor space, equipment loans and mentorship for selected bioscience startups. [Delaware Business Times]

• As part of the federal Digital Equity Capacity Grant, Delaware will receive $4.8 million over five years. Some of the funds will be used to add digital specialists to the Delaware Libraries Social Innovation Team, which helps Delawareans find housing, jobs and healthcare. [Town Square Delaware]

• As Wilmington debates banning marijuana dispensaries, Newark becomes the first city to approve a recreational dispensary. [Delaware Online]

• Check out the trailer for New Castle County’s latest documentary film, “Restless Ground: The Untold Story of Mount Olive,” a 1440 Film Company production. [YouTube]

Invite to Maryland’s Entrepreneur Expo

Next week brings the 10th edition of TEDCO’s Entrepreneur Expo. Organizers invite stakeholders from all regions to attend the popular daylong conference, which is returning for the first time since the pandemic.

The event features dozens of speakers (both founders and funders) as well as networking opportunities, a keynote lunch and a closing reception. It all goes down right on the water in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Wednesday, Dec. 4 — get your tickets today.

➡️  See the full agenda and register to attend

This sponsored blurb supports our journalism. Want to see your message here? Get details and book online.

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Wednesday, Nov. 27 — Data Analytics training in Dover [Details]

• Thursday, Nov. 28 — Happy Thanksgiving!

• Saturday, Nov. 30 — Small Business Saturday [Details]

• Monday, Dec. 2 — Cool Chicks GatHERing at Toscana hosted by News4Women [Details]

• Tuesday, Dec. 3 — Giving Tuesday with DelawareGives [Details]