Olin resources help MBA’s ag tech startup take root

When Justin Traenkle, MBA 2027, arrived at WashU Olin, he had three business ideas he was eager to pursue.

Through faculty guidance, entrepreneurship competitions, and connections across St. Louis' innovation ecosystem, the MBA student narrowed his focus to one: Amass Biosystems, an agtech startup helping farmers create new revenue streams. 

Now, that idea is gaining national attention. Amass recently received a $75,000 Arch Grant and won the Startup World Cup St. Louis Regional Finals, earning him a spot in the 2026 Startup World Cup global competition. 

For Traenkle, the momentum reflects not only the potential of his business, but also the value of an entrepreneurial community that connects classroom learning with real-world opportunities. 

Traenkle talked about Amass and how his time at Olin has helped shape the company’s recent success: 

Tell us about your startup — what does Amass Biosystems do? 

Amass Biosystems aims to give farmers a secondary source of revenue by developing crops that grow alongside traditional row crops. Our first product is a bioenergy crop that grows alongside corn. After farmers harvest their corn, we can combine the leftover plant material with the bioenergy crop to produce a solid biofuel that can be burned in existing coal-fired power plants. 

What role has your Olin education played in helping develop your company? 

I saw business school as a great environment to pressure-test a lot of different ideas — I came here with three ideas and was working with all three in parallel, trying to build them at the same time. Participating in the Skandalaris Venture Competition and talking with some of my professors in strategy and economics and marketing really helped me narrow it down to that one best idea, and we were able to build a lot more momentum with it in a short period. 

That willingness (of alumni) to listen to a current student, to provide that advice, that expertise, and share their networking connections — I don't think Amass would be where we are without that. 

Justin Traenkle

And because we were here in St. Louis and had connections with the Danforth Plant Science Center, we were able to do field trials in a research-based setting in our first year as a company. Being able to finish class on campus at Olin and drive to our field site and take samples throughout the spring, summer, and fall has been really valuable for us. 

What does winning the Arch Grant mean to Amass’ future? 

Beyond the funding, I think the greater value of being an Arch Grants recipient is the network and the cohort that you become a part of, which includes both current and past Arch Grants startup founders, as well as Arch Grants connections within the St. Louis network and across the Midwest. This funding and the connections provided by Arch Grants will also allow us to hire initial team members who will help us to grow to a place where we can have a significant impact in the region.  

How do you see Olin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem continuing to benefit Amass as it grows? 

Amass Biosystems has benefited from alumni who are willing to connect and listen to my pitch and provide feedback. Some are very successful alumni who are now in executive-level positions at large companies. Even if they couldn’t provide us with the guidance or the exact next step, they helped connect me with other people who could. Ultimately, one of those connections led us to our first potential pilot customer. That willingness to listen to a current student, to provide that advice, that expertise, and share their networking connections — I don't think Amass would be where we are without that. 

What’s the next step for your startup? 

We’re preparing to raise a $1 million seed round of funding. We’re hoping to close in early Q1 2027.  Through the Startup World Cup, we were able to connect with the St. Louis Arch Angels (a network of investors who fund local startups) and we were also invited by Dean Mazzeo to present to the Olin National Council. Some of the members of the council are Arch Angels as well as investors themselves. We're also in discussions with venture funds outside the region.  

We’re hoping our initial investors can provide us with a really strong base as we continue to grow and scale to new crops, new regions, and potentially even new types of fuel.