Five Forestry Startups Join First‑of‑Its‑Kind Accelerator to Advance Alabama’s $36B Industry
From wildfire risk mitigation and precision monitoring to plastic alternatives and smarter forest management, the inaugural Alabama Forestry Accelerator cohort showcases how local innovation is shaping the future of one of the state’s most vital industries.
DOTHAN, AL. – Five forestry companies from across the Southeast have been selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Alabama Forestry Accelerator, a first‑of‑its‑kind program designed to accelerate technology and business innovation in one of Alabama’s most important economic sectors.
Forestry is a cornerstone of Alabama’s economy, generating an estimated $36 billion in annual economic impact, directly supporting more than 40,000, and anchoring more than 110 manufacturing facilities statewide. Alabama ranks fourth in lumber production and second in pulp and paper production, positioning the state as a national leader at the intersection of natural resources and advanced manufacturing.
Launched this spring, the Alabama Forestry Accelerator is based in the newly launched Wiregrass Innovation Center in Dothan, part of the Pine Belt region that spans the Southeastern United States and contains some of the country’s most productive timberland and forestry operations.
Turning Alabama’s Forestry Strength into a Testbed for Innovation
The seven‑week accelerator brings together startups applying technology to real‑world forestry challenges, from land and utility management to sustainability, waste reduction and data fragmentation.
The inaugural spring cohort includes:
Chonex (Baldwin County, Ala.): Chonex converts agricultural and industrial byproducts into patented biofertilizers that rebuild topsoil, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs and improve crop resilience. Already serving farmers across Alabama, Chonex is exploring the feasibility of upcycling wood residual streams, such as sawdust, chips and bark, into value‑added soil products, creating new opportunities for forestry byproducts across the state.
Contreras Forestry (Birmingham, Ala.): Led by Yazmin Contreras, who followed in her father’s footsteps, Contreras Forestry builds on more than 30 years of family experience in reforestation and utility forestry operations. With deep industry relationships and operational expertise, the company is exploring new product and technology opportunities rooted in long‑standing forestry practices.
Druid (Huntsville, Ala./Charlotte, NC): A HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator alum, Druid developed SERRA, a patented smart camera system that monitors plant health 24/7 using visual, infrared, and night‑vision technology. While currently deployed in agriculture, the company is expanding into forestry applications, including early wildfire and anomaly detection, predictive mapping, research monitoring, and emergency alerts—capabilities with significant implications for forest management and utility safety.
Shellulose (Auburn, Ala.): Founded by Auburn University professor Dr. Symone Alexander, Shellulose transforms pecan shells into a cost‑effective, biodegradable alternative to traditional plastics. By repurposing agricultural and forestry‑adjacent waste streams, Shellulose offers a scalable solution to reduce environmental harm while opening new markets for bio‑based materials.
TreeTracker (Starkville, Miss.): TreeTracker provides a mobile and web‑based forest management platform that replaces the five to seven fragmented tools forest stakeholders often rely on for GPS navigation, project tracking, data collection, and collaboration. Designed for foresters, landowners, and contractors, the platform streamlines operations and improves decision‑making across forest management projects.
A Statewide Partnership Backed by Alabama’s Innovation Strategy
The Alabama Forestry Accelerator was created through a partnership between gener8tor, one of the nation’s top‑ranked startup accelerators, and Grow Southeast Alabama, a regional economic development organization representing 11 counties in the Wiregrass and Southeast Alabama region. The accelerator is hosted that the Wiregrass Innovation Center in partnership with HudsonAlpha Wiregrass.
Forestry and wood products are designated as a CatALyst target industry in Alabama’s statewide economic development growth plan, reinforcing the sector’s importance to the state’s long‑term innovation and economic strategy.
“Alabama already has the industry strength to lead in forestry innovation, and this program is about putting that advantage to work,” said Justise Black, gener8tor’s program manager for the accelerator. “By connecting these founders with landowners, operators and industry leaders across the 11 counties in the Wiregrass and Southeast Alabama region, we’re helping them refine and scale solutions in real forestry environments while strengthening an industry critical to the state’s economy.”
Guided by Industry Expertise
The program is supported by a newly formed Forestry Tech Advisory Board, comprised of forestry leaders, industry experts, and regional stakeholders who helped identify the sector’s most pressing challenges and shape the cohort selection.
“These companies understand that effective forestry innovation starts with the people who work the land every day,” said Al Jones, senior economic development representative at the Alabama Forestry Commission. “It’s been encouraging to see their willingness to engage with industry experts and build solutions that are practical, scalable and grounded in real‑world forestry operations.”
The program will culminate in a showcase on April 28th at 5 p.m. at the Wiregrass Innovation Center. The event is free and open to the public. Those planning to attend can RSVP here.
Fall cohort applications will open in the coming weeks. For more information about the Alabama Forestry Accelerator, contact Justise Black, program manager at gener8tor, at justise.black@gener8tor.com.
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About gener8tor
gener8tor fosters innovation ecosystems through its accelerator programs, venture funds, and skills-based workforce initiatives. With a strong track record of supporting high-growth companies, gener8tor has expanded across the U.S. and internationally, building partnerships with governments, corporations, and economic development organizations to drive entrepreneurship and economic impact.
