California’s Central Valley is home to one of the largest and most productive agricultural economies in the world. Yet, it faces serious challenges—from severe water scarcity and climate change to economic inequities. The good news? A powerful collaboration between the Water, Energy, and Technology (WET) Center at Fresno State and the BlueTechValley (BTV) initiative is helping turn these challenges into opportunities for bold innovation and entrepreneurship.

CleanStart recently hosted a discussion with Eric Hadden (Executive Director of the WET Center), Thomas Hall, and Gary Simon that shed light on why these institutions are becoming essential to California’s clean tech and ag tech future.

A Launchpad for Entrepreneurs in the Central Valley

Eric Hadden described the WET Center as being “at the intersection of business and academia,” designed to support ag tech, clean tech, and food-focused startups. Their mission? To develop, validate, and scale technologies that will drive meaningful economic development in the region. Their Valley Ventures Accelerator is the longest-running of its kind in the Central Valley—helping founders navigate everything from product-market fit to sales channels and capital readiness.

The impact is real: companies in the accelerator have included innovators in water-saving irrigation, sustainable energy systems, and circular economy solutions that repurpose agricultural waste.

BlueTechValley: Statewide Vision, Local Action

Through support from the California Energy Commission, the BTV initiative connects innovators with technical validation, customer feedback, and commercialization resources. This matters because the Central Valley is often overlooked by investors and regulators despite being home to a $50 billion agriculture economy. Programs like BTV give early-stage startups a path to validation and traction—de-risking the technologies before they scale.

Solving Problems That Actually Matter

The conversation highlighted some of the most urgent issues in the region:

• Water Use Efficiency: With the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in effect, farmers are facing pressure to reduce water use dramatically. The WET Center is enabling startups to validate water-saving solutions on a working 6-acre pilot farm—reducing the risk for both growers and entrepreneurs.

   

• Alternative Crops and Land Use: Innovations like agrivoltaics (solar systems integrated with farming) and even mezcal production from agave are being explored as climate-resilient alternatives for fallowed farmland.
• Ag Waste and Biochar: Central Valley produces massive volumes of ag waste. Instead of burning it—a major air quality issue—startups are exploring ways to turn this biomass into energy, fertilizer, and industrial materials.

The Call to Action

What makes the WET Center and BTV essential is their ability to connect real problems to real solutions. They’re making the Central Valley a proving ground for technology that can—and must—scale globally.

Entrepreneurs and investors looking for validated, high-impact innovations should take a close look at what’s happening in Fresno. As Eric put it, “If it works here, it’ll work anywhere.”

🚀 Watch the full discussion to dive deeper into the game-changing work happening on the ground.

🤝 Connect with Eric Hadden and the team at the WET Center to learn how you can support or get involved: https://wetcenter.org

CleanStart is proud to support regional innovation across ag, energy, and water. Follow us for more insights from founders, researchers, and ecosystem leaders across California.