Local Startup Lands State High, Penn State Grad on Forbes ’30 Under 30′ List

A State College native and Penn State graduate is receiving national attention after finding himself included among the country’s most promising entrepreneurs.

This month, Hunter Swisher landed on the 2023 Forbes “30 Under 30” list for social impact. Swisher, the founder and CEO of Phospholutions, is recognized among other recipients who are “leveraging business smarts to save the world.”

Swisher’s startup, Phospholutions, works to promote sustainable agriculture practices by enhancing the efficiency of phosphorus-based fertilizers. So far, the company has raised more than $22 million in combined equity and debt financing, including a $5.3 million investment announced in August.

RhizoSorb, the startup’s key fertilizer additive originally created in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, gradually delivers phosphorus into soil to increase efficiency by 50% while retaining crop yields. In total, RhizoSorb works to create healthier root systems that help crops continue performing throughout their seasons.

Phospholutions is currently headquartered at Innovation Park in State College. Swisher, a 2012 State College Area High School graduate, began working on his startup as a Penn State student and grew the enterprise with the help of university resources, including Invent Penn State, Happy Valley LaunchBox and the Penn State Small Business Development Center.

“Our success and rapid growth wouldn’t have been possible without the support and foundation that the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Happy Valley provides to the community,” Swisher said in August. “The support is one of the reasons we’ve maintained our headquarters in Innovation Park.” 

Swisher produced a local impact with Phospholutions as he began growing the startup over the past decade. Even before graduating from Penn State, he worked with the Penn State Golf Courses and found success by applying his product to the courses’ greens.

Each year, Forbes recognizes up-and-coming entrepreneurs and industry moguls who’ve achieved success in their fields under the age of 30. Adriana Lacy, a 2018 Penn State graduate, also received recognition in this year’s “30 Under 30” media category for her work mentoring up-and-coming journalists.

You can view this year’s full listings online.