Generation Food Rural Partners, George Kaiser Family Foundation, and OCAST Announce Investment in CASSIE, Inc.
Summary
NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Generation Food Rural Partners I, LP, a Big Idea Ventures fund, (GFRP), the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST), and George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) today announced a joint investment in CASSIE, Inc. (CASSIE), an Oklahoma-based company developing innovations that strengthen the states food and agriculture economy.CASSIE was founded to scale advanced air purification systems that use cutting-edge technology and filtration to neutralize airborne threats, translating breakthrough innovation into practical solutions that will be beneficial for critical applications, stated co-founder and CEO, Eric Garrison. Our solutions are uniquely positioned for healthcare, where controlling hospital-acquired infections and ensuring patient safety are paramount, and for the food and food safety industries, where clean air directly impacts product integrity, worker health, and regulatory compliance.This investment is the culmination of months of partnership building, highlighting what can happen when public, private, and philanthropic partners come together around a shared vision, said Tom Mastrobuoni, Chief Investment Officer of Big Idea Ventures. We expect this to be the model for additional investments in Oklahoma.As Oklahomas technology-based economic development agency, OCAST sees CASSIE as a strong example of innovation fueling community impact. GFRP is a part of Big Idea Ventures (BIV), a global investment leader within the food-tech, agri-tech, and materials science sectors. OCAST fosters innovation in existing and developing businesses by supporting industry innovation, STEM internships and techbusiness startups by facilitating technology transfer between research institutions and businesses by providing pre-seed and seed capital for innovative firms in the development of new products or services by helping Oklahomas small and medium-sized manufacturing firms become more competitive through increased productivity and modernization.George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a charitable organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services and civic enhancement.