Invent Penn State

Alumnus Hunter Swisher named Forbes '30 under 30' for social impact

Hunter launched his business, Phospholutions, while at Penn State and utilized Invent Penn State resources

Hunter Swisher spoke as part of the "Preparing for Exit Upon Entry" panel session during the 2022 Invent Penn State Venture amd IP Conference. Credit: Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State alumnus Hunter Swisher, founder and CEO of Phospholutions, was named a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 in the social impact category. The category is described as those who are "leveraging business smarts to save the world."  

The company, which has raised $22 million in combined equity and debt financing, aims to create a more sustainable future for agriculture by enhancing the efficiency of phosphorus fertilizers. Read about the most recent investment of $5.3 million. 

Swisher began developing RhizoSorb, the company’s fertilizer additive technology, as an undergraduate in the plant sciences program at Penn State. As a student, Swisher took full advantage of the Invent Penn State entrepreneurial ecosystem, including but not limited to the Invent Penn State Summer Founders Program, Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank’s FastTrack Accelerator program, the Penn State Law Clinics, and the Penn State Small Business Development Center.  

Phospholutions is presently headquartered at Innovation Park at Penn State University Park.  

Learn more about Swisher’s story. 

Last Updated December 6, 2022