Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the agriculture industry. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising Robotics Startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Automation Startups
For our 5 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 interesting examples out of 189 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
Click to enlarge
Grofit – Environment & Soil Monitoring
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the foundation for automation in any industry. Sensing soil moisture and soil type, both of which traditionally requires the soil to be extracted, has helped farmers identify precisely what is the condition of their soil. Innovations in IoT means the sensors can detect neutron activity in the soil, or sense electric pulses from water content to identify what type of soil it is and how much moisture it holds. Small sensors, which can be fixed to monitor leaves have to work with larger sensors while making sure that the data is being uploaded to a central system. Israeli startup Grofit develops IoT devices and sensors specifically for agriculture. These sensors measure environmental conditions and soil moisture. This data is captured in their decision support tools, which can be accessed with a smartphone. Their sensors help farmers increase their yield, reduce their usage of fertilizers and water, and allow them to earn more income.
IgnisNova – Satellite-Based Assessment
Many agricultural tasks require careful and focused analysis – whether it is to test soil conditions, map the farmland or to identify health conditions of crops. Crunching labor shortages in agriculture have forced innovations that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help the farmer with some or even all of their problems. AI-powered systems or devices detect and act on the information they sense – for example, an AI-powered robot can detect a weed and act to remove it. Indian startup IgnisNova develops remote sensing and AI services for farmers. Their AI-powered system converts satellite data into precise crop area mapping. They offer early disease detection for crops with spectral analysis of the farm. They also offer AI-enabled satellite-based risk assessment for farms by predicting weather and crop conditions.
Deepgreen – Plant Diagnosis & Operations Automation
Crop losses due to the late detection of diseases and compromising on the quality of the crop by mixing a few diseased crops with healthier ones are two major issues that plague agriculture. The applications of computer vision technology, especially when combined with AI, are endless. Agriculture is now shifting toward this technology to maintain a healthy farm and a high quality of produce. The US-based startup Deepgreen develops Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that integrate with various agricultural hardware, tractors, and robots, to monitor the health of crops and automate several labor-intensive tasks. In addition, they use computer vision and AI to significantly reduce development time for agricultural research and development units. They offer real-time phenotyping of crops, measuring seeds, chemicals or soil, they help farmers choose the most efficient solution while documenting its performance in rigorous detail.
Sensonomic – Farming Simulation
Simulation models and the technology behind it has been used only sparingly in agriculture. From simulating crop growth models or crop weather models, technology has enabled entire farm operations to be simulated, providing the farmer with valuable information right from planning to retail. Norwegian startup Sensonomic develops Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) simulations for agriculture, delivering both prescriptive and predictive information. Their services range from harvest planning, resource utilization, supply chain integration, and risk mitigation. The ABM simulations allow for users to be involved in its design, as it is driven by customizable rules, and it handles varied data and behaviors.
Sagri – Farm Management Software
The future of agriculture is moving towards developing and using fully integrated sensors, devices, equipment, and crop data along with farmer-friendly AI interfaces. Several companies today are automating or simplifying various farm processes and operations. Such smart farming software also allows farmers to maximize production and profits. Japanese startup Sagri develops its eponymous AI software for agriculture. They use satellite data to gather information for mapping farmlands. They use ground-based sensors to monitor soil and crop health while their AI platform generates useful insights for farmers in an easy-to-use interface. Farmers save valuable time, energy, and other resources by using such end to end farm management software.
What About The Other 184 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence for your Proof of Concept (PoC), partnership, or investment targets. The 5 startups showcased above are promising examples out of 189 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.
