Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing economic uncertainty, 2020 still managed to produce major tech breakthroughs, as well as thousands of startups. To introduce you to 5 emerging startups founded in 2020, we analyzed 2 033 AgriTech startups. All of them develop innovative solutions spanning from robotic farming and smart irrigation to farm data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions.
The 5 promising AgriTech startups you should watch in 2021 were hand-picked based on our data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. The 2 033 companies that were analyzed for this report are identified using the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 1 379 000+ startups & scaleups globally. When you are looking for up-to-date agriculture solutions for your innovation units, R&D, or product development department, the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform gives you the most exhaustive collection and ensures you continuously discover new startups, scaleups, and technologies.
Global Startup Heat Map: 5 AgriTech Startups to Watch in 2021
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 AgriTech startups, established in 2020, developing technology-driven solutions for the AgriTech industry. Moreover, you can explore global hotspots for AgriTech startups and even download this graphic to include in your next presentation.
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Emerging Agriculture Technology Solutions
Agricultural activities are rapidly moving away from manual labor-based work to digital and robotic solutions. The Internet of Things sensors and devices continuously collect farm data and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms analyze them to offer valuable insights into soil and crop conditions, as well as overall operations and efficiency. Integrated farm and dairy management solutions also offer significant benefits for disease prevention and high-quality produce. Aerial surveying and mapping using satellites and drones further improve land mapping and production choices. Moreover, startups offer easy-to-use and integrable solutions to help farmers today and tomorrow.
Who benefits from AgriTech solutions?
Farm management is a complex task requiring data-driven insights into the land, soil, and weather conditions to create high-yield farms. Farm managers also coordinate the end location of the farm produce and deal with various vendors to sell their crops. Agronomists and agricultural data scientists rely on accurate IoT sensors to recommend changes in amounts of crop inputs. Robotics and automation support farmers and field workers perform rigorous field tasks such as ploughing and harvesting, among others. High-quality imaging and diagnostic solutions allow livestock breeders to detect, monitor, and treat veterinary illnesses. AgriTech companies are also working on sustainable agriculture solutions to replace the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides while farming.
Explore which of these technologies are advanced by scaleups and startups:
Farming Dynamics – End-to-End Agriculture Support
British startup Farming Dynamics develops end-to-end agriculture support tools for farm management. The startup brings affordable and modern technology to agriculture by offering solutions for agricultural financial planning and budgeting. The startup’s FarmHelp Insights platform provides detailed information to analyze and optimize day-to-day farm operations. FarmHelp Business helps farmers improve the efficiency, teamwork, and profitability of their produce. Further, FarmHelp Agronomy improves crop yield and optimizes inputs for season-long support.
YASAI – Vertical Farming
YASAI ,a spin-off from ETH Zurich, offers a turnkey vertical farming-as-a-service solution to enable agriculturalists to build, operate, and market vertical farms and products. The startup’s solution uses circular food production systems. This enables sustainable farming in cities and regions lacking sufficient agricultural resources such as freshwater or fertile arable land. YASAI’s model increases biodiversity by consolidating food production through resource-saving technologies and drastically reduces the use of pesticides. YASAI helps local communities replace food imports and reduce production costs across the value chain.
FieldWorks – Field Productivity Software
Danish startup FieldWorks provides AI-assisted field productivity software to enable digital farm management. The startup’s product, KARL, supports farmers through qualified assistance spanning from planning to resource consumption. The cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform is available as a web app for managers and administrators as well as a smartphone app for drivers. It gathers data and conducts analytics about employees and machines.
Imperfectus – Tackling Fresh Produce Waste
Spanish startup Imperfectus reduces fresh produce wastage. The startup delivers aesthetically unappealing but healthy fruits and vegetables directly to homes at affordable prices. Enabling farmers to sell their produce directly to customers reduces produce packaging waste and improve sustainability. The startup offers different packages depending on the requirement of families or vendors. The startup offers convenience for both farmers and consumers with door-to-door delivery of unappealing fresh produce.
Farms Buddy – Farm-to-Table
Indian startup Farms Buddy farms and delivers raw rice directly to consumers. The startup enables farmers and consumers to eliminate the cumbersome intermediaries for selling and buying produce. The online store allows shoppers to easily choose among high-quality products and track the status of their deliveries. The startup focuses on Sona masoori rice variety and also sells through pickup stores.
What does 2021 bring for the AgriTech Industry?
To stay ahead of the technology curve, it is important that you know which technologies and industry trends will impact your company in 2021. You can explore our curated innovation reports or let us do the work for you. To keep you up-to-date on the latest technology and emerging solutions, we provide you with actionable innovation intelligence – quickly and exhaustively.
