FNB News – Eight Indian start-ups shortlisted for SustainableAg Asia Challenge

Of the 15 agri-tech start-ups and innovators shortlisted by Rabobank for its SustainableAg Asia Challenge, eight are from India. These are AgNext, CropIn Technology Solutions, DeHaat, EM3 Agriservices, FarMArt, FarmGuide (Lennon Agitech), Jai Kisan and Stellapps Technologies.AgNext: It builds data-driven value chains with the latest technologies that can transform the way we grow, procure, trade, store and consume food, benefiting all stakeholders of the agribusiness industry.
CropIn Technology Solutions: It uses ground, weather and satellite data to help agribusinesses de-risk their supply chains through real-time monitoring and making data-driven decisions.
DeHaat: It is a technology-enabled platform currently providing complete end-to-end services to over 1,70,000 Indian farmers from seed to market, with an aim to expand to a million by 2022.
EM3 Agriservices: It breaks the stereotypes for increasing agricultural productivity by bringing technology and mechanisation for farming communities on a pay-for-use basis.
FarMart: It helps smallholder farmers get access to low-cost digital credit by linking credit to purchase of farm inputs at merchant points.
FarmGuide (Lennon Agitech): It uses satellite imagery and mobile to digitise farms and farmers with agriculture insights and risk ratings on a single platform – building an agri data stack for the world.
Jai Kisan: It facilitates capital to under-banked and under-served rural emerging markets, ensuring a low cost of capital and record low turnaround time with minimal documentation for the borrower.
Stellapps Technologies: A full-stack IoT (Internet of Things) company that drives digitisation of the dairy sector to significantly enhance income, profitability and yield per cow of farmers in emerging economies.
Of the others, four are from China, two are from Indonesia and one is from Singapore.These are as follows:
China
Beijing ICAN Technology: It is a leading agricultural comprehensive service platform centred on crop intelligent planting decision-making.
Bric Agriculture Information Technology: It provides professional services that cover various areas from commodity trading and I/E (import and export), finance and investment, to brand management and marketing, and technology adoptions.
Longcom Internet-of-Things: It is China’s first end-to-end smart agricultural provider, with an IoT solution bringing higher efficiency and more income to farmers, enabling a traceable, efficient and sustainable food supply chain.
Mcfly: It is a smart agricultural service provider focussing on visual spectroscopy that takes the intelligent monitoring technology of visual spectroscopy as the core to create a precise and scientific agricultural technology system and standards.
Indonesia
8villages: It is an ICT (information and communications technology) company providing a complete platform of ecosystem using different services to empower communities in the world of agriculture.
PT Crowde Membangun Bangsa: It is an agri-focussed financial technology start-up that empowers farmers with technology and capital through a farmer-friendly financing ecosystem; growing business, creating employment, and supporting local communities.
Singapore
Glife Technologies: It is an Agtech B2B (business-to-business) e-commerce platform that connects farmers with HoReCa (hotel, restaurants and cafe) businesses. Glife intends to overlay technology across the agriculture supply chain to improve productivity and efficiency.The platform is aimed at creating a sustainable agri-food supply chain and promoting integrity and interconnectivity across the region’s vital agriculture and food supply chains.Rabobank, a leading global bank in food and agriculture and sustainability, and its service provider, Padang and Co, invited submissions from agri-tech companies with a market-ready solution that uses cutting-edge data-driven technology, analysis and interconnectivity to help meet Asia’s increasing demand for food.Alaïs Faucon, sustainable solutions development manager, Rabobank said, “We have been delighted by the calibre of submissions to our SustainableAg Asia Challenge.”“The 15 shortlisted companies all represent diverse, exciting and emerging agri-tech solutions that can drive effective changes for more efficient agri-food supply chains to ensure a more sustainable food production practice. Together with our partners and these innovative companies, we can contribute to feeding the world more sustainably,” she added.The agri-tech solutions received through SustainableAg Asia Challenge will benefit Asia’s agriculture and food industries. For instance, the adoption of agri-tech solutions will empower farmers, as well as food and agriculture companies to make better informed decisions for smart farming, processing techniques and food distribution. In addition, benefits trickle down to the region’s vast number of smallholder farmers, enabling them to improve crop production and access to markets for increased incomes.With Asia’s population expected to increase from 4.6 billion to 5.3 billion in 2050, and with limited arable land and natural resources available for increased food production, Rabobank believes data and innovation are key to feeding this growing population sustainably.The Rabobank SustainableAg Asia Challenge is supported by Rabo Foundation, and in partnership  with  ADB  Ventures, Archer   Daniels   Midland   Company, Bayer, Bits and Bites, COFCO International, DSM, Future Group, Temasek and Olam International, who are acting as judges.Evaluated based on factors such as technology innovation, market readiness, scalability and extent of addressing integrity in the agri-food value chain in Asia, the shortlist of 15 entries cover wide-ranging solutions, from helping smallholders with their crops to financing options, and the creation of technology platforms across the agricultural supply chain that will boost productivity, efficiency and income for the farmers.The shortlisted companies attended the Rabobank SustainableAg Asia Challenge Pitch Day in Singapore recently for a chance to win a cash prize from a pool of $20,000.More importantly, they will also stand to win exclusive invitations to present their innovations at Rabobank Asia’s annual Food and Agribusiness Advisory Board Meeting in Shanghai on October 31, 2019.This meeting is Rabobank’s annual premier event bringing together chairmen and chief executive officers of leading food and agribusiness companies and commodity traders from the Asia Pacific region.


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