News and Analysis on Global Agri-Tech Innovation, Investment and Regulation
A $1 billion scheme aims to give hundreds of millions of farmers across Asia, Latin America and Africa greater access to weather data to help them manage the effects of climate change.
Agtech companies are celebrating recognition in TIME magazine’s best inventions for 2024. Does it mark a turning point in wider perceptions of the industry?
Fourteen start-ups offering disruptive, scalable solutions and technologies for the climate-stressed agricultural regions of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia will take centre stage at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai on December 9-10.
Bowery Farming may not be the last vertical farming company to fail before the sector begins a period of more stable scaling and growth.
Farmers are not resistant change, says Phil Bicknell, CEO at the newly merged UK-Agri-Tech Centre. But the “three Cs” of communication, collaboration and cash are needed to help them adopt newer sustainable practices.
AgTechNavigator's FREE AgTech Innovation and Investment – APAC editorial webinar takes place on November 6. Register your attendance today so you don’t miss out. The event will start on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM SGT (Singapore).
GenAI and AI platforms continue to develop at a fast pace, experts from Microsoft and Syngenta Group told the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London. But ‘humans in the loop’ are needed to develop dependable frameworks for validating...
From regen ag to AI and biologicals… what’s hot and what’s not in agtech? This and much more was discussed at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London.
Sustainability report card
The meat giant’s climate ambitions are ‘unwavering’, according to its latest sustainability report. Is it making genuine progress or just hot air?
A new standard-setting playbook edited by Leaps By Bayer, the impact investment arm of Bayer, aims to spur innovation and investment across the sector.
Innovation Insider Country profile
After the crisis in funding in 2023, India’s agtech landscape is adjusting. But can investment be directed to the right places? Harry Holmes investigates.
Integrating artificial intelligence into today’s environmental control systems could reduce energy consumption for indoor agriculture by 25% – potentially helping to feed the world as its population rises, Cornell University engineers have found.
This is certainly the hope of US company Better Earth, which recently unveiled the first compostable foodservice packaging made exclusively with materials grown using regenerative agriculture methods.
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and machine learning can provide quick, accurate, and cost-effective product analysis of the chemical composition of agri materials, removing the need for expensive lab tests and putting the tech in the hands of workers...
406 Bovine leverages facial recognition technology to create ‘digital twins’ of cattle, enabling producers to pull up wellness, movement and treatment data by simply taking a photo of their animals’ heads.
In response to proposed legislation aimed at banning China-made drones in the US, a group of American distributors have come together to fight the ruling.
We caught up with India’s Cropin Technology, which has just partnered with Google's Gemini generative AI chatbot to launch Sage, a real-time intelligence platform for the agricultural sector.
Mitti Labs, which aims to reduce methane emissions in rice farming, has just secured $3 million in equity investment thanks to its prospects of being able to meet rising demand for verified carbon credits.
UK supermarket Sainsbury’s claims it is the first retailer in the world to invest in new AI veterinary technology used to measure and enhance positive animal welfare on dairy farms, which could revolutionise the approach to cattle care.
How scientists are helping the food industry to grow crops, using AI.
Despite being backed by a world-renowned science base, the UK's agri-tech industry grapples with significant challenges in translating its research into practical applications for end-users.
Portfolio Profiles
AgTechNavigator caught up with SparkLabs Cultiv8, an Australian-based accelerator programme that supports early-stage agri-food tech and cleantech startups from ideation to commercialisation.
Hexafarms, a start-up which develops software for indoor commercial food production, has announced the successful close of a €1.3 million pre-Seed funding round led by leading European early-stage investors Speedinvest with participation from Mudcake and...
Seven disruptive start-ups have been selected to drive agri-food innovation and economic growth in the country, offering innovative solutions to enhance the agrifood value chain, improve commercial exchanges, and introduce high-value crops.
Researchers in Germany have published an agenda for the smart digitalisation of agriculture.
The Israeli company says securing this round of capital in today’s challenging economic climate is further validation of Greeneye’s mission to drive mainstream adoption of precision spraying technology in the US.
VC investment
PitchBook’s latest Q1 2024 Agtech Report indicates a market undergoing a correction, with the wheat being separated from the chaff. Some sectors are hotter than others, meanwhile.
Augmented reality improves productivity and efficiency in agriculture, but adoption remains limited, according to a new report.
Founded in 2022, Cornell University spin out Orchard Robotics has engineered a vehicle-mounted, AI-powered camera system that gathers precision data about fruit on trees.
Rock removal company TerraClear has announced its existing investors have poured an additional US$15 million into capturing the untapped US$2.7 rock management market. A 5,000-year-old problem finally has a solution, it says.
science shorts
Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at the world’s first unmanned machine designed for autonomous forestry operations, while Korean scientists have successfully developed ‘cultured beef rice’,...
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Roundup
The agtech industry is betting big on generative AI. But high quality, clean, and well organised data is needed to distinguish the hype from true impact, warn experts, who are urging for open data standards to be adopted to spur valuable innovation and...
Our 360-degree look at the latest developments from across the globe takes in the news that gene-editing start-up BioConsortia has secured US$15 million, while a UK-based spinout is set to accelerate efforts to help palm tree farmers improve yields.
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Roundup
Over the last 18 months there has been a notable shift in investor sentiment within the agtech sector, with the recent economic downturn casting a long shadow over the entrepreneurial landscape. Are we going to hell in a handcart? Is this an opportune...
Innovation insider
Agri-tech spend is lagging in the land of the rising sun. But amid the looming threats of depopulation and ageing, the government is looking to new styles of agriculture that can boost productivity, sustainability and strengthen national food security....
The expert generative AI system has been trained by Bayer agronomists and proprietary data to benefit farmers, agronomic advisors, and other industry users.
Lithuania-based agricultural finance provider HeavyFinance has raised €50 million to support sustainable farming in Europe. CEO and co-founder Laimonas Noreika tells AgTechNavigator why he foresees an increasing role of nature-based solutions like...
Boomitra, a soil carbon marketplace and recipient of the 2023 Earthshot Prize, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Terra Carbono, a prominent sustainable land management organisation in Brazil. The collaboration will introduce regenerative...
Canada’s Renaissance BioScience (RBSC) is partnering with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan on two projects aimed at boosting health and immunity in newly weaned piglets.
With over 2,500 delegates and 70+ start-ups attending World Agri-Tech from 40 countries, all eager to expand their network and forge new partnerships, this year’s event is shaping up to be a memorable event.
Precision pollination has the potential to boost crop yields up to 30%. That’s according to BeeHero, a data-driven technology company aiming to redefine pollination in commercial agriculture.
The Agriculture Innovation Hackathon was hosted in Mosul earlier this month, as an agriculture sector beset by desertification turns to the power of technology to overcome the challenges faced by farmers.
The tool, which is currently being tested by UK-based researchers, is the first of its kind to offer that level of detection.
Varaha is further investigating the potential of Enhanced Rock Weathering – which boosts soil fertility and sequesters atmospheric carbon in the long term – after raising US$8.7 million.
Sustainability Report Card
Valagro Group's recently published Sustainability Report 2023 highlights some successes and a continued commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact and economic value distribution, but more details and data would be welcome to more...
Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at a new app to improve olive oil industry efficiency, while potato experts in the US will investigate how to control pests without using controversial...
Innovation Insider: India
India's agtech sector is witnessing significant developments driven by government policies, changing investor landscapes and a growing focus on sustainability. However, market fragmentation is dampening its ability to scale up, with challenges...
AGTECH INVESTOR PROFILE
The continent’s agtech sector is rife with challenges but the potential rewards are huge, Sherief Kesseba, managing partner at Climate Resilient Africa Fund (CRAF), tells AgTechNavigator.
Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at how Australian scientists are using sound to repair degraded soils. Elsewhere, Brazilian researchers have unveiled a new biodegradable sensor to detect...
AgTech Investor Profile
Agtech innovation is playing a critical role in addressing food security and environmental challenges. But it is also key to cracking the problem of an ageing farmer population threatening global agriculture, says Eatable Adventures founder and CEO José...