Rabobank Announces Top 15 Agri-tech Start-ups and Innovators for SustainableAg Asia Challenge
Platform to Drive Changes in Regional Agriculture and Supply Chains for More Sustainable Food Production
19 September 2019 - A shortlist of 15 innovative agri-tech start-ups and innovators across China, India and Southeast Asia lead the field in Rabobank’s compelling initiative towards a sustainable agri-food supply chain. Known as SustainableAg Asia Challenge, this platform by Rabobank aims to promote 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 & 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.
Ms. Alaïs Faucon, Sustainable Solutions Development Manager at 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.”
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 & 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. (Please see Annexe for the list of the Top 15 companies.)
The shortlisted companies will have the opportunity to attend the Rabobank SustainableAg Asia Challenge Pitch Day in Singapore on 10 October 2019 for a chance to win a cash prize from a pool of US$20,000. More importantly, they will also stand to win exclusive invitations to present their innovations at Rabobank Asia’s annual Food & Agribusiness Advisory Board Meeting in Shanghai on 31 October 2019. This meeting is Rabobank’s annual premier event bringing together chairmen and CEOs of leading food and agribusiness companies and commodity traders from the Asia Pacific region.
Find out more about the SustainableAg Asia Challenge by Rabobank at www.sustainableag.asia
Annexe
The Top 15 innovative agri-tech start-ups and businesses for SustainableAg Asia Challenge 2019 are (in alphabetical order):
1. 8villages (Indonesia). An ICT company providing a complete platform of ecosystem using different services to empower communities in the world of agriculture.
2. AgNext (India). 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.
3. Beijing ICAN Technology (China). A leading agricultural comprehensive service platform centered on crop intelligent planting decision-making.
4. Bric Agriculture Information Technology (China). Provides professional services that cover various areas from commodity trading and I/E, finance and investment, to brand management and marketing, and technology adoptions.
5. CropIn Technology Solutions (India). Uses ground, weather and satellite data to help agribusinesses de-risk their supply chains through real-time monitoring and making data-driven decisions.
6. DeHaat (India). With a technology-enabled platform currently providing complete end-to-end services to more than 170,000 Indian farmers from "Seed to Market" with an aim to expand to a million by 2022.
7. EM3 Agriservices (India). Breaking the stereotypes for increasing agricultural productivity by bringing technology and mechanization for farming communities on a Pay-for-Use basis.
8. FarMart (India). Helps smallholder farmers get access to low cost digital credit by linking credit to purchase of farm inputs at merchant points.
9. FarmGuide (Lennon Agitech) (India). Uses satellite imagery and mobile to digitize farms and farmers with agriculture insights and risk ratings on a single platform - Building an Agri data stack for the world.
10. Glife Technologies (Singapore). An Agtech B2B e-commerce platform that connects farmers with horeca (hotel, restaurants & café) businesses. Glife intends to overlay technology across the agriculture supply chain to improve productivity and efficiency.
11. Jai Kisan (India). 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.
12. Longcom Internet-of-Things (China). 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.
13. Mcfly (China). A smart agricultural service provider focusing 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.
14. PT Crowde Membangun Bangsa (Indonesia). An agri-focused 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.
15. Stellapps Technologies (India) A full-stack IoT company that drives digitization of the dairy sector to significantly enhance income, profitability and yield per cow of farmers in emerging economies.
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