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 6 promising Internet of Things Startups.
Heat Map: 6 Top Internet of Things Startups
For our 6 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 6 interesting examples out of 211 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
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Xfarm – Sensor Implementation
The agriculture industry requires specialized Internet of Things (IoT) sensors that are capable of collecting information about the farm. This could be soil properties, weather conditions, animal sounds, farm efficiency, finding pests, and some more. The innovations in agriculture specific IoT technologies solve issues faced by adopting generic technologies and then combining the information through several means. Singapore-based startup Xfarm develops sensor array systems for agriculture. They help with sensor placement in order to capture all the required data in an efficient manner. They have engineered an array of environmental sensors that has a historical logging feature. They also provide the farmer with visualization and analysis from the data.
Mycroclime – Sensor Cloud System
Like in any industry, startups developing technology for agriculture fall in various stages of development. Some begin agriculture for the first time using only innovative technologies. Others have been farming for all their lives, maybe with some automated processes. Sensor cloud systems allow the integration of sensor data into a central location to help the user analyze all their data together. Providing this technology as a service requires a mix of software and hardware applications. Spanish startup Mycroclime develops a range of IoT-based automated monitoring services for agriculture. Farmers can purchase ready to use sensors, individually or with a cloud support platform. In addition, they offer climate monitoring and irrigation solutions for greenhouses, hydroponic farms, and outdoor fields.
Auroras – Wireless Intervention & Monitoring
There are many forms of agriculture, based on the climate and history of the land. All these forms cannot have a single technological solution in the market as their issues are diverse. Startups have been working their IoT devices on real farms, allowing them to keep improving their solutions. So far, though, technology stops short of actually rectifying any abnormalities it detects. That may be changing now, too. Italian startup Auroras develop comprehensive IoT-based services for a range of agricultural environments. Their solution SAFE, an intelligent wireless sensor and actuator network, is capable of detecting, alerting, and resolving certain conditions on a farm. The sensors detect the presence of light, temperature, animals, or gases and the actuators activate switches, motors, sirens, doors, curtains, fume extractors, and more to resolve such conditions. Their solutions can be implemented in vineyards, orchards, controlled-environment systems, and in open-field agriculture.
Cultyvate – Smart Irrigation System
Irrigation is an important aspect of farming, especially in rain-fed agricultural lands. However, there are several parameters to consider before setting up an irrigation system. Moreover, mechanical watering systems do not know if allowing water to fall is good for every crop. Combining innovations in IoT, data analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows startups to develop precise agricultural irrigation systems. Indian startup Cultyvate develops smart irrigation systems for agriculture. Their automated watering system combines sensors, cameras, and AI to capture both static and dynamic farm data. Further, they use satellite imaging with a series of flow meters and valves to precisely water the crops based on the changing day to day conditions.
Swinesmart – Animal Health & Welfare
Animal husbandry is a complex and messy business for many in the industry. They face problems at almost every stage of their process to get their products from the ‘farm to fork’. Animals get lost, animals fall to diseases, and animals end up being less productive than expected. Startups are rapidly developing solutions for tracking, monitoring, and helping various kinds of livestock. Chilean startup Swinesmart develops IoT-based tracking and monitoring solutions for pig farmers. They aim to solve many issues ranging from providing pigs with the best life possible during their short stay at the farm to tracing the meat all the way back to the farm or even to the exact pig. Their main aim is to significantly reduce costs for small and medium-sized farmers. Their solutions enable consumers to make informed decisions about their meat purchases while allowing animal farms to become cleaner businesses.
Lentera – Pest Detection & Control
Access to innovative technology can be difficult in countries that have not yet invested in future-looking technologies. Large parts of Asia and Africa still follow primitive methods of agriculture for lack of, or access to, innovations. However, the reach of novel and innovative solutions is steadily expanding. Technology penetrating through the virtually invisible parts of the world can bring greater agricultural prosperity for all. Kenyan startup Lentera develops ground-based sensors to measure temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. Their software then allows farmers to make decisions to adjust certain farm conditions. In addition to these sensors, they use satellite imagery and drones to detect and alert the farmer about pests. They also offer mobile phone-based pest and disease scouting solutions in fields. They aim to empower African farmers by providing them with smart farming solutions.
What About The Other 205 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 6 startups showcased above are promising examples out of 211 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.
