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Affinor Growers Signs Tom Baumann to Consult for Agriculture Development
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 16, 2018 - Affinor Growers Ltd. (“Affinor Growers”) (CSE:AFI), (OTC:RSSFF), (Frankfurt:1AF) is pleased to announce that it has signed a consulting agreement with Tom Baumann, a professor at The University Of The Fraser Valley, to assist the Company in developing and implementing the appropriate protocols required for growing fruits and vegetables and other related crops using the Company’s technology. The expertise Mr. Baumann brings will ensure our clients receive not only our towers, but the appropriate guidance and expertise to ensure their success.
Tom Baumann has a Masters Degree in Plant Science from Germany and a Masters Degree in Horticulture from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Baumann has been teaching at the University of the Fraser Valley (“UFV”) since 1991 and has been in charge of UFV’s greenhouse and field operations in Chilliwack, Langley and Qualicum. Mr. Baumann specializes in berries and has been employed by the BC Strawberry Growers Association and by the Raspberry Industry Development Council in the past. Mr. Baumann is also the President of Expert Agriculture Team Ltd. (“EAT”), a research and consulting company that provides expertise to numerous growers in the Fraser Valley.
Tom Baumann, commented that "I am extremely excited to join Affinor in this capacity. I have seen the technology in use and am grateful to have the opportunity to help implement this technology throughout the world. Climate change is causing significant changes to the way we grow crops and Affinor’s technology is a great example of technology and agriculture coming together to adapt to these changes."
Nick Brusatore CEO, commented that "We are very excited to have an expert of Mr. Baumann’s stature join the Affinor team. Mr. Baumann brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that, combined with our technology, will be a game changer in the agriculture industry."
About Affinor Growers
Affinor Growers is a publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol ("AFI"). Affinor is focused on growing high-quality crops such as romaine lettuce, spinach, strawberries using its vertical farming techniques. Affinor is committed to becoming a pre-eminent supplier and grower, using exclusive vertical farming techniques.
Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.
AFFINOR GROWERS INC.
"Nicholas Brusatore"
For More Information, please contact:
Nicholas Brusatore, CEO
contact@affinorgrowers.com
Technology Promises To Calculate "True" Shelf Life
One of the causes of food waste is produce that goes bad earlier than expected. Of course, shipping produce that is fresh is the goal of every grower. In what manner it arrives and how fresh it remains once in the store, however, is largely out of their control. Furthermore, it is also in the retailer's best interest for the produce to remain fresh and tasty for customer's enjoyment.
Zest Labs, a company based in San Jose, California, has come up with a solution called Zest Fresh that allows growers and shippers to know how long each pallet of their produce will remain fresh. Using IoT sensors placed in each pallet at the time of harvest and cloud-based analytics, Zest Fresh takes into consideration temperatures at time of harvest, cut-to-cool duration, as well as conditions at each point right up until the receiver, and based on this data, calculates what the "true" remaining shelf life is.
"IoT sensors in each pallet use predictive analytics, machine learning and other functions to calculate a freshness metric of the dynamic remaining shelf life for each pallet," said Kevin Payne of Zest Labs. "We have profiled produce from different regions to determine the maximum freshness duration. Consider us as a postharvest freshness management solution. The reason is that despite a batch of produce coming out of the same field on the same day, the conditions in which they were harvested and eventually placed in the cooler can vary significantly. A pallet of strawberries picked at 7:00am and placed in the cooler at 8:00am will have a different shelf life than the pallet picked at 2:00pm during the heat of the day and placed in the cooler at the end of the day. This causes the 'true' remaining shelf life to be different for each pallet."
Kevin Payne and Todd Clayton with Zest Labs
Sending the pallets to the optimal destinations
Data collection and analysis is great, but varying forms have been around for a long time. Zest Labs noted that the point of difference with their Zest Fresh technology is that something can be done about proactively solving the problem. "Many solutions out there tend to be reactive, meaning an action can only take place after the fact," Payne explained. "However, we believe we offer the only proactive solution, by using the predictions and allowing the shipper to make decisions based on insights and information."
Fundamentally, the idea is to utilize the information to send pallets to destinations most appropriate for the calculated freshness. Most obviously, the greater the shelf life remaining, the further the produce can be sent. "When the calculated shelf life of one pallet is, say, 3 days shorter than another, it can be sent to a receiver that is closer, in order to maximize the shelf life for the receiver," Payne added. "The data is collected continuously and is read at pre-determined waypoints, such as being placed in the cooler, in the truck, moving out of the warehouse, arrival at the receiver, etc. This produces a dynamic shelf life, updated at each interval to give the most accurate shelf life at any one time."
Payne further noted that growers can use the data to monitor their processes to ensure they're being adhered to, adjusting procedures accordingly. "Zest Fresh empowers workers to keep product on process with real-time tools that reflect each process step – such as received inventory, time and temperature of product staged for pre-cool, pre-cooling, and shipping," he said. "It also drives notifications when preset process parameters are exceeded, focusing workers on the most acute problems in real-time."
The ZIPR Code
To help with the monitoring process, Zest Fresh collects, stores and displays all the data in a unique, automatically-generated code, called the "ZIPR Code" which stands for Zest Intelligent Pallet Routing, the industry’s first freshness metric. The ZIPR Code references the dynamic remaining shelf-life of individual pallets and then users can view and manage that pallet's information.
"Once Zest Fresh combines the data and applies a score, it creates the ZIPR Code for each pallet," Payne explained. "This ZIPR Code is then matched to pending orders to ensure each pallet has sufficient remaining freshness to meet the retailer’s needs. The ZIPR Code ensures that customer shipments are loaded correctly, and that quality is tracked through actual delivery – providing the grower with visibility of delivered quality."
"The ZIPR Code can be integrated into a warehousing management solution, providing alerts and updates on whether the pallet is still in a suitable condition and routing," he added. "It is designed to be autonomous and wireless."
Practicalities
The company said the sensors themselves are small and easy to handle. They can be inserted into pallets at any time, depending on whether the grower wishes to monitor the entire supply chain, or just certain sections.
"The IoT sensors are about the same size as a deck of cards and are placed in the pallet in the field or at any point along the way," Payne described. "They are reusable and can also be used for certain segments. The software to view information is cloud-based, with the desktop and mobile tags operated by access points. A technician will install these and all that is required is power and a network connection."
The Zest Fresh "dashboard"
Zest Labs is aiming to be at the forefront of technology, so Payne shared that Zest Fresh has Blockchain capability for those that desire it. "Blockchain, which is basically a secure way to exchange and share information, is one of the aspects that I get asked about often," he said. "We do have the support for it although it is not required."
What types of produce and where?
According to Payne, the most common produce type that growers use Zest Fresh for are highly perishable fruits like berries. This is no surprise as these fruits are the ones that feel every effect of temperature changes and inadequate cooling times, for example. Currently, the company is working with growers in North America, and has also worked with suppliers in Central and South America.
"Zest Fresh can be used for any produce type, however most growers and retailers start by using them for the highly perishable produce items like berries, closely followed by leafy greens," Payne said. "We have also seen interest in grapes, cherries and stone fruit. Right now, our technology is used across North America, and we have also worked with growers in Central and South America, particularly in the northern winter. We are aiming to be at the forefront of technology and modernize the supply chain for the fresh produce industry."
For more information:
Kevin Payne
Zest Labs
Tel: +1 (408) 200-6527
Publication date: 7/10/2018
Author: Dennis M. Rettke
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com
10 Reasons to Choose ACRYLITE®
From high light transmission to hail protection, these are some of the reasons growers are choosing ACRYLITE®.
July 19, 2018
Edited by the GIE Media Horticulture Group
Originally designed for use in the commercial greenhouse industry more than 40 years ago, the technology behind ACRYLITE® acrylic multi-skinned sheet has been continually improved through ongoing research and development in cooperation with the world’s leading growers.
The result is the most advanced, state-of-the-art glazing material available today which delivers decades of performance and exceptional return on investment. Commercial growers of all crop types operating in both cold and warm climates recognize the critical role that ACRYLITE® glazing plays in the long-term success and profitability of their operations.
These are 10 reasons to choose ACRYLITE® for your greenhouse.
1. High light transmission for growth results
ACRYLITE® acrylic multi-skin sheet transmits up to 91 percent percent of photosynthetically range (PAR) into the greenhouse. The exceptional clarity of ACRYLITE® provides the most natural growing conditions and promotes vigorous and vibrant bloom color. Optimum growth response and shorter maturity time provide economic advantages that help you grow your profits.
Comparisons between a conventional double-covered greenhouse and a structure glazed with ACRYLITE® show that ACRYLITE® transmits 20 percent more light – a distinct advantage, particularly in the winter months. The ribbed design of ACRYLITE® also diffuses light over the crop canopy, eliminating harsh “hot spots” associated with growing under glass.
ACRYLITE® will retain its light transmission and clarity for decades; in fact, even after 10 years of use, acrylic glazing transmits more light than brand new polycarbonate.
All ACRYLITE® acrylic multi-skin sheets block UV light penetration. However, in applications where UV light transmission is desirable, ACRYLITE® Alltop is one of the only glazing materials available in a UVT version that transmits the full spectrum of light including ultraviolet.
2. Never yellows
ACRYLITE® acrylic will not yellow, become brittle or degrade — a promise we back with our 30-year no-yellowing guarantee — the best in the industry.
Yellowing of plastics is caused by the sun’s UV rays breaking down the glazing, but ACRYLITE® acrylic is 100 percent naturally UV-stable. Polycarbonate and other plastic covers need a UV barrier or coating to delay yellowing, but must often be replaced after a few years of installation because they have turned yellow. UV barriers are often thin and are highly prone to failure. But ACRYLITE® acrylic is composed of 100 percent naturally UV-stable molecules throughout the material that stabilizes it from the inside out and protects the entire sheet, not just its surface.
ACRYLITE® high impact acrylic doubleskin sheet is the ideal choice for replacing yellowed polycarbonate or weathered fiberglass. Ask us for our comparison kit containing samples of ACRYLITE®and polycarbonate that have been removed from greenhouses after the same number of years of use and see for yourself.
3. Protection from hail
ACRYLITE® high impact acrylic is strong enough to withstand hail impact — a promise that we back with our 10-year warranty. In fact, because our proprietary polymers are ten times more impact resistant than traditional acrylics, our hail warranty is not prorated. Glass and weathered, fragile polycarbonate cannot protect your greenhouses from damaging hail. ACRYLITE® protects not only your crops from hail damage, but protects your bottom line from replacement costs.
4. Energy savings of up to 55 percent* per year
Energy is a critical cost factor for commercial greenhouse operators. In North America, growers spend an average of $1 to $2 per square foot on heating their greenhouses. With ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheet’s natural insulative qualities, you’ll save up to 55 percent* in annual energy and heating costs when compared to single glazing.
The money you save on energy costs will pay for your investment in ACRYLITE® glazing within a few years of installation. Over ACRYLITE’s® long service life of 30+ years, you will fully recover the capital cost of your building project and save hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars in heating costs.
*This figure is confirmed by the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (IMAGDLO), which established that energy savings of 24 to 55 percent can be achieved using ACRYLITE® acrylic sheet.
5. Patented anti-condensate technology, with anti-algae technology
Thanks to our No-Drip anti-condensate technology, ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheets maintain optimal transparency even in bad weather. This water-dispersing layer causes condensation to flow off as a continuous self-cleaning film, resulting in the highest possible light transmission and eliminating uncontrolled dripping that can result in crop damage and disease. Unlike coatings on other glazing products that wear off, our manufacturing technology makes the patented No-Drip feature an integral part of ACRYLITE® acrylic sheets.
6. Strength and durability
The unique polymers of acrylic combined with the geometry of ACRYLITE® multi-skin sheets makes them inherently stronger than other multi-walled glazing. Thicker walls and ribs create a more rigid sheet of greater overall weight designed to provide high live-load carrying capabilities while allowing for greater span distances. ACRYLITE® meets or exceeds snow and wind requirements offering durability in extreme climates.
7. Reduces additional equipment needs
ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheet naturally holds heat in, reduces shadows, hot spots and burning. Not only will you require less initial capital investment in heating systems, lights and curtains, you’ll also save on costly maintenance over decades of use.
8. Life expectancy of 30+ years
ACRYLITE® multi-skin acrylic sheet has been proven to perform consistently over decades of use in all types of climates throughout the world. ACRYLITE® acrylic’s long service life means less replacement costs when compared to inferior glazing materials that must be replaced more frequently, often after just a few years of use.
9. Environmental protection
Glazing with ACRYLITE® helps contribute to a healthier environment through reduced energy use, reduced emissions, environmentally-sound manufacturing processes, certified facilities and elimination of harmful chemicals. Long product life means less old glazing going to landfill sites due to premature failure, but if it must be replaced, ACRYLITE® is recyclable for use in making consumer goods.
Upon combustion, other plastic coverings produce thick smoke and toxic gases that are harmful to people and the environment. Deterioration from UV rays changes the burning characteristics in many plastics, but thanks to ACRYLITE®’s UV stability, its characteristics do not, so in the event of fire, ACRYLITE® burns cleaner with less smoke and has no release of toxic or corrosive gases.
10. The best warranties in the industry
ACRYLITE® high impact acrylic is backed with the industry’s best warranties. Our non-prorated, full replacement 30-year non-yellowing, 10-year light transmission and 10-year hail warranties protect both your investment in ACRYLITE® and your bottom line.
For more information on ACRYLITE®, click here.
Photo courtesy of Evonik
MotorLeaf: The Farming AI Which Helps Boost Modern Indoor Farms
MotorLeaf: The Farming AI Which Helps Boost Modern Indoor Farms
from RESET
Published on 23 May 2018
MotorLeaf introduces a green-fingered AI which can help indoor farms match the growing food demands of the future.
The Agronomist AI uses a range of wirelessly connected devices to monitor crops.
The recent expansion of agricultural tech, combined with emerging food security concerns, has led to the development of modern agricultural practices which seem a million miles away from the rolling green fields and romanticised ideas of farming yore.
For example, we recently reported on AeroFarms, a US-based company exploring the concept of urban vertical farming, while elsewhere, technological greenhouses can utilize new systems to greatly reduce water consumption without compromising on yield. Indeed, in many cases, the yield is drastically increased.
MotorLeaf is the latest company to find a role in this new market. The artificial intelligence developer has created a new AI which can help urban and indoor growers to monitor their crops, and predict issues in real time.
Their Agronomist AI uses data-driven machine-based learning to provide indoor farms with a comprehensive suite of insights, whether relating to potential yield or even predicting disease. Put all together, this data can help reduce waste and crop failure - something which will only become more important as more stress is put on the agricultural sector by population growth and climate change induced weather patterns.
Many of Agronomist’s services can be used individually or combined together with the MotorLeaf HEART system to operate as a larger AI manager of an indoor farm or greenhouse. Every four seconds, MotorLeaf’s AI collects data from a collection of wirelessly connected devices which can provide information on factors such as light spectrum, light intensity, CO2, humidity, air temperature, water usage and chemical makeup.
Recent trials conducted in California led to a fifty percent reduction in yield prediction errors of tomatoes, and with recently secured funding, they are seeking to expand the product to different crops and scales.
Can AI Be Environmental?
Currently, the system is mostly being used in hi-tech, comparatively low-yield indoor farms in developed nations - and is it likely to remain that way for some time. Furthermore, the current goal of MotorLeaf appears to be making these ventures more profitable and cost-effective, and less concerned with environmental protection - although the two are not mutually exclusive.
Despite this, technology such as the Agromost.ai or similar could also have major implications for farms and greenhouses in developing nations. Although the current expense and technical know-how required to operate such software may be beyond most farmers in the Global South, the ability to predict disaster and better monitor the conditions of your crops could become an invaluable tool in the fight against famines, crop failure, and poor weather conditions.
If AI is to become a tool of future, it should also be used broadly to help those most in need of its utility. AI that remains the sole possession of developed nations is likely only to exacerbate inequalities and economic gulfs between states. However, as AI becomes more widespread, and the tech it relies on cheaper and more available, it could be an important player in supporting an agricultural sector that can feed the entire world. Additionally, much else remains to be debated about AI from a social standpoint, including its potential impact on employment, not only in manufacturing but in a range of sectors and roles.
Building The Digital Cooperative For Indoor Agriculture
Building The Digital Cooperative For Indoor Agriculture
Agricultural cooperatives exist to help farmers get access to cheaper services and equipment by pooling their resources and needs. Instead of purchasing an expensive piece of equipment to use seasonally, I can work with the three other farms in the area to share and pay less as a result. Do you need a truck to make deliveries? What if the same three neighboring farms also need access to a delivery vehicle? What if you could fit all four loads in one truck and you can, again, decrease the cost to all three by pooling together? This is the idea of a cooperative.
Greenhouses and vertical farms haven’t had access to the agriculture cooperative structure. Until now.
The Agrilyst Platform is a digital cooperative for greenhouses and vertical farms. Using Agrilyst, growers manage their operations and bring intelligence to their workflow.
This gives us a unique picture of what’s going on in the operations on an aggregate basis. For example, we know that growers are paying about 20% more than they should be for various inputs. They do this because they buy through distributors, order when they need product rushed, or buy from far away. There’s also a lack of transparency in pricing which puts the burden of negotiation on the grower. We want to break this model.
We recently announced a partnership with Smithers-Oasis, a worldwide leader in providing solutions throughout the plant and flower supply chain from propagation to consumer. The partnership allows us to connect growers directly to the supplier and automate their inventory purchasing. This saves growers tens of thousands of dollars every year.
We’re committed to finding every point in the supply chain where we can save or earn growers money based on the insights we can gather. This includes partnerships with sensor companies, lighting manufacturers, seed companies, nutrient companies, data companies, retailers, investors, banks, governments, and more. We’ve chosen to build a true platform and are excited to partner with others in this endeavor.
This is just the beginning. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.
If you’re a supplier of products or data to the indoor agriculture industry and want to be part of the Agrilyst Platform, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out at: akopf@agrilyst.com.
Check out more about Agrilyst at www.agrilyst.com.
9 AgTech Startups Using AI to Grow Smarter
We won’t spend too much time belaboring some obvious points when it comes to feeding future Earth. Basically, we’re pretty well screwed. Estimates from just a few years ago said we would need to increase agricultural production by 70 percent to feed nine billion people. A more recent estimate says we can expect closer to 10 billion mouths to feed by mid-century.
9 AgTech Startups Using AI to Grow Smarter
SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 BY NANALYZE
We won’t spend too much time belaboring some obvious points when it comes to feeding future Earth. Basically, we’re pretty well screwed. Estimates from just a few years ago said we would need to increase agricultural production by 70 percent to feed nine billion people. A more recent estimate says we can expect closer to 10 billion mouths to feed by mid-century. You do the math (mainly because our MBAs flunked their pre-algebra classes). Throw in a few record-setting storms every year for the next few decades, and soylent green is starting to taste pretty good. Still, we’re an optimistic bunch at Nanalyze (a lucrative opioid addiction will do that for you), and we have found plenty of reasons to be excited about agriculture technology—or, in the parlance of our times, agtech—and its use of artificial intelligence to grow some smart solutions.
AgTech Grows Up
One of the big reasons we’re rooting for the future is that the world’s biggest tech fund, the SoftBank Vision Fund, planted $200 million in the biggest agtech funding round ever for San Francisco-based Plenty. That brought total funding for the three-year-old company up to $226 million. SoftBank basically bought a farm. A vertical farm. Plenty employs the latest tech like IoT sensors and machine learning to grow crops vertically indoors using only light, water and nutrients. Its system reputedly uses only 1 percent of the water guzzled down by conventional farming techniques. Plenty also maintains it can grow up to 350 times as much produce per square foot as Old MacDonald.
This woman at Plenty looks so happy you’d think she was growing a wall of marijuana. Credit: Plenty
Only a month before, Plenty had made its first acquisition: Bright Agrotech, an indoor agtech hardware company for indoor growers. All the new green from the Series B round will see the company open urban farms outside of its one 52,000-square-foot facility, as well as invest in hiring staff in computer science, machine learning, mechanical engineering, crop science, biology among others, according to AgFunder News.
The SoftBank investment certainly catapulted Plenty to the head of the class among agtech vertical farming systems, but it still faces some stiff competition against the likes of Bowery Farming and AeroFarms.
Founded in 2015, New York City-based Bowery Farming has raised a total of $31 million in disclosed funding, following a $20 million Series A in June. It has a long list of investors behind it, including Google. The company’s BoweryOS platform uses computer vision, automation and machine learning to monitor plants to get more out of less. It claims to use 95 percent less water than conventional farming while producing 100 times more against the same footprint of agricultural land.
Founded way back in 2004, Newark-based AeroFarms has compiled nearly $96 million in disclosed funding after a $34.3 million Series D in May. This agtech startup doesn’t outright say that it uses machine learning, only “predictive analytics”, to crunch big data for optimizing its system. AeroFarms boasts similar yields and water efficiencies as its competitors.
Yielding Better Results
Conventional farming certainly isn’t being left out of the agtech space when it comes to applying AI for solving the problem of boosting yields without increasing inputs like fertilizer and water. For Benson Hill BioSystems, founded in 2012, the way forward is to identify genetic traits in crops that will produce the most bang for the buck. That approach has brought the Raleigh, North Carolina some big bucks of its own, with $34.5 million in disclosed funding, including a $25 million Series B in May.
Credit: Benson Hill Biosystems
Its CropOS platform uses big data and AI to predict crop outcomes from certain traits, starting with photosynthesis. The system is hitting the mark about 10 percent of the time, which doesn’t sound so impressive until you learn that the best you can do otherwise is about 1 percent. The company recently revealed that it is developing a gene-editing tool it calls CRISPR 2.0 that it claims is better than CRISPR/Cas-9. Benson Hill plans to make its new CRISPR technology openly available, as it already has with CropOS. Sounds like this startup might be one company truly interested in feeding the planet and not just its bottom line.
Without a Trace
A community of good and bad microorganisms inhabit soils just like they do the human gut, which is called the microbiome. San Francisco-based Trace Genomics, founded in 2015, produces kits for farmers so they can test the health of their soil microbiome. The agtech startup has raised $4 million in one early stage round to date. The company says it applies AI techniques similar to those used in fraud detection to ID the good microbes from the bad. Its screening products retail at $199 and up.
Credit: Trace Genomics
Trace Genomics is part of a growing sector in agtech microbiology. For instance, we profiled a Massachusetts company earlier this year called Indigo that uses the beneficial microbes to help plants grow better. The company scooped up $156 million in VC funds last year to lead all agtech startups.
Seeing a Difference
Even the healthiest soils and the best genes won’t always protect your farm or garden from the scourge of pests or disease. If only there was a way to ID the culprit quickly. Why, yes, there’s an app for that. Founded in 2015, Germany’s PEAT has developed a free app called Plantix that uses machine learning and computer vision, technologies within the broader AI umbrella, to identify the problem with a plant from just a picture. It also offers solutions and preventive measures.
Credit: PEAT
The company is giving the tech away for free with the hopes it can bank on all of the anonymized data Plantix collects over time. We’ve seen the benefits of AI and computer vision on agriculture with another company called Blue River Technology, which has developed a system that can actually “see” weeds so that farmers can dramatically reduce the use of pesticides. Deere and Company just snapped up Blue River for $305 million this month. The California company, one of CB Insights’ AI 100 in 2017, had raised about $30 million prior to exiting the startup scene.
Agricultural Intelligence
Agtech meets fintech with Colorado-based aWhere, which has raised about$14.45 million since it was founded in 1999, with almost all of the disclosed funding coming 15 years later in 2014. The company has developed a global weather data platform keyed onto the agricultural landscape. It has turned more than a billion daily data points into what it calls agricultural intelligence.
The insights it can provide from all that data target a number of different sectors, from the farms themselves to agribusiness and commodity risk to food security for government customers. As John Corbett, CEO of aWhere, told AgFunder News (AgFunder being one of two of the company’s primary investors): “Anyone with commodity risk exposure should be looking at this: these data have greater fidelity in space and time than anyone else.”
Founded in 2017, Spanish company ec2ec (easy to see) has raised $1 million, according to CB Insights, for its AI platform that supports several solutions similar to aWhere. These include farm management, supply chain insights and market forecasts. Information is sparse on how it does this or what datasets its machine learning system mines for predictive analytics.
A Smart Camera
Swiss agtech startup Gamaya straddles the worlds of drones and AI. Founded in 2015, the company has raised about $4 million. The startup has developed a specialized hyperspectral camera designed to fly on a drone. Whereas the human eye or your typical digital camera can use three bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, hyperspectral cameras can use many narrow bands to create images that provide details unavailable to the naked eye. The Gamaya camera has 40 spectral channels. Algorithms then process the data, providing insights on crop health that could be affected by such things as disease or drought. Below you can see it identifies gaps in a field of sugarcane.
Credit: Gayama
The company claims the data acquired from its cameras are 10 times more information than any other monitoring solution currently on the market.
Conclusion
Investors poured more than $3.2 billion into agtech in 2016. This year’s $200 million mega-round to Plenty and $305 million exit by Blue River show that the sector is drawing serious attention. You can build all of the cool VR headsets in the world, but the biggest disruption on the planet will always be hunger. Remember the Arab Spring? That was driven, in part, from high commodity pricescaused by agricultural failures and the diversion of crops for biofuels. These agtech startups, applying AI solutions, are showing they can not only feed more people but even predict when those times of instability might arise again. That’s something to chew on.