10 Swiss Startups Shaping the Future of Farming and Agribusiness
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As population growth increases the need to improve food production, tech startups are developing agricultural software and services, new farming techniques and monitoring tools to apply data to the sector, boost yields and making the industry more environmentally friendly.
Agritech is the use of technology in agriculture with the aim to improve yield, efficiency, and profitability. Agritech can be a product, a service or an application derived from agriculture that improves various input/output processes.Interest in technologies for agriculture will continue as farm management adopts data-driven agronomy. Digital imaging, sensors and artificial intelligence platforms are set to change farming from precision to 'predictive' agriculture. Robotics will be another factor, as wage-costs and labor-shortages drive producers to seek better ways to harvest, weed and protect their crops.
From all these fields, we select ten Swiss agritech startups to put on your watchlist. Discover their innovative ideas below.
AgriCircle
AgriCircle is a cloud-based system that connects farmers and farm data with their professional network, to make collaboration with their agronomists and colleagues easier. AgriCircle combines individual farm data with historical records and models, to forecast disease and crop growth more accurately.
AgroSustain
Almost half the fruits, berries, vegetables and cut flowers sold in supermarkets each year get wasted, and third of these losses are caused by fungal pathogens. AgroSustain develops organic treatments against a broad range of fungal pathogens, extending the lifespan of these products in a sustainable way.
CombaGroup
CombaGroup has developed innovative, soilless greenhouse technology to grow salads locally, all year long. This uses 90 percent less water, 90 percent less space, and halves the carbon footprint compared to traditional methods. Their patented technology allows for fast and predictable cultivation of larger, higher-quality lettuce, while at the same time limiting the environmental impact.
ecoRobotix
Agriculture relies heavily on ecologically harmful chemicals to preserve crop yield, by preventing undesired species from stealing water, minerals, soil or sunlight. ecoRobotix is developing an automatic, energy-autonomous robot to recognize and remove weeds. In addition to its ecological benefits, farmers save the costs of herbicide, labor, machinery and energy.
Gamaya
Gamaya’s unique data fusion and processing methodology combines hyperspectral imaging data with a range of complementary sources, including satellite observations and terrestrial sensors. Thanks to its software, industrial farmers can reduce the cost of water, chemicals, fuel and manual labor. At the same time they reduce the environmental impact, while improving the quantity and quality of their produce.
Precision Vine
Precision Vine uses drones to map vineyards, visualize spacial variation and collect data using multi-spectral imaging techniques. This information can then help growers and winemakers optimize quality and yield.
QualySense
QualySense develops reliable high-end robots to sort grains, seeds and beans. Their solution, which uses the biochemical and geometrical properties of the crops, helps inspection agencies, traders, food processors, breeders and seed producers sort their lots at a high speed, while also improving the quality and safety of the food.
SwissDeCode
SwissDeCode provides a portable, self-administered, on-site DNA test. This means workers can confirm the safety of the global food supply chain in 30 minutes, without the delay of visiting a lab for analysis.
Vatorex
The biggest threats to bees are the Vorrae mite and the disease it carries. Vatorex has developed a natural, non-chemical solution to this threat. Additionally, the startup supports beekeepers with a range of products and technologies for their day-to-day work.
xFarm
xFarm is a digital platform helping farmers to manage their day-to-day activities. It is composed of a cloud-based field management software, IoT field sensors gathering meteorological and environmental data and an open app store for decision support services.
