PMA Takes On Tech

As a global innovation hub, Israel uses novel technologies to lead the AgTech and FoodTech industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future; it serves as a global laboratory for producing more food using fewer resources. Israeli start-ups are improving traditional agriculture by introducing new, groundbreaking technologies in the field. The country has a strong ecosystem with universities, a long history in food production with multinational VC’s and Corporates involved in financing and strong government support. In Part 1 of the a 2 part series on Israel, we hear from experts and industry veterans on what is happening in Israel and why it is a good place to start a company. The conversation ranges from plant genetics to hyperspectral machine vision technology to supply chain disruption and innovation. Across the entire supply chain from seed to fork, the country of nine million people is full of companies working on cutting-edge innovation.

With little farming land, Singapore imports 90% of the food it consumes. Coupled with the recent supply chain shocks, the government has set up a number of programs and incentives for local food production and innovation. In this episode, we hear from there different companies in the well-functioning AgTech ecosystem in Singapore. Benny Chng from SGInnovate discusses the companies they are investing in at this time and why food and ag are important. We also hear from Foong Yoke Oon who with her husband is building Ubertas Agritech, a vertical farm to serve Singapore. And Adrian Teo from DiMuto a global commerce solution company for the produce market. These three conversations illustrate what a good ecosystem can bring to a sector with government support, private sector financing and smart entrepreneurs.

Be ready to take notes! This episode covers the needs of the food supply chain which was pushed into the spotlight by COVID-19. As we saw shortages on the shelf, and supply disruption and dislocations in production and distribution, this complicated question arose: What does it take to get data flowing from farm to plate to resiliently manage the supply chain? Brita and Seana have previously covered the well-funded ends of the supply chain. Seana in AgTech and Brita in Foodtech. They believe there is tremendous, untapped opportunity for vertical-specific technology companies which are focused on serving the unique needs of the food supply chain. After listening to this episode, you will to!

 

Here is the link to their Food Supply Chain Tech Landscape 2021: https://www.culterracapital.com/post/delivering-the-goods-our-2021-food-supply-chain-tech-predictions

Chief Economist Wandile Sihlobo talks about what technology is important in boosting productivity in Africa along with how growing more produce can help address unemployment on the Continent. We also hear from two entrepreneurial companies from South Africa who have developed solutions to problems Wandile discusses and have gone global. Greg Whitaker from AgrigateOne discusses how their produce supply chain data systems supply insights to growers and buyers.  Vic van den Berg from Aerobotics talks about their intelligent tools for orchards.

PMA Takes on Tech, Episode 18:

SBIR grants: A way to grow early-stage innovation without dilution

 

You have a great innovative idea that will have revolutionary impact on the produce industry. You have tapped out friends and family but you aren’t ready to go to a VC and give up equity in your business yet. What can you do? Government funding is a great way to help advance your small business's technology. One of the most popular government funding avenues is the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a United States government program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, intended to help small businesses conduct R&D. The funding is a grant that requires no equity. In this episode, hear from experts about how the program works and examples grants and their benefits.

 

Moderator:

Vonnie Estes, Vice President of Technology, Produce Marketing Association

 

Panelists:

Dr. Timothy Conner, Division Director, Division of Bioenergy, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Martha Schlicher, Executive in Residence at BioGenerator, CEO at Plastomics

Diana Endicott, Co-Owner and Marketing Manager, Rainbow Organic Farm & Good Natured Family Farm

Understanding where investors put their money in 2020 will help guide predictions for 2021. In this session Ingrid Fung, an Investment Director with Finistere Ventures, will discuss what areas of agricultural technology venture capitalists invested in in 2020. We will also hear from AgTech companies about what it took to weather COVID-19 and fundraise during such a difficult year.

Join the conversation with Nate Storey of Plenty and Scott Komar of Driscoll’s about their R&D collaboration. Driscoll’s and Plenty are partnering to bring berries with superior flavor to all regions of the world.  Plenty will incorporate Driscoll’s proprietary genetics and berry expertise into its advanced, indoor farming technology using its plant science, data science, and robotics expertise. Through this controlled environment, Plenty can consistently deliver great flavors from Driscoll’s varieties, while also optimizing for texture and size. The indoor environment allows companies to meet the future needs of consumers worldwide, including geographical locations that are not hospitable to growing strawberries.

In this episode, we continue our virtual tour to Brazil to explore the AgTech explosion. We discuss the flourishing tech and innovation ecosystem developing in the country. Startups in Brazil have access to a market with one of the highest levels of mobile saturation, a wide range of investment options from local and international Brazil-centric funds, and support from a government that has made driving business growth one of its key priorities. In agriculture specifically, Brazil has transformed itself from food importer into one of the world’s leading producers in less than 30 years. Brazil is the first tropical country to be among the world’s leading food exporters. It is now the leading producer and exporter of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and the second largest for beef, soybeans, tobacco and ethanol. With such growth in tech, innovation, and access to capital and talent in an Ag powerhouse, the AgTech sector is thriving. Listen to our discussion with the top people in Brazil making it happen.

We would all like to know what exactly we should eat to make and keep us healthy and to support maximum performance. And some of us would follow the advice! This would require knowing our genetics, immediate environmental factors, and the nutrient make up of the exact food you’re are eating. This requires data from your body and the food. I would love to open an app and have it all there for me. Listen to this episode to find out where we are in the that process. We hear from Dr. Sarah Laskey, a data scientist, Dr. Haven Baker from Pairwise and Greg Shewmaker from Teak Origin talk about what their companies are doing to make and keep us healthy.

PMA Takes on Tech hits the virtual road to explore what is happening in other regions. Agriculture is an important and growing industry in Australia. The country has thriving agtech clusters and world-class life sciences institutions that support industry, investment, academia and government to commercialize new products and processes. However like most regions, global warming and diminishing natural resources present challenges to agriculture along with the rising cost of energy, labor, fertilizer, seeds and herbicides. Searching for solutions to these challenges with in-country support has created a good environment for Agtech to grow and prosper. We talk to Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor who are center stage for this growth. And also two entrepreneurs: Dr. Nancy Schellhorn from RapidAIM using the Internet of Things sensor technology to take the guess-work out of pest management and Andrew Bate from SwarmFarm Robotics, whot has developed and delivered autonomous robots to commercial farmers. Here is the video mentioned of work in the apple orchard.