TechSprouts by Ankur Capital

Building a sector-specific AI platform, and in particular in a complex field like agriculture, is an involved journey. In this episode, we discuss the nuances of building such a platform at Cropin, a global pioneer in ag-intelligence and a company we’ve been proud to back. Join this discussion with Sujit Janardanan, chief marketing & customer officer at Cropin and Praveen Pankajakshan, head of Cropin AI Labs.

Subscribe to TechSprouts, an initiative by Ankur Capital to decipher deep science innovations and build the ecosystem in India to bring disruptive technologies from lab to market. Check out our recently published India Deep Science Tech Report

(0:39) The India Deep Science Tech Report

(2:51) Praveen and Sujit’s journeys

(7:51) The journey to create the Cropin Cloud platform

(13:33) Building a deep tech AI platform at Cropin

(18:58) Maintaining differentiation and creating a moat around cutting-edge AI

(25:29) How to keep up with rapid progress in the field of AI 

Discovering new materials with innovative properties is key for a sustainable future. In this episode, we discuss the integration of computation-based approaches and machine learning/AI in material science research with Dr. Abhishek Singh, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science and the Founder/CEO of SciDentAI.

Subscribe⁠ to ⁠TechSprouts⁠, an initiative by⁠ Ankur Capital⁠ to decipher deep science innovations and build the ecosystem in India to bring disruptive technologies from lab to market.

Show notes:

(2:00) Overview of the trajectory of research in material science

(6:00) Introduction of computational techniques and machine learning in material science

(10:00) Impact of computation and machine learning on material science research

(14:00) Application of computational techniques in industry, particularly materials development

(17:00) Role of computational design in climate change mitigation efforts

(20:00) Examples of new materials discovered using computational design

(23:00) Discussion on the role of startups in the materials discovery space

(26:00) Explanation of hybrid scientific AI models and their applications

(29:00) SciDent AI

Computation and AI has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times to become the backbone of Industry 4.0, and there is no looking back. Computational solutions are becoming commonplace and a matter of routine across the board. Listen to Dr. Debarka Sengupta, Associate Professor at IIIT-Delhi and head of the Infosys Center for Artificial Intelligence, as he talks about his journey in computational biology. Starting from a background in physics, Dr. Sengupta achieved pioneering breakthroughs in single cell genomics and big data algorithms. 

We also explore various up-and-coming themes in the field, such as the black-box nature of some learning algorithms, federated learning, and the need for specific solutions to Indian problems.

Subscribe to TechSprouts, an initiative by Ankur Capital to decipher deep science innovations and build the ecosystem in India to bring disruptive technologies from lab to market.

Discussed in this episode:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:17) Fascination with biology and its mysteries.

(07:50) Computational biology is essential.

(14:30) Deep learning still faces challenges. 

(20:40) Focus on simple innovations first (how to solve the challenges). 

(26:52) Data integration is key. 

(35:39) Leverage strengths, solve local problems. 

(43:33) Invest in practical health tech. 

(46:36) Government initiatives improving science funding.

Agriculture practices are undergoing a significant shift with new technologies in agri-inputs such as fertilizers, growth supplements and pesticides and advanced seed development with climate resistance taking prominence. The next decade will be crucial in the fight towards climate change and solving the food security crisis. In this conversation with Yara Growth Ventures, Ritu Verma from Ankur Capital along with Dr. Björn Heinz and George Crane take us through the winds of change in agriculture and the advent of synthetic biology.

Yara Growth Ventures is the corporate venture capital team for Yara International ASA (a world leading crop nutrition and agriculture company).

TechSprouts is an initiative by Ankur Capital decipher deep science innovations and build the ecosystem in India to bring disruptive technologies from lab to market.

Discussed in this episode:

00:00:00 Introduction to TechSprouts by Ankur Capital

00:00:14 Exploring Synthetic Biology and Its Potential to Transform Agriculture

00:08:26 Agricultural Technology Investment Opportunities

00:19:22 Challenges of Consistency with Biological Inputs in the Agritech Space

00:34:13 Proactive Lobbying for Positive Regulations and Working with Startups

We are entering the third decade of synthetic biology. Many synbio products are either commercialized or on the verge of commercialization. However, scaling up the production while achieving price parities will require innovation in the processes and unit operations involved. Listen to Subramani Ramachandrappa, founder of Laurus Bio (formerly Richcore Lifesciences) and Fermbox talk about the challenges and potential solutions in the scale up of synthetic biology solutions.

Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/subramani-ramachandrappa-7179b82/

Website: https://fermbox.bio/

TechSprouts: https://www.ankurcapital.com/techsprouts

Agriculture contributes almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, uses almost 70% of all freshwater globally, and is one of the largest polluting activities. Listen to Dr. Balaji Vasudevan, one of the leading voices in the agri-biotechnology sector at UM6P ventures and advisory panel member to the World BioProtection Forum, talk about the potential of synthetic biology to reinvent agriculture and make it more sustainable.

Linkedin Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balaji-vasudevan/

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Website: https://www.ankurcapital.com/techsprouts

The journey of synthetic biology products from lab to market is a long and hard one. Listen to Dr. Murali Panchapagesa Muthuswamy, Founder and Chairman, Jananom and Elive Biotherapeutics, talk about his experience of scaling up the synthetic biology products over the past two decades and the opportunities that lie ahead in this field.

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Genome editing is a very important cog in the synthetic biology wheel. Tools for targeted editing of the genome can help speed up the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and other allied products. Listen to Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborty from CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology talk about the current and future of genome editing in India.

Subscribe to TechSprouts: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/p4w8y0

TechSprouts: https://www.ankurcapital.com/techsprouts

Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debojyoti-chakraborty-b674b214/

Lab: https://www.rnabiologylab.co.in/

Synthetic biology- the ability to engineer organisms to produce highly complex products from biofuels to chemicals and even food products has evolved over the years. Listen to Dr. Ezhil Subbian, CEO and Co-founder, String Bio talk about the past, present and future of synthetic biology. The myth is slowly turning into reality!

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Translational research can help solve real world problems and is key towards building commercial deep science products. Listen to Dr. Abdur Rub, CEO, Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering, IIT Bombay talk about the advantages of translational research in healthcare and allied fields.

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