From novel cereals to electrostimulation for plants: AgFunder’s GROW Impact Accelerator selects 8 startups for 5th cohort
Summary
This year saw Singapore-based agrifoodtech ecosystem builder GROW attract the highest-quality applicant pool in the accelerators history, with applications received from 74 countries and half the cohort led by women.This time around, the programs focus is on closing the gap between the planets finite resources and 2030s sustainable development goals, as well as finding agrifoodtech innovation at a time when funding rounds are few and far between for many.To that end, this years cohort companies include everything from food safety and functional ingredients to precision agriculture and carbon management.Chosen founders will receive a $100,000 cash investment from AgFunder along with introductions to its global network of co-investors, and mentorship and support from Singapore-based GROW over a six-month period.The hybrid program allows founders to grow from their home markets while also including in-person visits to connect them to both Singapores agrifoodtech ecosystem and other entrepreneurs.BioDefense (Singapore) makes an edible coating called BioShield that increases the shelf life of meat, fish and seafood. The startup is beginning with wastewater treatment and eventually plans to scale to reservoirs, rice cultivation and natural bodies of water.eFeed (India) offers precision animal management technology that uses AI models to build recommendations around feeding in order to maintain yields while reducing methane emissions. The company says it has trained its AI models on over 100,000 animal data points to date.Fashol (Singapore) addresses the fragmented agrifood supply chain with an agribusiness platform that connects farmers to buyers, customers and capital. Its pipeline tool is scalable to different plant species.SAYeTECH (USA) designs and manufactures smart agricultural machinery including multi-crop threshers and grain cleaners powered by IoT. The plant is a cross between durum wheat and a wild relative of barley, and can be used as a high-value ingredient in baking, malting and feed.The AgFunder GROW Impact Accelerator launched in 2019 with the aim of supporting the growth of emerging technologies in the agrifood space while strengthening their efforts towards sustainability.