The farmer plowing the fields with his small tractor or milking his cows by hand – this is no longer what idyllic rural life looks like. Agriculture has been undergoing a process of change for years, some of which poses significant challenges for businesses. According to the 2023 Agricultural Policy Report, more than 36,000 farms closed between 2010 and 2020. Demographic change, global warming, and globalization are increasing the pressure to act for a future-proof agriculture. And this is precisely where agtech startups come into play, striving to overcome ecological, climate, and ethical challenges with their innovations.
Agtech, short for 'Agriculture Technology,' describes the use of technology and digital solutions in agriculture and forestry. The intention is to make agricultural processes more efficient, sustainable, and productive. Agtech is a rapidly growing field that is gaining increasing importance in both industrial and small-scale agricultural operations. Ideal conditions, therefore, for startups whose solutions can be brought to market quickly and efficiently.
Innovation for modern agriculture
The areas in which Agtech startups operate are as diverse as the problems they address. These include:
- Precision agriculture: Using sensors, drones, and GPS technology to collect detailed information about soil composition, plant health, and weather conditions. This data enables farmers to optimize the use of water, fertilizers, and pesticides, maximizing yields while conserving resources.
- Automation and robotics: Development of autonomous machines and robots that can perform tasks such as crop care, harvesting, weed control, and irrigation. These technologies reduce labor and improve efficiency.
- Indoor and vertical farming: Use of LED lighting, hydroponics, and automated systems to grow plants in controlled, vertical environments. This allows food to be grown independently of seasonal and climatic conditions and can take place closer to urban centers, reducing transportation costs and CO₂ emissions.
- Biotechnology and genetics: Development of genetically modified plants and microorganisms that are more resistant to diseases, pests, and climate change. These innovations aim to secure food production in a changing environment.
- Sustainability and environmental protection: Development of technologies that reduce the ecological footprint of agriculture, for example by reducing water consumption, minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers or promoting regenerative farming methods.
- Digital platforms and marketplaces: Development of apps and online platforms that connect farmers with markets, suppliers, and advisors. These platforms enable better access to knowledge, resources, and sales opportunities.
Agtech startups from Munich
Farminsect: Farminsect focuses on the animal feed sector. The startup has developed an automated machine system that allows farmers to breed their own feed insects. The system utilizes crop residues or leftovers from food production. This allows farmers to produce their own protein feed instead of having to rely on imported soy or fishmeal.
FoldAI: The startup FoldAI has developed an IoT solution specifically for forestry. Using sensors attached directly to trees, the system monitors key parameters such as air and light quality, CO2 levels, humidity, and biodiversity. This enables it to detect potential threats to the forest early and predict their development. This technology can also be used in urban areas to optimize traffic planning.
Inplanet: Inplanet uses Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), combining advanced agriculture with climate protection. This method involves spreading large quantities of rock flour on fields in tropical regions, which has the potential to capture gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere. ERW also regenerates tropical soils and fertilizes crops, allowing farmers to reduce the use of limestone, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides.
Nearbybees: Nearbees connects local beekeepers and consumers with its online platform. There, consumers can search for local honey from registered beekeepers and have it delivered to their homes by mail. The platform aims not only to help beekeepers – who often pursue beekeeping as a hobby – market their products, but also to contribute to combating the decline of bees.
Nomaze: With the help of advanced phenotyping and machine learning, plant breeders have the ability to accurately predict traits such as yield and disease resistance. Until now, many of these techniques have been available only to technologists and global corporations. Nomaze has therefore set itself the task of democratizing these high-tech tools with its software, allowing small farms to benefit from them as well.
Orbem: Since 2022, male chicks that have no use in the egg industry have been banned from being culled in Germany. To prevent these chicks from being hatched in the first place, Orbem combines imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with artificial intelligence. The 'Orbem Genus' makes it possible to classify chicken eggs before the chicks even hatch.
Varolis: Varolis is also concerned about the extinction of bee species. The startup is working to obtain approval for lithium salts as a veterinary drug against the Varroa mites, which are threatening bee colonies worldwide. By saving bees, Varolis aims to contribute to securing agricultural food supplies as well as ecological diversity and stability.
Zero Ex: What Inplanet is doing in tropical regions, Zero Ex is bringing to our fields. Here, too, rock flour binds CO₂ during weathering on farmland, improving soil properties at the same time. The bound CO₂ is transported in dissolved form via rivers to the ocean, where it remains stable for several thousand years. Farmers also generate a secondary income: They receive compensation for the provision of their fields and the application of the rock flour.
