The 10 Most Innovative AgTech Companies of 2021 October2021

Jonathan Bernwieser Co-founder and CEO

Editor’s Desk

Foodisthesourceofourhealthyliving,and

agricultureisthebackboneofit.Thus,havinga sustainableagricultureecosysteminplacecanfeed everyoneacrosstheglobe.

Bringing Revolution in the Agricultural Industry

Fortoday’sgrowingpopulation,justtheclimaticconditions arenotenough;itiswithtechnologywecanmeettheneeds ofagricultureforthegrowingnumbers.Technologyhas immensepotentialtoimprovetheconditionsoffarming.

However,farmersarestillstrugglingwithvariousconcerns suchastradewars,laborshortages,soilhealth,etc.Butthe goodnewsistherearesomeingeniousmindsand innovativeAgTechcompanieswhoareworkinghardto solvetheseissuesbyleveragingtechnological developments.

Withabroadrangeofdiversepeopleintheag-tech industry,thesecompaniesneverfailtoimpressuswiththeir bright,innovativeideas.

MoreAgTechcompaniesarebeingintroducedinthemarket sincetheneedtoharvestandgrowthefoodsupplyisalso massive.Thedemandfortheseag-techcompaniesisalso increasing,addingmorenutritionalvaluetotheagricultural field.Thefarmersusetheirproductsonalargerscale,and theytrusttheirsolutions,asitmakestheirprocess convenient.

FoodandAgricultureissuchanindustrywherecontinuous productionisessentialtokeepthingsaligned.Thereisa hugecareerforthecomingentrepreneurstoprosperand growintheAgTechindustry,asthisindustrykeepson growingbiggerandbetter Thenextgoalofthecompanies intheAgTechindustryistoreachthedroughtandthe famineareas,developinnovativeproductsinthoseareas, andimprovethenutritionalvalueforthosenations.

AgTechcompanieshavecertainlyraisedtheir standardswiththebestuseofthetechnology. Theirvisionistobuildateamwithground-breaking productstosolveallagriculture-relatedchallenges andcontributetothesustainabilitydevelopmentof theagricultureindustry

Eveninthetimesofcovid,thesecompaniesserved theirpurposethroughsupplychainsandperforming taskswhichotherwisewerepossiblebyhumanlabor only.

AgTechiscreatingalotofopportunitiesby implementingvariouschannelstobuildinnovative agriculturalproducts.ThewaytheAgTechindustry isprogressingwithtechnologicaladvancementsand state-of-the-artsolutionswilldefinitelybethekey differentiatorfactorintheglobalcommodityinthe agriculturalfield.

Inthiseditionof The 10 Most Innovative AgTech Companies of 2021,wehaveenlistedthose innovativecompanieswhoarechangingthefaceof theagriculturalindustrywiththeirpath-breaking solutions.

Onthecover,wehaveAgrandoGmbH,acompany thataimsatdigitizingagriculturalretailacross Europe.Agrandoisshapingasustainableagricultural marketinwhichallmarketparticipantscando businesswitheachotherasefficientlyand successfullyaspossible.

Youwillgettoreadaboutmoresuchcompaniesand theirinnovativesolutions.Also,whileflippingthe pages,donotforgettoreadinsightfularticleswritten byourin-houseeditorialteam.

Let’sstart!

sourabh@insightssuccess.com

Sourabh More

CompanyName

FeaturedPerson

AgrandoGmbH Agrando.com

AgNextTechnologies agnext.in

JonathanBernwieser Co-founderandCEO

TaranjeetSinghBhamra CEO&Founder

AgrandoisarapidlygrowingAgTechcompanyfromMunich andthereliablepartnerofthesuccessfulagriculture.

AgNextisafast-growingAgTechcompanythataimstosolve qualityandtrustinfoodvaluechainsbymakingthemsafer, transparentandfairer

DimitraIncorporated dimitra.io

ED&FMan edfman.com

InghamsLimited inghams.com.au

JonTrask CEO

SharazHussain CEO

LeasaBeasley CEO

NewWaveFoods newwavefoods.com

ShoreTrade shoretrade.com

SciCrop scicrop.com

MaryMcGovern CEO

TheDimitraagricultureplatformincorporatesinputsfrom mobileapp,sensors,satellite,andDNAtests.

ED&FManisanemployee-ownedagriculturalcommodities merchantwith5,500peoplein50countries.

Inghamsiscommittedtonourishingtheworldthroughits people,planet,partnersanditsproducts.

NewWaveFoodsmakessustainable,plant-basedshrimpthat areeverybitasdeliciousasoceanshrimp–andhealthierforthe planet.

PeterManettas

FounderandCEO

JoseDamicoand RenatoFerraz Co-founders

ShoreTradeisaB2BOnlineTradingMarketplacethatallows saleofseafooddirectfromfisherytowholesaler

SciCropofferthefastest,mostefficientandflexiblesolutionsof dataprocessingtodeliverstrategicinformationthrough algorithmsforyoutomanageyourbusiness.

TerraMagna terramagna.com.br

BernardoFabiani CEO&Co-founder

Terviva terviva.com

NaveenSikka Founder&CEO

TerraMagnaisreinventingthewaycreditisunderwritten, providedandcollectedinBrazilianagriculture.

Tervivaisafoodandagriculturecompanythatdeliverstasty andnourishingplant-basedfoodingredientsfromthepongamia tree.

Bernwieser Co-founder and CEO Agrando GmbH

Jonathan

Intheworldofdigitalization,itisessentialtohave facilitiesformakingonlinetradeforeveryfield,and thistruthappliestotheagriculturefieldaswell. Certainly,digitalization,accompaniedbygroundbreaking technologies,cantransformtheagriculturesectorandopen doorsfornewopportunities.

Agriculturalbusinessescangrowmoreiftheyhaveonline access.Thus,creatingadigitalplatformthatfacilitates onlineagriculturaltradeisofutmostimportancefor companiestradingintheagriculturalsector

Takingthissignificanceofdigitizationforagricultural tradesintoconsideration,Agrandocameintotheinception. AgrandoaimsatdigitizingagriculturalretailacrossEurope. Thecompanyisshapingasustainableagriculturalmarketin whichallmarketparticipantscandobusinesswitheach otherasefficientlyandsuccessfullyaspossible.

Today,Agrandoisateamofmorethan160peoplewith morethanadozennationalities.Besides,italsoexpanded toAustriain2020andtoFrancein2021.

We,atInsightsSuccess,caughtupwithJonathan Bernwieser,theCo-founderandCEOofAgrando,to knowmoreaboutAgrandoandhowitisbreakingnew groundintheagriculturalindustrytogetherwithits customersandpartners.

GrowingTogetherthroughDigitization

HeadquarteredinMunich,Germany,AgrandoGmbHwas foundedin2017.Itoperatesfromtwolocations,Munich andPristina,Kosovo.Sinceitsfoundation,thecompanyhas followedtheideologythatallplayersinvolvedin agriculturaltradecangrowtogetherthroughdigitization.It makesthelatestmarketknowledgeavailabletoallplayers. ThemoremarketparticipantsuseAgrando,themore everyonecanbenefit.

Withthelargestindependenttradingplatform,Agrando systematicallyhelpscompaniesmakemeaningfulbusiness decisions.About20,000farmersareregisteredonthe platform,witharound1,000newfarmersregisteringeach month.Agrandostandsforanincreaseinknowledgeand opportunities-bothforeachindividualbusinessandforthe entireagriculturalsector

WorkingwiththeCombinationofOnlineandOffline Marketing

TalkingaboutthejourneyofAgrando,Jonathanmentions thatthecompany’sfirstinvestmentcamemainlyfrom farmersthemselvesandotheragtechenthusiastsbecause mostearly-stageinvestorscouldnotrelatetowhatitwas tryingtobuild.Agrandohadalreadyfailedonce,and Jonathan,comingfromafarm,convincedthosewhoknew themarketthattheyareontosomethingcanhaveabig impact.

Agrandowasfoundedtwice;thefirstversionwasonly focusingonaggregatingSupplyandDemand.Theteamhad tolearnthatiftheyreallywanttomakeadifferenceand worktowardstheirpurpose,theywillhavetodivealot deeperandgetthemselvesinvolvedintheprocessesbehind

atransaction.Theysolveditbystartingfromscratchand buildingtheirownsoftwarewiththeirowndata architecture,whichisabletoreflectthecomplexitiesof inputprocurement.

Inthebeginning,Agrandofocusedsolelyononline marketing.But,ithadtolearnthatifitcommunicates onlinewithatargetgroupthatisnotonline,itcansendout thegreatestmessages,butthosemessageswillneverbe read.Today,Agrandoworkswithagreatcombinationof onlineandofflinemarketing.IthasitsownCustomer Serviceteamonthephone.Itenteredintopartnershipswith associationsandotherfarmercommunitiesandworked togethertoprovidetransparencyaboutthebenefitsof digitaltools.Thecompanyhaslearnedthatit'sthemixof onlineandoffline/in-personanddigitalthatholdsthe biggestpotential.

InJuly2021,AgrandocloseditsSeriesAfundinground withthehighestsuminAgtechinEuropeever.Investors suchastheMunich-basedyabeoimpactAG,Sony InnovationFundandInvestbridgejoinedexistinginvestors suchasJuneFundandJLRStar Thissuccessfulroundwill enableAgrandotofocusoninternationalizationaswellas R&D.

GivingBusinessesaCompetitiveEdge

Agrandoistheleadingindependentsolutionproviderfor digitalagriculturaltrade.Itsplatformbringstogetherallthe playersinvolved,simplifiestraditionalretailprocesses,and enablesuniquemarketanalysesthathelpbusinessesofall kindsremaincompetitiveinthecomplexagricultural economyinthelongterm.

Atfirstsight,Agrandoisaretailplatformforfarmerstobuy theirsuppliesandforretailerstosellthem.However,after realizingthatamereonlineshopwouldnothelpagriculture facingthefuture,Agrandobuiltitsownsoftwareanddata warehousetotrulysupportagriculturalcompaniesofany size.ThatiswhatmakesAgrandodifferentfromother companies:Agrandoisnotjustamarketingagencyor onlinestore.

Thecompanyownsthenecessaryinfrastructuretooffer fact-basedsupportforfarmerstomakeprofitabledecisions andsavemoneyandresourcesinthelongrun.Thisenables Agrandotoconnectretailpartnerswhootherwisewouldnot havemet.Eveninsucharegionalbusinesstoevery stakeholder,Agrandoofferstrade-specificadviceand solutions.

is the

Asmentionedbefore,Agrando’stargetgroupwasn’tonline yet.Bothfarmersandretailerslackedtheinfrastructureto makepurchasesdigitally.Itknowsthatthemajorityof farmersacrossEuropewouldliketoshoponline–butonly afractionactuallydoso.Thereasonsareoftensimple:there isalackofinfrastructure,purchasingistootimeconsuming,andtheyounggenerationoffarmersdoesnot findtheservicethattheyareusedtoinotherareas:fast responsetimes,expertadvice,pricetransparency

TurningCrisisintoAdvantage

Evenduring2020andsofarduring2021,Agrandodidnot stophiringpeople.Itturnedthepandemicintoan advantage:Forexample,withpeopleworkingmainlyfrom home,itcouldlookfornewtalentsoutsidethegeographical radiusofitsofficebuildings.

Thebiggestchallengeistheoneitsclientsarefacing: COVID-19hittheagriculturesector,andthesebusinesses wereandarefacingcompletelynewobstacles.Reaching

themandofferingitssupportdespitethathasbeenthetrue challengeforAgrando.

MakingAgriculturalRegionalStructuresFitforFuture

WeaskedJonathanhisthoughtonthenecessityofa positiveworkculture,towhichheanswers,“I would transform positive work culture more into a purpose and a value-driven work culture. Values and purpose come first. We make sure we only involve people in our project who match our company's values and who join Agrando because of our purpose to make agricultural regional structures fit for the future.”

Hefurtheradds, “We also prioritize feedback and open communication: Team members are not left alone with their questions, or feedback. We keep up a high level of exchange routines throughout the entire company and we make sure that team events can still take place, virtually or face to face.”

We connect you with all the partners and solutions you need to manage your farm in your region for the future.

‘‘ ‘‘

UtilizingTechnologyforAvailingEdgeandBeing Profitable

Especiallyintheagricultureindustry,digitizationarrived ratherlaterthansooner.However,factorslikeaccessibility, transparency,andtargeting(new)customersarevery importantineveryfield.Jonathanmentionsthatheis convincedthatbusinessesdefinitelyneedtoinvestinnewer technologicaldevelopmentsinordertostaycompetitive andprofitable.Butitisalsotheresponsibilityofcompanies likeAgrandotobesupportivepartnersduringthatprocess. Heasserts,“A small, family-run farm does not have to invest in their own IT services, a small retailer does not have to invest in a 24/7 e-commerce agency. That’s where we step in. We bring the knowledge and infrastructure to enable agricultural companies of any size to use these technological developments to their advantage.”

StrengtheningRegionalStructures

Agrando’sgoalhasalwaysbeentostrengthenregional structures,allowsmallagriculturebusinessestostrive,be moreflexibleinfinancialdecisions,andmakemoreprofit. Itiscreatingtheopportunityforfarmstoposition themselvesforthefutureandcounteractstructuralchange inEurope.

WhenJonathanlooksatfarms,heseesfarmerswhoarenot 100%dependentontheindustry,butwhocontinuetorun theirbusinesseswithsamepassionandentrepreneurial spirit.WithAgrando’ssupport,theycandothatwitheven moresuccess.

JonathanbelievesthatAgrandowillhaveexpandedtoa numberofcountriesinEuropeinthenextfiveyears.Itwill haveestablisheditselfasastrongandvaluablepartnerfor farmersandagriculturalbusinesses.

HearitfromSatisifedClientele

"At the regional retailers where I have bought or sold before, I get better prices than before. We also found new traders. They are not far away, but we didn't know them before.” -JohannesDierks,farmer.

"The conditions for agricultural retail are changing, and we have been feeling this for the last few years. With Agrando,

I have better prospects for the future. I trust the team to provide me and my customers with the right services. If we really all end up working in the same system and everyone has the same starting point in terms of market information, we can finally start investing the newly won time in personal contact, additional services and really good advice again." -ChristianHastreiter,retail.

"Agrando's service can be very helpful for economic planning on farms. Agrando takes care of the timeconsuming research, evaluates current market data and connects the farmer with trustworthy retailers. With the Agrando Pro Service, valuable time and unnecessary stress can be saved in the procurement of inputs, and in addition Agrando offers personal support in purchasing planning and processing." - ChristianKluge,managingdirector BremischerLandwirtschaftsverbande.V.(agricultural associationBremen,Germany)

FARMING

Thefarmingsectoristhemostessentialpartofany

nation.Nonationcangrowsufficientlywithoutthe contributionofitsfarmersinthefieldofagriculture andalliedservices.Agricultureisthemostimportantfood supplier,anditplaysavitalroleintheeconomic developmentoffarmersandthenation.TheFoodand AgricultureOrganization(FAO)oftheUnitedNations statesthattheglobalneedforfoodwouldgrowmorethan 70%bytheendof2050sincethepopulationwillalso increaseatthattimebyatleast2billion.Althoughthereis enoughproductionoffoodtofeedtheentirepopulation, closeto500millionpeoplestillsufferfrommalnutrition, andover800millionremainhungrybecauseofinsufficient qualityandquantityoffood.Thus,smartfarmingis essentialinmoderntimestomeettheneedsofgrowing populationandproducegoodqualityandquantityoffood.

Smartfarmingcreatesthewayforpracticingsustainable agriculture.Sustainableagriculturalproductionmeans meetingtheincreasingdemandofpeoplewhileprotecting theenvironmentfromclimatecrisisandensuringthatfuture generations'prosperityisnotthreatened.Insmartfarming, newinnovationsandthelatesttechnologiesareappliedin farming.Itleveragesvarioustechnologiesandtools,suchas auto-guidancesystems,drones,geographicalinformation systems(GIS),GPS,remotesensors,andIoTcapabilitiesin ordertobettercontrolandenhancetheproductionofcrops, improvemonitoringcapacities,andoverallfarmefficiency Thoughtherearecertainbenefitsofsmartfarming,but implementingitisnotsoeasy Therearealsocertain challengestoagribusinessownersandfarmersthatneedto beresolvedtoensuremaximumprofitabilityandgreater efficiency.

Smartfarminghasthepotentialtoimproveagricultural processesinamoreefficient,productive,andsustainable way.Itintegratesasetofcomputationalparadigms, devices,technologies,andprotocolstoimprovefarming processes.TechnologiessuchasArtificialIntelligence,Big data,Cloud,andedgecomputingprovidecapabilitiesand solutionstoevaluatethelargedatageneratedby components.Thedevelopmentofnewfunctionalitiesinthe agriculturefieldrequirestheinclusionofadvancedsecurity features.NewSecurityfeaturesshouldcontainfeaturesof reliabilityandaccuracy Thechallengeisthatsmartfarming isstillinitsinitialphaseandhasquitealowlevelof securityfeatures.

Dataavailabilityandaccuracyareimportantpointstohelp farmerstakesmartandcalculativedecisions,anddata securityiscrucialforbuildingstrongandefficientsystems. Sincesmartfarmingincludesaquantityofresourcesanda widevariety,strongsecurityaddresseschallengesof handlingmassivedata,compatibility,andconstrained

resources.Smartfarmingcanprovideinsightsintohow plantationproductivitycanbeincreasedwithoutincreasing thecroparea;itcanoptimizeirrigationprocesseswithless waterandenergyconsumption.

Theseinsightsfrommassivedatacanbeutilizedfor creatingmoresustainablepractices.Newcapacitiescreated bytheimplementationofsmartfarmingcanoptimize agriculturalprocesses,allowinganincreaseinproduction byusingminimumnaturalresources.Smartfarmingand innovationinagriculturecantransformallaspectsof agriculture.Itcanleadtomoreinclusive,transparent, productive,andresilientfarmingsystems.However, integratingadvancedtechnologiesintothefarmingsector dependsonthecomplexityofmobiledevices,remote sensing,analytics,cloud,bigdata,cybersecurity,andsuch differentintelligentsystems.Forbuildingrobustand efficientsystems,smartfarmingshouldensuretheaccurate andcompletegeneration,processing,andtransferofdata, andsystemsshouldhaveadequatesecurityfeaturesto preventattacks.

Ensuringdataintegrityisessentialforenablingtheproper functioningofdata-driventechnologies.Insmartfarming, thedevicesandcommunicationsystemsaremostlyexposed toclimaticfluctuations.Elementslikenaturalevents, engines,powerlinetransmissions,wanderinganimals, people,andagriculturalmachinerymakesmartfarming vulnerabletoissuesthathavenotbeenresolvedinother contextssofar.Lightandefficientalgorithmscanbehelpful toresolvesystemconstraints.Datashouldbeprotectedat alltimestoensuresystemefficiencyandreliability

Themodernizationoffarmingmethodsisimportantfor increasingagriculturalproductionandforpreserving naturalresources.Smartfarmingenhancesfarmingtasks withefficientcontrolofactuators,maximizingutility, optimizingresourceuse,boostingproduction,maximizing profitability,andminimizingcosts.Itdemandsthatfarming systemsshouldincludemorecomputationalcapabilitieslike edgecomputing,capacitytohandlemassivedata,latest technologyresources,andadvancedandmostaccurateand reliablesecurityfeatures.Ifthesechallengesinthefarming sectorsareresolved,itcanleadtothemoreeconomic developmentofthecountryandbenefitmanyfarmersand increasingpopulationintheworld.

Reachinganadvancedlevelofsmartfarmingdemands enhancedsecurityfeaturestoprotectvaluablefarmingdata thatgivemoreopportunitiestoimplementfarmingsystems onalargescale.Eventhoughsmartfarmingcreatessome challenges,italsogivesfreshandadvancedresearch opportunitiesinsecurityaswellasinotherareasof computerscience.

AgNext has innovated & developed full-stack integrated algorithms, soware & hardware platform, which addresses quality assessment issues across the Agri value chain, enabling businesses to analyze food on-the-spot in just 30 seconds.

Mr. Taranjeet Singh Bhamra CEO & Founder AgNext Technologies

Technologies BringingTrust,Speed,and TransparencyinAgricultureValueChain

Undeniably,thequalityofthefoodisthesinglemost valuemultiplieracrossthefoodvaluechains. However,whenitcomestoassessingthequalityof thefood,therearemanyissuesthatneedtobeaddressed.A leadingagtechstartup,AgNextTechnologies,isusingAIbasedtechnologiestosolvefoodqualityassessmentissues.

Byintegratinghardware,software,anddataanalytics, AgNexthasinnovatedfull-stacksolutionsthatenablerapid assessmenttechniquesforqualityestimationinthepostharvestsupplychain.Withtheincreasingpenetrationof deep-tech,AgNextaimstostandardizethefoodquality assessmentacrossthevaluechainstofacilitateasafer, fairer,andmoretransparentfoodtrade.

WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithMr.Taranjeet SinghBhamra,theFounderandCEOofAgNext Technologies,toknowmoreaboutthecompanyandhowit isrevolutionizingAgTechformoresustainableagriculture

TheJourneySoFar AgNext’sjourneybeganatIIT-Kharagpurin2016.It receiveditsfirstseedfundingin2017,poweredbya-idea NAARM.Later,itraisedcapitalfromrenownedinvestors likeOmnivoreandKalaari,andrecentlyfromFalcon-Edge managedAlphaWaveIncubation(AWI)fund.InSeptember 2021,AgNextraisedoverUSD$21million,thelargest SeriesAraisedbyanyIndianagtechstart-uptilldate. Currently,AgNextaimstodigitizefoodqualityusingAIbasedfoodassessmenttechnologies.

StoryofFiercePerseverance,DeterminationandGrit Solvingfoodqualityissuesinagriculturewasnotaneasy goalthatleadersatAgNextsetforthemselves.AgNext’s storyisastoryoffierceperseverance,determination,and

gritbecause,fortheinitialfewyearsofitsjourney,its leadersdedicatedlyfocusedonbuildingandimproving AgNext’stechnology.Fromtirelesslycollectingmillionsof data-setsfrommultiplegeographiestopersistentlybuilding AI-basedmodelswhichcanseamlesslyfunctionon-ground, evenwithoutdirectinternetaccessorelectricity,AgNext’s visionwastheirNorthstar,whichkeptthemgoingtotackle allchallenges.

AgNexthasfacedcommonaswellassomeuncommon hurdles,consideringtheuniqueconceptsithasintroduced intheagtechspace.However,despitealltheobstacles,its technologicalprowessandabrilliantlyfocusedteamhave gainedAgNextthesupportofkeyinvestors,clients,and otherstakeholderswhohavehelpedthecompanytodayto scaleasoneofIndia’sleadingagtechstart-ups.

GeneratingValueforStakeholdersEveninToughTimes Taranjeetexpressesthatthedisruptionsintheagtechsector broughtonbyCOVIDhaveledtouniquetechnological adoptionsacrosstheboard.Thepandemicledtothe destabilizationofsupplylinesandhinderedthemovement ofresourcesandworkforceacrossnationaland internationalborders.Thiswasoneofthebiggest challengesfacedbyalmosteverycompany.However,the companiesthatadoptedtechnologicalsolutionsto circumventsuchchallenges,werenotonlyabletocontinue operationaltasks,butalsocontinuedtogeneratevaluefor theirstakeholders.

AgNext,massivelyscaleditscollaborationwithexisting andnewpartnerstoleveragestrengthsofeachotherfor smoothexchangeofdatapoints,information,andongroundfeedback.

EmpoweringFair-TradingPracticesandARobust ModelofQuality

Withanintegratedapproachtofrontiertechnologies, AgNexthasinnovatedhardware,software,anddata analyticssolutionsthattogetherconcentrateonreducingthe qualityestimationtimeofAgri-producetoamatterof seconds,therebyensuringavalue-drivenflowofquality acrossthesupplyline.AgNext’sfull-stackplatform ‘Qualix’enablesAI-driveninstantaccesstofoodquality testing.ItprovidesSaaS-basedsolutionstomanage, monitor,andevaluatequalityinthepost-harvestsupply chainusingsophisticateddataanalyticstoculloutcrucial businessinsights.

ThedeploymentofQualixatdistinctassessmentstages helpsAgNextbuildtrustandtransparencyinfoodchain managementsystems.Withthecombinedpotentialofthese tech-drivensolutions,AgNextempowersfair-trading practicesandarobustmodelofquality.

InstillingCultureBasedonValuesofTrustand Transparency

Taranjeetbelievesthatstrongcompanycultureisashared setofvaluesandbeliefsthatguideanorganizationtowards asuccessfulfuture.Hesays, “Positive work culture is what frames the success of your company, and it is essential to sustain an emphatic working environment to foster healthy engagement and a productive flow of ideas.”

AgNexthascreatedmanycommunicationchannelsto encouragehealthydiscourseacrossthecompany.By instillingthevaluesoftrustandtransparencyinitswork culture,ithasfocusedonbuildinginitiativesthatnotonly motivateitscolleaguesbutalsofacilitatepositivityinthe workplace.Additionally,itensuresapositiveflowof potentialfromdistinctbackgroundswithdiversityand inclusivity.

AgNextalsoprioritizeswork-lifebalancetorootout potentialburn-outsandstresses,whichcanhamper productivityandpositivityofthepeopleatwork.

CuttingDownFoodQualityAssessmentTime

AgNextisattheforefrontofagriculturalrevolution4.0.By digitizingandstandardizingquality,itischallengingthe subjectivetraditionalqualityassessmentmethods,and offeringdeep-techpoweredsolutionsforrapidfoodquality assessments.ThroughQualix,agribusinessescancutdown thefoodqualityassessmenttimefromastretchofhoursto amatterofsecondsandalsomanageandmonitorquality flowintheirsupplychains.

FacilitatingBetterProfitMarginsforFarmers

FarmersalsobenefitfromAgNext’sinstantfoodquality assessmenttechnologythatisbackedbyAI-on-the-edge.In traditionalset-up,afarmerspendsmonthscultivatingacrop andwhenhegoestosellit,itissubjectivelyandmanually analyzedforfoodquality,aprocesswhichhasahigherror rate.Byusingtechnologytostandardizefoodquality testing,farmerscanbeassuredoffair-pricingoftheirAgriproducewhichleadstobetterprofitmargins.AgNext’s solutionsbenefitallstakeholdersinthefoodvaluechains, thusfosteringtrustandtransparencybetweenbuyersand sellers.

IncreasingGeographicalFootprintandCommodities Portfolio

Inconclusion,TaranjeetmentionsthatAgTechisan emergingsector,butthereisarapidlygrowinginterest acrosstheworldinthepotentialofnew-agetechnologies. So,thepressuretoperformishigh,butAgNexthas significantlyinvestedinbuildingitstechnological infrastructureandprowess,whichultimatelyisthekey differentiatingfactor

Additionally,AgNextisalsoinvestinginbuildinggreat teamsacrosstheboardwhoshareinitsbeliefthatthefuture ofagricultureisdigital.Inthenextfiveyears,AgNextwill focusonincreasingitsgeographicfootprintandits commoditiesportfoliotoleadattheglobalscale.

SciCrop

Problems

Scienceand

Ferraz Chief Business Officer SciCrop

Renato

Today,dataisrevolutionizingeveryindustry.When itcomestotheagricultureindustry,manyexisting challengescanberesolvedbyleveragingdata science.Itwasthisideathatledtotheinceptionof SciCrop.

SciCropwasfoundedbyJoseDamicoandRenatoFerraz tohelpcompaniestranscendimpossibleproblemsinthe agribusinesssectorthroughdatascienceandanalytics. Previouslyworkingformanyyearsintheanalyticsmarket forfinancialinstitutions,JoseandRenatojoinedforcesto createacompanythatwouldbecometheleadingplayerin advancedanalyticsfortopagmultinationalcompanies.

AspioneersintheBrazilianagtechmarket,SciCrop becameatrustedadvisorandareferenceforallthe community.Itstartedtosolvecomplexdataintegration problemsintheagsupplychain,quicklyexpanding operationsaroundBrazil.SciCrop’smissiontodayistobe thebiggestpartnerinthejourneyofdigitaltransformation ofthemaincompaniesintheagribusinesschain.Witha businessmodelofanalyticsasaservice(AaaS),SciCrop hasalreadyearnedmorethan25internationalawardsin7 countries,asaprominentinnovation,techandscaleupstartup.

WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithRenatotoknow moreaboutthecompanyandhowithasmadeitswaytobe knownastheleadinganalyticsproviderforthelargestag companies.

BeingMarketFit

SciCropfacedmanychallengesinitsjourney,butthe marketfitwasthebiggerone.Itsfirstdefeatwasthemarket maturity,whichwasnotpreparedforthiskindof digitalizationatthetime.ManyoffersofSciCropdependon datathatshouldbeintegratedinadatawarehousewitha regularfrequencyandvolumetoenabletheanalysisprocess andalgorithmsdevelopment.

Inthefirstthreeyears,SciCrophasbeenracingtodevelop itsinfrastructureandprotocolstofacilitatetheadoptionof itsclientsintheanalyticsjourney Todayitoffersthe completesolutionfromthebeginning,addingtoitsscope theserviceofdatamanagementandcloudsupport.This processalsohelpedSciCroptopivotitsbusinessmodel andsolvethechallengeofthesolutionmarketfit.Atthat time,SciCropwasfocusedontheB2F(Business-toFarmer)sufferingtomonetize,andthenitstartedtheB2B model.

ServingLargeAgribusinessCompanieswithAdvanced Analytics

Firstofall,SciCropisatechnologycompany Asany companytodayneedstechnologytoscaleitsoperations, SciCrophasbeensurfingthewaveofbeingoneofthe onlystartupstoservelargeagribusinesscompanieswith state-of-the-artinadvancedanalytics.Itsservicesand solutionsmeetthemainchallengesoftheagribusiness chain,providingwhatitcallsagriculture4.0.

Inanincreasinglycompetitivemarket,SciCrop’sclients' operationsneedtobeoptimizedtothelimit,providing gainsthatareonlypossibletoberealizedwhendata showshowtoexecutethoseoperations.ItsAgroAPiisa classicexampleofasolutionthatservestheentirechain andallowsitsclients'flexibilitytoanalyzeandgenerate insightsintotheiroperation.Ifsomeoneneedssomething customized,SciCropalsooffersasolutionandthatwayit positionsitselfasthemaintechnologysupplierfortheag industryinBrazil.

GivingFreedomofCreationandSpaceforEmployees

Whenitcomestomaintainingapositiveworkculture, SciCropkeepsitsteamyoung,alwaysseekingtoupdate themaintechnologiesandmarketpractices.Itgives freedomofcreationandspaceforemployeestodevelopas aperson.Itallstartswiththehiringprocess.Atthe beginningofitsjourney,thecompanywasincubatedby Google,anditlearnedhowtohireintherightway,and todayithasalmostnoresignations.Peoplelikeand believeinthecompany’smission.

Weprideourselvesonnational andinternationalrecognitionas oneofthemainagtechingeneratingvalueforourcustomers.In ourhistory,wehavewonseveral awardsthatdemonstrateour technicalcapacityandengagementinthesector.

‘‘

BecomingaReferenceinTechnologyforAgribusiness

RenatomentionsthatSciCrophasapracticeof workingwithopensourceandalwayscontributingto thesoftwarecommunity,maintainingsomeprojectsfor thesector.ItalsoinnovateswithitsR&D;ithas partnershipswithresearchinstitutesthatprovidethe developmentofnewcutting-edgetechnologies.For SciCrop,itissimplyanobligationtobecomea referenceintechnologyforagribusiness.

SupportingSustainableandScalableAgribusiness Moreover,SciCrophasalwaysbeenveryclosetothe community,bothintechnologyandinagribusiness.From thebeginning,itsobjectivehasbeentobringtechnology toimproveagproductivityandreduceproductioncostsin agribusiness.

AsRenatomentioned,SciCropisadeptattheopensource,andmanysolutionsitdevelopshavealready helpedcreatenewproductsbyotherpartnersandbythe market.SciCropisapartofinnovationhubsthathelp technifyproducers,anditispresentinsustainability initiativesthatempowerthecommunity,suchasthe SustainableSoyProgramintheCerrado,supportedbythe LandInnovationFund.Supportingamoresustainableand scalableagribusinessisatthebaseofSciCrop'svalues, andconsequentlyenablesfarmerstobepreparedto competeinternationallywithproductivity

MaintainingCredibilitywithCurrentandFuture Clients

TalkingaboutthefutureofSciCrop,Renatoexpressesthat thecompetitionintheAgTechindustryisgrowingevery year.Inthelast3years,thenumberofstartupsinthis sectorhastripled,andtheyallwanttobeinthecradleof agribusiness:Brazil.Heconsidersitisimportantfor SciCroptobewellprepared.

Renatobelievesthatthecompanywillhavealittlemore peaceofmindbybeingpositionedthroughoutthechain andinamoreinfrastructuralpartofthetechnology What SciCropdoesisdifficulttodeliver,sogoodcompetitors willemerge,buttheywillbelesscomparedtoother segments.SciCropplaysitsrole,alwaysbeingawareof whatisnewanddisruptiveandcreatingnewsolutionsto servecustomers.

“Evolving is always necessary in this world of technology. And connections/network are even more important in the agribusiness sector. So, positioning ourselves as a trusted advisor is critical to maintaining credibility with current and future clients. In the end, it's all about keeping a talented team, having a good vision of the future, and above all, being faithful to our values, and here in SciCrop our main value is to change people's lives for better by bringing greater productivity to agribusiness that should feed more than 9 billion people in 2050,” concludes Renato.

Bernardo Fabiani

CEO/Co-founder TerraMagna

TerraMagna

On a Path to RevolutionizingAgro-Credit

Theagricultureindustryhasrevolutionizedoverthe

pastfewdecadesbyleveraginginnovative technologies.However,agriculturestillstruggles withthecreditculture.

Often,newsoffarmerssufferingfromthecreditcultureis commonacrosstheglobe.Inmanyinstances,theyendup payingmorethantheyhaveto,makingafarmer'slife miserable.

BernardoFabianitheCEO,andCo-founderof TerraMagna,cameupwithabrilliantwaytohelpfarmers accessfaircredit.Thecompanyworkswithanexclusive technologythatallowsgrantingcredittodistributorsand producersfasterthanthetraditionalmarketatfairerrates. Let’sunveilhowTerraMagnaisrevolutionizingagro-credit andtakingtheBrazilianagriculturemarkettonewheights.

TriumphOverModernDrought

Brazilianagribusiness,tofunction,needscredit.Andthat creditisscarce.Inthe1970s,Brazilimportedcommodities tofeeditspeople.Today,itisaproductionpower,the largestexporterofsoybeans,corn,andothercrops.This evolutionbeganwithastatepolicythatusedofficial resourcestoprovidetheneededfinancing,whichisno longersufficientlikeanymarketmatures.Insufficient governmentsubsidymadetheagribusinesslookforother waysoffinancing.However,Brazilhasadatablackoutin theruralfield-whichoftenlacksabasicinternet connection.

TerraMagnawascreatedtoeliminatethisinformationgap betweenthosewhoneedcredittofundorinvestinacrop andthefinancer-beitaretailerthatdoesaforwardsale, bank,securitizationcompany,oracapitalmarketinvestor seekingmoreprofitableoptions.

Throughtheutilizationofsatellites,governmentdata,and artificialintelligence,TerraMagnaanalyzesandmonitors agriculturalwarranties,fromseedingtoharvesting.Thisisa waytosolvethefactthatBrazildoesnothavemuch informationaboutcropfieldstomeasurerisks.

UpUntilNow

TerraMagnaisreinventinghowcreditisunderwritten, provided,andcollectedinBrazilianagricultureby leveragingtechnologyandalternativedatasourcesto transformariskyandvolatileprocesscurrentlydonebyless sophisticatedplayersintoasimpleandsafeexperience. ThegoalofTerraMagnaistoprovideaccesstofairand simplecredittofarmers,retailers,andindustries.Through this,investorshavehigh-yield,collateralized,marketuncorrelated,high-volumeassetstoinvestin.

Sinceitsinstitutionin2017,ithasgonethroughsome importantmilestones.ItisthefirstBraziliancompanytobe investedbyYieldLabandwaschosenasoneofthe100 mostpotentialstartupsinBrazilbyPequenasEmpresas& GrandesNegóciosmagazineforthreeconsecutiveyears (2019,20and21).

We take to agribusiness the most important input: credit.

Recently,TerraMagnawasinaUS$2millionroundledby OneVCwithparticipationfromMayaCapital,Accion VentureLab,andkeyangelinvestors.Theidea,which startedwiththreeengineerswithbigdreams,isnowa companywithmorethan130employees.

SteadyGrowthDuringPandemic

UnlikeothersectorsoftheBrazilianeconomy,agribusiness continuedtogrow,evenduringthepandemic.Brazilian agribusinesshadagrossdomesticproductgrowthofalmost 17%inagro,comparedtotwoyearsago.Thesectoropened morethan61thousandnewjobopportunities,thebest performancesince2011.

Whilethisgrowthisremarkable,evenduringan economicallycomplexperiod,theagriculturemarketstill lackssophistication,technology,credit-theareainwhich thecompanyoperates.Thisleavesroomforinnovative ideastobeappliedinthesegment,withsignificantpotential forgrowthandpositivelychangingthelivesofmillionsof families,whichispreciselyitsobjective.

UnmatchedOfferings

TerraMagnautilizesseveraltechnologiestofollowallthe evolutionpointsofacrop,fromseedingtoharvesting,

measuringpreviouslyintangiblerisksforthefinancier. Inaddition,withtherecurrenceoftheanalysis,the companymakesitpossibleforunavoidableproblems(such asweather)tobepredictedand,mostimportant,fordatabasedactionstobetakenduringthecropcycle,preventing debtsfromrollingoverforconsecutiveyears.

Thisprocessbringslucidityforgrantingcredittothe farmer'svariousneeds.Itallowsthemtopayrates accordingtotheriskpresentedbyhisproduction,bythe conditionsofhiscity,specifically,andnotbyamarket averagethatwillalwaysbeexpensivetooffsettheintrinsic risksinvolved.

Value-DrivenCulture

TrustisthefoundationofeverythingTerraMagnadoes.It believesinthepowertosimplifyandonlybringspositive thingstoone'sdailylives:theorganizationalclimate improves,theemployeesfeelpartofwhatitdoes,and coexistenceissimpler

That'showthecompanykeepsitselfalignedinfightingthe battle.

Conceptssuchasfreecommunicationbetweenallsectors, transparentprocesses,assertiveorganization,andplanning

arethereasonsitconstantlyachievedexponentialgrowth. Withoutthesevalues,thecompanywouldcertainlystillbe manystepsbehind.

BackingUptheCommunity

MuchofTerraMagna'sinnovationcomesfromitsexclusive technologyandmarketintelligencethatallowsitto understandbettertheriskofferedineachproductionand,if necessary,tochargethatfarmerbetterwithoutharming theirsustenanceresources.

Asacompany,TerraMagnaensuresthatitisalwaysthe mostcorrect,fairestoptiontofinancethefarmer.Inarecent case,itworkedinabarteroperationwherethefarmerpaid 56%interestayeartofundhisproduction.However,with thecompany'sexpertise,hepaidhalfthatpercentage, directlyreceivingtheimpactofalmosta30%increasein hisprofit.

BranchingOutFruition

BernardoexpressesthatallinputsalesintheBrazilian agriculturemarketare74%self-financedthrough forwardingsalesfromretailerstofarmers.TerraMagnalets theretailerworryonlyaboutthecoreoftheirbusinesssellinginputs-withouthavingtoplaytheobligatoryroleof thefinancier TheTerraMagnateamistheoneswhodothe financing.

Throughthis,thecompany'sgoalistobecometheultimate platformforfinancingagricultureintheBrazilianmarket andanyunderdevelopedagriculture.Itcouldtakethesame solutiontotherestofLatinAmerica(exceptforChile)and AfricaorEasternEurope.

SproutingAspiringEntrepreneurs

Bernardosays, "In the entrepreneurial environment, especially when we talk about startups, it is common to hear the term "build fast and break things." But it's essential to understand that in agribusiness, when you do this, you're not breaking an app in a person's hand, neither a customer experience only, you're breaking a family's recipe.”

"The level of seriousness, of responsibility you must have in agribusiness is incomparable with the lightness with which venture-backed technology companies are used to working," concludesBernardo.

Naveen Sikka Founder & CEO Terviva

Helping Farmers Feed the World’s Rising Population WhileTaking Care of the Planet

Modernagriculturesystemscontributeto deforestationandasignificantshareof greenhousegasemissionsthatcauseclimate change.Today,everypersoninvolvedinthefoodsystem shouldbeconsideringhowtheycancontributetobuildinga sustainablefoodandagricultureecosystem.

Responsiblesourcingofglobalfoodsuppliesisahuge challengethatneedstobeaddressedimmediately Terviva, afoodandagriculturetechnologycompany,isaddressing thesepressingissueswithanovelapproach.

BasedinAlameda,California,Tervivadeliversdelicious, nourishing,andsustainableplant-basedfoodingredients fromthepongamiatree.Itprovidespatentedhigh-yielding treesandoffersproprietarybeanprocessingtocreatehighly sustainableoilandproteinfoodingredients.Pongamiatrees restorefarmlandtoproductiveuse,helpingfarmersfeed peoplewhiletakingcareoftheplanet.

Utilizingexperienceinmanagementconsulting,technology, naturalresources,andagriculture,NaveenSikka establishedTervivatounderstandandextendthebenefitsof theancientpongamiatree’sresilienceandproteinandoilpackedbeans.Sincethen,Tervivahasintroducedpongamia asanewcommercialcropthatconvertsdistressedfarmland intosustainable,productiveacreage.

UnderNaveen’sleadership,Tervivahasunlocked pongamia’spotentialasaclimate-friendly,nutritional powerhouseforfeedingtheworld’srisingpopulation.

IntroducingNutritiousFoodIngredientsfrom AbundantYields

Tenyearsago,Tervivawassetouttogrowan environmentally-friendlysourceofvegetableoilandplant protein.Itplantedacresofpongamiaforthefirsttime, developedapatentedlibraryofhigh-yieldcultivars,learned howtocommerciallygrowandharvestthetreecropwith equitablefarmingpractices,andintroducednutritiousfood ingredientsfromitsabundantyields.Today,itisreadying theworld’sfirst-everhealthyandsustainablepongamia foodingredientstoenterthemarket.

BeingPatientandCommittedtoSuccessofFarmers

Initially,itwaschallengingforTervivatointroduce pongamiatogrowersasanewtreecropthatcanbefarmed commerciallyforessentialfoodingredientssinceitneeded fouryearstomaturebeforeharvest.Foracropfarmer,who isnotfamiliarwiththenutritionalandenvironmental benefitsofpongamia,thisisahardsell.Bycollaborating closelywithgrowerswhohadunderutilizedlandin geographies,Tervivaknewpongamiawouldflourish;itwas abletogetenoughtreesinthegroundtoproveitsabundant

yieldsandvalueasasourceofdeliciousandnutritious foods.ThesuccessofthefarmersTervivaworkswithhas beencoretoitsmissionsincethebeginningofitsjourney

UsingCustomizedDigitalTechnologySolutions

Talkingabouttheimpactofthepandemic,Naveenmentions thattrustandtraceabilityinfoodsupplychainsare paramountinthewakeofthepandemic.Asdemandfor ethicalproductsbecomesmainstream,there’sbeenan increaseinbrandsthatwanttobeperceivedassociallyand environmentallysustainable.Howfoodsaregrown,and theirimpactonthepeoplewhocultivatethemmatters greatly,saysTerviva.

Usingcustomizeddigitaltechnologysolutions,Terviva commitsto100percentsupplychaintraceability throughoutitsnetworkofsmallholderfarmersinIndiaand commercialgrowersintheU.S.Thishelpsconsumerstrust theoriginofitsfoodingredientsandthattheirpurchasing powerbenefitsallthestakeholderswhohelpdeliverthese foodstotheirtable.

RestoringProductivityofFarmlandandHelpingAvoid Deforestation

Terviva’sIPplatformandinnovationsenableittobethe primarymakerofpongamia-basedfoods.Itisreadyingthe launchofgolden-colored,buttery-tastingvegetableoilthat willbeavailablenextyear,followedbyproteinisolatesand ahighlysolubleproteinflour.

Itsgoldenpongamiaoilismid-oleic,whichmeansithasa highpercentageofomega9fattyacidsandhasahigh smokepoint.Chefsravethatpongamiaculinaryoiltastes likegheewiththefinishofextravirginoliveoil.Itcanbe usedtoimprovethetextureandmouthfeelofbuttery spreads,mayonnaise,sauces,plant-basedmilk,and creamers,ordressings,amongvariousapplications.

Pongamiaculinaryoil’sbalancednutritionalprofileand regenerativecultivationmakeitbetterforpeopleandthe planetthanvegetableoilssuchassoy,palm,coconut, canola,sunflower,avocado,oroliveoil.

Farmersgrowandharvestpongamiatreestorestorethe productivityoffarmlandandhelpavoiddeforestation. Pongamiatreesareresilient,nitrogen-fixing,requirelow inputs,andyielduptofivetimesthebeansperacreasU.S. soy Theirabundantyieldsandabilitytocapture115metric tonsofcarbonperacreoverits30-yearlifetimeareusedto

Our IPplatform and innovations enable us to be the primary maker of pongamia-based foods.

unlocknewsourcesofrevenueforTerviva’sgrower partners.

BeingTransparent,Efficient,andInnovative

Terviva’scultureisattheheartofeverythingitdoes.It valuesoperationaltransparency,rigorousexecution,and innovativethinking.Asadiverseteamwithabroadrange ofbackgroundsandprofessionalexpertise,itactively commitstoensuringthatitsmembers’voicesareheard,and thebestideaswin.

LeveragingTechnologytoEnsureExcellence

AccordingtoNaveen,technologyallowsfoodandbeverage brandstoberadicallytransparentandshareinformationina waythatiscredible,comparable,andeasilyaccessibleto consumers,whichisvaluableforconsumersandfood companiesalike.

Tervivaleveragescustomizedtechnologysolutionsto ensureexcellenceacrossitssupplychain,fromtracking whichcultivarsprovidethehighestyieldsforitsgrower partners,toidentifyingandsupportingindividual smallholderfarmersinIndiawhohelptowild-harvest pongamiabeansforagreaterprofitthanwaspreviously availabletothem.

GivingBacktotheCommunity

Tervivaiscommittedtocreatinglong-termsocialvalueand benefitsforallitsstakeholdersanditscommunities.It ensuresitsgrowersgetfaircompensationfortheirwork beyondthepaymentforthecropharvestedfromtheirfields. Cultivatingpongamiahasnetpositiveeffects,including carbonsequestration,cleanerwater,andmorebiodiverse andresilienthabitats.Terviva’scommitmentextendsto

developingmarketsforgrowerstoreceivecompensation fortheseecosystemservicestoo.

Thecompany’ssupplychainofwild-harvestedpongamia beansalsocreateslong-termbenefitsforsmallholder farmersinIndia,whoreceiveatleasta10percentpremium overtheminimumsupportpricesetbythegovernment, whichensuressharedandequitableincomesforruraltribal communities.

DevelopingNewandInnovativeProducts

ThenextphaseofTerviva’sworkwillseethelaunchofthe world’smostsustainablevegetableoilandproteinfood ingredientsatscale.Itwillcontinuetobuilditstraceable supplychainsofpongamiabeansandcollaboratewith leadingsustainability-focusedCPGcompaniestodevelop newandinnovativeproductsthatoutperformexistingplantbasedfoodsintaste,nutrition,andsustainability

EnsuringEthicalTreatmentofPeopleandPlanet

InhisadvicetoemergingAgTechleaders,Naveensays,“As an agtech entrepreneur, you have an opportunity and a responsibility to shape how your company practices social as well as environmental sustainability. Addressing these areas is also important if you want to achieve lasting success.”