Meet the 22 innovation teams of the AgriTech4Uzbekistan bootcamp

AkoFresh
AkoFresh is a green enterprise utilizing smart solar powered cold rooms to preserve perishable agricultural produce from 5 days - 21 days and tackle post harvest losses. This is in a bid to empower smallholder farmers, traders and rural communities as well as boost local economies.

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Amudar.IO
Amudar.IO provides an integrated hardware and software solution for monitoring climate and coal consumption in greenhouses to reduce fossil fuel burn and to optimize crop yield. It achieves this by predicting the heat loss resulting from various weather conditions and provides optimal schedule for controlling the furnace.

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COWMAS
COWMAS revolutionizes precision livestock management for smallholder farmers by providing an all-in-one software solution integrated with IoT devices, enabling farm management, record-keeping, operational planning, and veterinary connectivity.

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Dehkanbaba
Dehkanbaba is an e-commerce mobile application aimed at digitising agricultural markets in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia. By creating a network of farmers, exporters and consumers, Dekhanbaba makes digital payments and cash-on-delivery services more accessible for all.

Biochar by Ecobiome
Biochar by Ecobiome is a naturally occurring, carbon-rich soil additive that has the potential to improve soil fertility and increase crop yields by lowering the demand for synthetic fertilizers. Our mission at Ecobiome is to be the industry leader in sustainable agriculture by developing cutting-edge biochar products that are essential for improving soil health, capturing carbon, and eventually reducing climate change.

Fuselage Innovations
Fuselage Innovations, is an Agri-tech start-up company, with expertise in the development of technologies based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV) IoT and AI. Fuselage Innovations addresses the issues with farmers regarding post natural calamity issue and need to increase the efficiency and sustainability of the farming business by deploying the most advanced solution for mapping and diagnostics of farmland through dedicated UAVs/drones.

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GeoAgro-Dehqon
GeoAgro-Dehqon is a digital platform that provides holistic support to farmers in Uzbekistan in local language (Russian), organized into 10 different modules with numerous services. The system consists of a centralized server along with [1] the GeoAgro-Dehqon app and [2] the GeoAgro-Dehqon administrative dashboard, being the two interfaces where the user (farmer) and the experts (scientists) interact on either side.

GET Robotics
GET Robotics provides advanced software and hardware solutions for precision agriculture. The Lima-Bot is an automated ground vehicle solution for agriculture, revolutionizing farming practices through automation, data analysis, and precision farming techniques. With advanced sensors, computer vision and intelligent fertilizer dosage, it minimizes fertilizer use by up to 40% and reduces excessive chemicals in the soil. The Lima-Bot liberates farmers from overly-lengthy processes, unnecessary costs and saves their soil through sustainable farming.

GROWZ
GROWZ empowers smallholder farmers with cutting-edge AI technology and data-driven insights to improve their yields, and lands, and promote sustainable farming.

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iWater
iWater - revolutionizing the water management system with a unified solution that combines both platform and device, enabling real-time monitoring of every water flow discharge at hydrological stations to ensure efficiency and sustainability.

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Lifesavers of the Desert Pasture
Life Savers of the Desert Pasture is dedicated to the need to develop a technology for optimizing reproduction, preventing degradation and desertification of soils of desert pastures in order to create a new, saturated habitat for Karakul sheep. With the help of phytomeliorant plants, it is possible to improve the unfavorable physical and mechanical properties (composition, structure, granular composition) of the soil. With the introduction of mineral fertilizers into the soil of Karakul pastures in late autumn and early spring, it is possible to create favorable conditions for the growth and development of phytomeliorants.

Machine Learning Lab
Welcome to Next Generation Smart Greenhouse, where we're transforming agriculture with precision. Machine Learning Lab’s AI-Powered Greenhouse Climate Monitoring System harnesses cutting-edge technology to optimize crop growth, conserve resources, and promote sustainable farming practices. Join us in shaping the future of agriculture for a greener, more productive planet.

MagicSoft Group
MagicSoft’s application of drones in plant disease assessment offers efficient monitoring and detection capabilities for smart agriculture. Drones provide increased accessibility, improved coverage, and rapid data collection, enabling timely disease detection.

Manhat
Manhat is a deep technology startup based in the United Arab Emirates; focusing on "natural water distillation" patented technology for sustainable water and floating farm solutions.

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MethaGone
MethaGone is developing a probiotic feed additive emulating the methane mitigation strategy of red seaweed. As MethaGone, we aim to reduce methane emissions of cows by up to 98% while also displaying a similar performance to common weight gainer products. Contrary to the red seaweed alternatives, MethaGone is non-toxic, more scalable, and palatable for cows.

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mistEO
mistEO is a realtime takaful parametric insurance platform for agriculture powered by weather analytics, satellite based monitoring, intervention advisories and smart contract based claim settlement.

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Piatrika Biosystems Pvt Limited
Piatrika is building an AI-driven platform that helps researchers and seed companies to bring more sustainable seeds and agri chemicals to market faster and cheaper. We are doing this by creating a new innovative enterprise cloud PAAS for genomic discoveries and plant breeding decision support, programme design and monitoring.

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SoiLens
SoiLens is an app for high-resolution soil information with spatial visualisation of nutrient heterogeneity at quantitative scale. The user can access precise, expert-level and site-specific recommendation on fertilisation strategy and timing.

Terra Bank
Terra Bank is a game-changing innovation that bridges the lending gap for farmers. By harnessing advanced sensors and machine learning, the system generates accurate credit scores for farms, empowering banks to offer favorable loans. Farmers' financing struggles are addressed as this technology analyzes extensive farm data, which traditional credit departments overlook.

TezExport
TezExport is an aggregator platform that brings together the offer of manufacturers, suppliers and wholesale buyers of agricultural products. TezExport provides a service for processing and delivering bulk orders at the regional level.

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WeavAir
Weavair offers a digital twin model powered by satellite hyperspectral imagery, drone imagery and field sensors, which enables better land use and crop rotation planning and reduces the cost and time required to make accurate decisions by at least 10-fold, resulting in ROI of less than 2 years. It helps improve resilience to climate events, and improves water and energy efficiency, while also creating new revenue opportunities through the sale of carbon offsets. By streamlining the regulation compliance & certification, the solution also enables access to new investment and foreign financing opportunities.

Zero Earth Company
Zero Earth Company is a buy now pay later (BNPL) farmer financing platform to implement environmentally economically and socially sustainable dairy models which increases farmer revenue up to 10 times and reduces emissions up to 50 percent.

What is the Selection Process?

1June - July 2023

Call for applications

The AgriTech4Uzbekistan Innovation Challenge is a global call, opening on 8 June and closing on 23 July 2023 at 23:59 CET.

2August 2023

Selection of the 20 innovations plus at least 2 CGIAR-led innovations

The 20 most promising solutions plus at least 2 CGIAR-led innovations are shortlisted based on the criteria of level of innovation/innovativeness, relevance to the context of Uzbekistan, sustainability and scalability, scientific relevance, and quality of the team.

3September 2023

Bootcamp

The 20 selected solutions plus at least 2 CGIAR-led innovations participate in a fully funded 3-day bootcamp in Tashkent, providing them with technical guidance, mentorship, and pitch training to prepare for the pitch-day competition. 

4September 2023

Selection of the 10 innovations

The top 10 innovations are shortlisted by the Selection Committee and announced on the pitch-day concluding the bootcamp, granting them admission to the acceleration program.

5November 2023 - March 2024

Acceleration program

The top 10 innovators participate in a fully sponsored acceleration program, combining business training, scientific technical assistance, and access to on-the-ground experimentation with farmers and value chain actors, designed to support them test, validate, and prepare to scale-up their innovation. 

6April 2024

Demo day

The top 10 innovators pitch their solutions to investors, industry experts, agribusinesses, scientists, governmental institutions, and the media at the closing demo day.   

7April 2024 onwards

Post-acceleration support

Winners receive a share of the $30K equity-free grant and continued post-acceleration support to accelerate go-to-market and growth through mentorship, market introductions, and opportunities for long-term collaboration with CGIAR research programs and projects.

How We Select Solutions

Applications are assessed by the Selection Committee, which includes CGIAR and external experts from the public and private sectors, research institutions, the agri-food industry, and investors. Evaluations are based on specific criteria, rated on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor and 5 being excellent).

  • Level of innovation/innovativeness: Your solution is novel, innovative, and has a strong impact on the agriculture and food sectors. 

  • Relevance to the context of Uzbekistan: Your solution addresses at least one of the priority areas, is suitable to the Uzbek context, and provides concrete solutions to end-users/target beneficiaries.

  • Sustainability and scalability of the solution: Your solution presents a clear business model and sustainable revenue model.

  • Scientific relevance: Your solution has a proven scientific methodology to address the problem and has a clear link with CGIAR’s Impact Areas and/or research activities. 

  • Quality of the team: Proven competence, technical coherence, commitment, and motivation, has entrepreneurial mindset, diverse and inclusive team.

 

Meet the Selection Committee

Who Selects Innovations

Oyture Anarbekov
CGIAR IWMI
Oyture Anarbekov
CGIAR IWMI

Country Manager & Researcher

Nasiba Kamilova
CGIAR IWMI
Nasiba Kamilova
CGIAR IWMI

Communication Officer

Sarvar Djalalov
innoWIUT Entrepreneur's Lab of WIUT
Sarvar Djalalov
innoWIUT Entrepreneur's Lab of WIUT

Director

Dilshod Zufarov
Uzbekistan Venture Capital Association
Dilshod Zufarov
Uzbekistan Venture Capital Association

Chief Innovation Officer

Jahongir Kagirov
IT Park
Jahongir Kagirov
IT Park

Head of Startup Ecosystem Development Team

Malika Saparova
FAO
Malika Saparova
FAO

Project Assistant

Hrvoje Ivan Horvat
UNDP Uzbekistan
Hrvoje Ivan Horvat
UNDP Uzbekistan

Lead Technical Specialist - Food Security and Sustainability Through Knowledge and Innovation

Bunyod Khoshimkhodjaev
UNDP Uzbekistan
Bunyod Khoshimkhodjaev
UNDP Uzbekistan

Project Analyst on Enhancing the Digital Entrepreneurship

Nekesah Wafullah
CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform
Nekesah Wafullah
CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform

Agri & Climate Tech Venture Builder Expert

Akmal Akramkhanov
CGIAR ICARDA
Akmal Akramkhanov
CGIAR ICARDA

Country Convener for the Uzbekistan Cluster & Senior Scientist

Gianpiero Menza
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Gianpiero Menza
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Senior Manager, Partnerships & Innovative Finance/Accelerate for Impact Platform

Azamat Djuraev
IT Park
Azamat Djuraev
IT Park

Head of Digital Transformation Department

Indranil Majumdar
FE Indorama Agro LLC
Indranil Majumdar
FE Indorama Agro LLC

Chief Operating Officer

Oleg Khamdamov
International Agriculture University
Oleg Khamdamov
International Agriculture University

Vice Rector, International Relations

Nargiza Khujanazarova
International Agriculture University
Nargiza Khujanazarova
International Agriculture University

Head of International Department

Umidjan Nazarkulov
Tashkent State Agrarian University
Umidjan Nazarkulov
Tashkent State Agrarian University

Associated Professor, Head of the International Relations Department