A dynamic transformation within the agricultural sector is unfolding in Southeast Asia, marking it as a hub for technological progress and innovation. Amidst the challenges posed by COVID-19, which severely impacted agriculture, the region is witnessing a significant shift fueled by the top 8 agritech startups flourishing there.
These trailblazers are not only redefining farming with cutting-edge technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity but also adapting to pandemic-induced changes. Adopting digital solutions used by these agritech startups has been crucial in bridging the gap between farmers’ supply and consumer demand. Resilience and adaptability are essential, as the agricultural sector looks set to reach a gross production value of USD 226.10 billion in 2023. This growth heralds a new era of sustainable farming and promises enhanced regional food security.
How farmers in Southeast Asia are leveraging agritech to boost production and reduce environmental impact
Qarbotech
Qarbotech is a Malaysian-based firm revolutionising leafy plant cultivation with its product QarboGrow, which enhances photosynthesis rates by 30%. This breakthrough leads to 25% shorter crop cycles, 20% sweeter fruits, and impressive drought resistance. Its technology bolsters crop growth and optimises fertiliser use, reducing environmental impact.
Qarbotech’s focus on solopreneurs highlights its dedication to empowering small-scale farmers with eco-friendly solutions. Backed by PETRONAS FutureTech and Glocalink Singapore, Qarbotech stands out for its commitment to sustainability and efficiency. It raised $700,000 in seed funding and grants.
Urban Farm Tech
Another Malaysian startup, Urban Farm Tech, specialises in designing and building sustainable urban farming systems, focusing on hydroponics, aquaponics, and IoT technologies. It excels in creating self-sustaining communities through advanced urban agricultural practices.
Its services include consulting on farm layout, crop selection, and marketing and providing educational programs on sustainable practices. Notable for its commitment to reducing water usage, eliminating pesticides, and maximising crop yields, Urban Farm Tech is a critical player in enhancing the safety of the commercial food chain. It has the backing of the Boston-based incubator programme AcceliCITY powered by Leading Cities.
Tunas Farm
Tunas Farm, an Indonesian agritech startup, stands out with its vision to urbanise farming through automation and controlled environments, particularly in vertical farming. Focusing on three main issues: production cost, quality, and selling price, they aim to provide affordable, premium vegetables.
As one of Indonesia’s first indoor vertical farms, they utilise IoT and precision farming methods to combat urbanisation, climate change, and natural disasters. It has raised USD 1 million in seed round funding to support its innovative approach involving turning idle assets into productive food sources.
Mertani
Founded in 2016 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Mertani specialises in precision agriculture technology. Offering IoT sensor integration, cloud data solutions, and software for real-time agricultural data, its standout product, Automatic Weather Station, AWS, is a solar-powered, wireless irrigation system tailored to crop needs.
Mertani employs robust IoT sensors for remote data transmission, supported by partnerships with LoraWAN and NB-IoT Telkomsel. Its collaborations with the government, private, and research sectors significantly bolster Indonesia’s agricultural sustainability.
Agribuddy
Agribuddy is a company based in Hong Kong and Cambodia. Founded in 2015 by Kengo Kitaura, it provides finance, knowledge, goods, and services, including irrigation systems and infrastructure, to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Farmers can post about their growing plants through its app-based platform and ask fellow farmers questions.
It established a credit scoring system that connects financial institutions to rural credit customers. With its pilot programme, Agribuddy has provided 1,973 farmers with USD 254,478 of credit.
ATEC Bio
Australian-Cambodian startup ATECBio is revolutionising modern farming with innovative biodigesters. Its Biodigester product efficiently converts livestock manure into clean cooking gas and organic fertiliser, offering sustainable solutions to rural households.
ATEC differentiates itself with its PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) consumer finance model, making this technology more accessible even to those with limited means.
FishLog
Indonesian firm FishLog is revolutionising the fisheries’ cold chain network with a strong focus on community involvement. By seamlessly connecting cold storage facilities, fishermen, distributors, and buyers, it is working to optimise the cold chain and digitalise cold storage operations.
Its collaboration with Bank Mandiri, which aims to disburse USD 3.57 million in credit, significantly extends its impact, reaching 45 locations in Indonesia. It has raised funding for USD 4.5 million over the years, with the latest in the form of a seed round in November 2022.
Archisen
Archisen, based in Singapore, excels in the realm of urban agriculture. Operating one of Singapore’s highest-yielding indoor farms, it is on target to produce an impressive 100 tonnes of vegetables annually. The company’s innovation is rooted in Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA).
Its comprehensive farm management solution, Cropdom, integrates a proprietary system named Croptron. This system employs sensors, IoT, and data analytics, enabling real-time improvements in farm processes. In November 2023 it raised almost USD 1.8 million in a corporate funding round led by FarmByte.
These top 8 agritech startups in Southeast Asia are revolutionising agriculture with IoT, machine learning, and Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA). These agritech startups are boosting yields and efficiency and tackling food insecurity and sustainability. Their collaborations with financial bodies and pay-as-you-go models make advanced technologies accessible to smaller farmers, democratising modern farming and setting a precedent for global agricultural practices.