Since 2018, Lower Saxony has been supporting the establishment of startup centers and is now funding ten such centerswith 2.31 million euros from 2023 to 2025. The eligible total costs are covered 50 percent by the state. We are thrilled to announce that RootCamp is among the selected startup centers to receive funding. We are very pleased and excited about this opportunity, which will enable us to further expand our acceleration program and support even more startups in Lower Saxony and beyond.

As the world continues to face mounting environmental challenges, such as greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, and land degradation, the need for sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever before. One of the key areas that requires attention is the current linear material flow, which poses a significant challenge in achieving sustainability. Nutrients are critical for crop production, and with reserves of essential nutrients like phosphorus estimated to be fully exploited by the end of the century, waste streams must be reused to provide future raw materials. In this blog article, we'll explore why nutrient recycling and innovations in the circular economy are crucial in coping with increasing environmental problems and how they can pave the way for a more sustainable future. Get to know cutting-edge approaches 👇.

Agriculture technology is an innovative field that combines cutting-edge technology to create sustainable and efficient solutions. With the growth of agtech startups, there are now numerous events that showcase the latest developments in the industry. To help you to navigate the vast amount of startup events, we have compiled 10 startup events with focus on agriculture for 2023 that you don’t want to miss!

Regularly, we want to present to you the startups that are part of the RootCamp accelerator startup program. In our blog interview series, we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology, and how RootCamp has taken the startup from Latvia to the next level. Get to know Biorefic of Batch#3.

Emils Paupe-Balodis Co-Founder of Biorefic at the Demo-days in Hannover

What does your startup do?

Biorefic develops technology for upcycling agricultural residues to advanced prebiotic ingredients for feed and food sectors. We unlock the value in biomass by extracting a unique, synergistic prebiotic compound. The technology is scalable, cost-effective and can be backward integrated into existing processing operations.

Can you give us an example of a product produced by Biorefic and its applications?

The technology of Biorefic is based on a process called biorefinery. It involves breaking down the biomass into small particles and then converting it into desired end products using microorganisms, enzymes, and chemicals. This process is energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective as it utilizes waste that would otherwise be disposed of. An example of a product is bioethanol. It is derived from agricultural waste such as grain and plant residue and can be used as fuel for cars and in the chemical industry. Another example is bioplastic, made from biodegradable materials and providing an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic products.

How does your technology bring positive change to agriculture?

Biorefic is the enabler of true circularity. We are the link between the agri-food operators that generate significant volumes of underutilized agricultural residues, and animal feeds ingredient producers, seeking effective yet cost-competitive gut health solutions for ever-growing animal produce demand and challenges. We must tap into the available resources and bring them into agri-food systems to meet the ever-growing need for food.

Why did you decide to apply for RootCamp?

Germany is one of the agricultural hubs in Europe and it is important for us to establish networks as well as collaborations here for future opportunities. RootCamp was a perfect opportunity. The startup accelerator program provides grants with an amazing curriculum and mentors while being absolutely equity-free. We are also looking forward to collaborating with one of the industry partners.

How has participating in our accelerator program helped you with your business? 

RootCamp has helped us to clarify what potential investors are looking for, and how they are thinking, which has allowed us to clarify our development strategy and narrow the focus on things that truly matter for achieving growth as fast as possible. Moreover, it has been an absolute privilege to learn from the amazing colleagues from the other startups in the batch.

What are your plans for the near future?

We want to gather data to validate our products functionality and improve our technology’s defensibility. In addition, we have identified the pet food ingredients segment as a beachhead market, where production scale is not a prohibitive factor to set up pilot projects with industry partners. After these milestones, we would initiate the funding round to establish our own pilot production facility.

➡️ Do you want to level upyour startuplike Biorefic and benefit from our  unique ecosystem of innovation hub RootCamp? Subscribe to our newsletter and stay on track for the next application deadline.

You came across our startup program and wonder how your startup will benefit from participating? We often receive questions from later stage startups asking whether they fit into the program and what added value the participation has. In this article, we present to you 9 powerful arguments why established startups should definitely apply for our program. Let's go!

EuroTier/EnergyDecentral is the leading livestock and energy fair organized by DLG (German Agricultural Society/Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft) every two years in Hanover. Over 1,800 exhibitors from 57 countries were present and around 106,000 visitors from 141 countries come by. An impressive performance for the first EuroTier after 4 years break due to a COVID-19!

Regularly we want to present to you the startups that are part of the RootCamp accelerator startup program. In this interview series, we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology, and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Get to know Cynomys of batch #3.

What does your startup do?

Cynomys has patented an IoT solution to monitor the environment on the farm, we have overcome technical difficulties that have allowed us to be the only ones able to accurately and continuously monitor environmental parameters such as fine dust, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, or methane. Our solution allows us to monitor over 30 environmental parameters according to the customer's needs, furthermore for greater accuracy of the data all our devices are calibrated in a certified laboratory.

How does your technology bring positive change to agriculture?

With precise environmental data, it is possible to improve farms’ efficiency, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, decrease mortality, increase productivity and reduction in the use of antibiotics are just some of the goals achieved by our customers. We work together with pharmaceutical industries, feed industries, and agri-food companies to improve and make current farming practices more sustainable.

Why did you decide to apply for the Innovation Hub RootCamp?

We believe that the best way to grow is the comparison in the dynamic ecosystems such as RootCamp. The startup accelerator program, despite being very complete, structured, and intense, is also designed to leave free time for startups that are already operational, and we are proud to have been selected. We also want to help livestock farming to be more sustainable in respect of animal welfare and in Europe, Lower Saxony is certainly one of the best places to start.

How has participating in our accelerator program helped you with your business? 

We have significantly expanded our network with exciting realities and we are already working to realize 3 new projects with companies and startups in the RootCamp ecosystem.

Enrico Carta (Co-founder of Cynomys) at the demo days of batch #3.

What are your plans for the near future?

We definitely want to close the investment round and expand our market by hiring new people in sales. Thanks to the many possibilities presented to us, we are also evaluating the possibility of opening a branch in the Hanover area.

➡️ Do you want to level up your startup like Cynomys and benefit from the unique ecosystem of innovation hub RootCamp? Click here to drop off your application for batch #4. Deadline to apply ends on 16th January 2023.

Regularly, we want to present to you the startups that are part of the RootCamp accelerator startup program. In this interview series, we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology, and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Get to know VetVise of batch#3.

From left to right: Jakob Wendt (CTO – Background in Machine Learning & Datacenter Security), Johannes Schmidt-Mosig (data-driven veterinarian from TiHo Hannover), and Norman Caspari (Business Development & Administration). 

What does your startup do?

VetVise puts the animal back at the center of pig and poultry farming. We care for the well-being of all animals by continuously monitoring them with cameras and AI to recommend actions that improve animal welfare and farm efficiency. AI analysis and linking with other data, such as slaughter data, optimize the entire value chain. We use cheap and off-the-shelf hardware for EdgeComputing to automate and objectify the stable management of the future. As a team, we are extremely diverse with very different professional backgrounds with the common goal to bring real benefit to the farmer. 

How does your technology bring positive change to agriculture?

VetVise helps farmers demonstrate compliance and improvement in animal welfare to the public and improve resource use. For example, the temperature in the barn is controlled according to what is optimal for the animals. Too cold would be bad for animal welfare and too warm would mean a waste of resources. This improves farm efficiency. The animal and its needs are the center of attention again - even if it is in a large barn.

Why did you decide to apply for the Innovation Hub RootCamp?

As a Hanoverian startup, we had already heard a lot of good things about RootCamp, which is located in Hanover. Before the application, we realized that we had to keep learning and professionalizing in order to continue to be successful. Within 1.5 years, we grew from 3 founders to a team with 15 people. 

How has participating in our accelerator program helped you with your business? 

We have learned how to professionalize our structures and hired for example some more people for the back office. The weekly coaching sessions are extremely helpful. As a result, we can start the next growth step in a few weeks. The extraordinary practical experience of the RootCamp team has also given us a lot of food for thought about the next to-do's.

Norman Caspari (Co-founder of Vetvise) at the demo days of batch#3.

What are your plans for the near future?

At the moment our focus is on establishing structures, hiring, and onboarding new team colleagues. After that, we will start with another financing round and want to begin with the first major customer outside of Central Europe in Q4.

➡️ Do you want to level up your startup like VetVise and benefit from the unique ecosystem of innovation hub RootCamp? Click here to drop off your application for batch #4. Deadline to apply ends on 16th January 2023.

The global livestock sector contributes to a significant share of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and efforts to reduce the sector’s emissions and its environmental footprint have accelerated. Technologies and practices that help reduce emissions exist, and their adoption and use by the majority of the world’s producers can significantly mitigate the impact of climate change. In addition, the European Commission through the Green Deal has set a series of targets including the no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, helping companies to become world leaders in clean products and technologies, and supporting economic growth decoupled from resource use. But what does it mean in practice? How is the national or European regulatory framework shaping climate-smart livestock? 

The livestock sector faces enormous environmental challenges like high emissions, water and land usage, as well as changes in consumer behavior and the increasing importance of animal welfare. To be in line with the climate objectives, emissions need to be reduced significantly. As part of the BLIVE project, Innovation Hub RootCamp collected seven best practices that are improving the management of livestock farm.

After almost two long years of digital batches and events, Batch #3 ended with not only one but even two in-person Demo Days in a row! Startups, corporates, investors and other experts gathered on the 30th and 31st of August at the RootCamp headquarters in Hanover. This article gives you a deep dive into carbon farming.

After three months of intensive work, the RootCamp Acceleration Program Batch #3 reached its end. To complete this amazing journey, we organized not only one but 2 Demo Days onsite in Hanover with focus on livestock farming and carbon farming.

Transforming the livestock sector

Together with the German AgriFood Society, we are implementing the BLIVE project to boost innovation and start building a pan-European network in the livestock sector. Increased global demand from the society for better animal welfare, improved sustainability across the livestock value chain, as well as the effect of the climate change are only a few of the challenges the livestock sector is facing. Innovation is key and will remain essential to address these challenges, and to ensure the contribution of the sector to the global food and nutrition security. To support farmers in this process, new disruptive innovations are emerging. Technologies to monitor animal health and welfare, prevent disease outbreaks, and optimise animal nutrition are now available. Let's have a look at some of them.

Showcase time for RootCamp Startups

On the first Demo Day, the following startups from the current batch had the chance to present their innovative technology:

BIALTEC

BIALTEC, a startup based in Colombia, designs, and produces microencapsulated precision microbiomes for animal feed, which are capable of reconfiguring the intestinal microbiome by improving the animal feed conversion and gut health, maximizing the absorption of nutrients and minimizing the environmental impact. 

Biorefic

Biorefic from Latvia works on a next-generation biorefinery technology for producing from agri-food fibers advanced prebiotic ingredients and microbial Omega-3 fatty acids. The ultimate gut microbiome enhancing ingredient, resulting from this process, improves animals’ health and immunity and boost their performance.

Cynomys

Cynomys based in Italy, developed and patented a IoT monitoring system able to measure more than thirty parameters related to air quality (e.g., ammonia, CO₂), energy and water consumption, and provides livestock farmers with real-time data to monitor farm's performance and to plan corrective actions.

VetVise

VetVise located in Germany, developed a Machine Learning (AI) supported early warning systems based on 2D camera data. With this system, swine and poultry farmers are able to observe 24/7 their animals at the farm, assess animal behavior, and receive alerts related to feeding problems, tail biting, ventilation failure, among others.

Need for innovation and collaboration in the livestock sector

Ana Granados, Vice President of the Animal Task Force, presented the work of this European Public-Private Partnership that brings together the actors of the European livestock sector to draw a common view for a sustainable, competitive, and diverse livestock production sector in the EU through innovation and knowledge transfer. During her intervention, she mentioned some of the ongoing European initiatives such as Green Deal, Farm to Fork, and COP26 that are shaping the European livestock farming. She also highlighted the importance of collaboration among all actors in research, innovation, food production, policymakers towards a circular and sustainable food systems.

Additional inputs about the challenges and future of livestock farming were discussed during the panel moderated by Julia Köhn, from the German AgriFood Society. Wolfgang Heinzl, Director Business Development of the PHW Group; Lars Abraham, Co-Funder and CEO of dropnostix; and Philipp Rittershaus, Managing Director of RootCamp talked about the reduction of meat consumption in Europe due to the availability of alternative protein-based products. However, they agreed that livestock might continue to exist in Europe as an essential part of the food system, and the demand for high quality as well as local produced meat will remain. Startup driven innovation on livestock and investments in this sector are underdeveloped. Therefore, startups that can deliver added-value solutions to meet the sector needs could play an important role in attracting more investments and forming the future of livestock. In this sense, the panelists also emphasized the need for innovation in livestock and a legal framework that allows farmers to produce more efficiently and remain competitive compared with other regions. They also concluded that livestock farmers deserve more respect and recognition for the important work they are doing.

What’s next in the innovation hub?

The Demo Days of Batch#3 were a success, and we brought together many different experts. The conversation about livestock farming does not end here. If you are interested in knowing more about climate change and how livestock innovations can help with it, check out this blog article.

Last but not least we will attend EuroTier, the leading international trade fair for professional animal farming and livestock management, happening in Hanover, Germany, between the 15th and 18th of November 2022. Looking forward to meeting you!

As a startup, you may be challenged with questions regarding the right social media marketing for your business. Uncertainties determine the everyday life of young founders. Fast and sustainable growth only works with successful marketing. Especially for startups that have not been established on the market for long, a good marketing strategy is essential. What good is the best product if no one knows about it? The marketing sector is in a constant state of flux. If you want to approach your customers not only in a targeted way, but also in a state-of-the-art manner, you have to keep an eye on the trends.

From April to September 2022, RootCamp in partnership with the German AgriFood Society is implementing the BLIVE project to boost innovation and start building a pan-European network in the livestock sector. The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, through the SERVICE Open Call issued and executed by the SmartAgriHubs (Grant Agreement No 818182). This is the first public grant that RootCamp receives.

Get to know Caspar Olenhusen! He is one of RootCamp's startup coaches, with a passion for agriculture since his childhood. During his career in different countries like the USA and the UK, he collected a wide amount of knowledge and know-how to coach startups in the agribusiness and ag-tech scene.

For Batch#3 we got 250 applications from 58 countries worldwide! We are extremely grateful for your interest in our program and the choice was definitely not easy for us.
Together with our partners, we have selected seven promising startups. The business ideas are driven by innovative technologies with a major impact on the agricultural industry. In the coming months our mentors, corporate partners and industry experts will work with the startups on many different topics as part of our acceleration program.

Let's have a look on RootCamp Batch#3 👇

AgriCircle

AgriCircle makes sustainable food production measurable and delivers application maps for resource efficient fertilization via API. Together with farmers and food processors they fight for more soil vitality, biodiversity and a more efficient and sustainable use of resources in agriculture. The startup from Switzerland provides automated and outcome based measures for regenerative agriculture. Their solutions deliver highly accurate and economically viable measures to quantify sustainability and to improve productivity in one go.

Bialtec SAS

The biotech startup comes from Colombia. Bialtec SAS designs and produces microencapsulated precision microbiomes capable of reconfiguring the intestinal microbiome into a more efficient and healthy one. With an office in the Netherlands, will seek to position itself in Europe.

Biorefic

They are developing a next-generation biorefinery technology platform for advanced prebiotic ingredients and microbial Omega-3 fatty acids while enhancing food security by upcycling agri-residues into animal feed. Their prebiotic is the ultimate gut microbiota enhancing ingredient that improves the health, immunity and boosts the performance of animals. The algal omega-3 lipids are a sustainable replacement to fish oil, essential to avoid depleting marine resources. They come from Latvia. 

Climate Farmers

Based in Berlin the startups mission is reversing climate change through regenerative agriculture. Climate Farmers enables an effective carbon market for agriculture through the development of soil carbon monitoring systems to enable farmers to transition to regenerative practices. The technology at the core of Climate Farmers allows for remote, continuous and low-cost monitoring. Satellite data is processed based on scientific algorithmic models and machine learning, enabling continuously higher quality results with growing data sets and lower costs. This builds trust in the reliability of agricultural soil as carbon sinks and allows to funnel a larger margin of profit to farmers directly.

Cynomys srl

We are the promoters of conscious, sustainable and animal welfare-oriented livestock farming with our patented IoT solution for environmental impact monitoring in animal farms: the Cynomys Livestock System. Cynomys srl are the sole company to provide full, comprehensive monitoring of environmental parameters and energy and water consumption in animal housing with a single, self-contained IOT device. The devices are specifically conceived for long time measurements and all their features are designed and built for that very purpose.

Seqana

Seqana is a Berlin-based startup that enables global climate action through satellite-powered insights & monitoring solutions for Soil Organic Carbon. They enable a hands-off approach to MRV (monitor reporting verification), cutting expenses from $5-$10/hectare to $0.05-$1/hectare, and expediting the pathway to credible SOC stocks anywhere on earth. The technology is powered by Earth Observation (public and private) which offers a 10x reduction in cost as compared to current established services. Beyond the MRV bottleneck, their solution can be applied to reduce the time and effort needed to scout new projects by offering a large-scale analysis of state or countrywide SOC levels to help direct new project resources most efficiently.

VetVise

VetVise from beautiful Hanover improves animal welfare and farm efficiency in pig and poultry production by 24/7 video monitoring and real-time Machine-Learning analyzing. They care for the animal from birth to slaughter. AI analysis and linking with other data, such as slaughter data, optimises the entire value chain by giving actionable feedback. They combine usually independent domains in order to achieve more through diversity: Science with Commercialisation, Veterinary/Agricultural Science with Cutting-edge Machine Learning and Theoretical Physics. Using low-cost, off-the-shelf low tech hardware as a basis for high tech algorithms to perform real-time animal behaviour tracking on edge computing to automate and objectify the stable management of the future.

About RootCamp

RootCamp is a multi-partner innovation-hub for technology-oriented startups and intrapreneurs from the agri-food tech and bioeconomy sector. RootCamp is part of the SpinLab Family based in Leipzig and was initiated by K+S AG. It maintains a vibrant ecosystem and can count as partners on KWS, SKW, hannoverimpuls as well as Agritechnica.

We offer different startup programs which run up to twelve months and startups are supported by a grant of up to 50K EUR per team. A fundamental part of the programs is the collaboration between startups and corporate partners to develop new ideas and implement suitable solutions, in the form of pilot projects. The “Acceleration Program” addresses young startups and provides assistance as well as a network of mentors, industry experts and investors. Established startups are taking advantage of the “Fast Track” to rapidly enter collaboration projects with our partners.

The deadline to apply for batch #4 ends on 23rd August!

Young startups face many questions at the beginning of their journey in building a successful business. Uncertainties regarding their business idea, the company presentation to potential investors, product management and employee recruiting determine the everyday life of young founders. Therefore, it is highly recommended to seek the advice of external industry experts in the early stages.

RootCamp supports startups who want to accelerate their paths to market and have a positive impact in the Agritech sector with disruptive solutions. We provide an acceleration curriculum for early stage and fuel later stage startups. We connect you with great hands-on mentors with experience in your industry. Our mentors are well-known experts who support you strategically during the program and help you to solve concrete technical or managerial problems.

Today we want to introduce you to RootCamp mentor Alexandra Vázquez Bea from our network.

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Alexandra Vázquez Bea. I hold the position of COO / CFO at Oetker Digital and previous Executive Board member for Finance, Investor Relations, Human Resources and IT at Veganz Group AG. I have over 15 years of professional and leadership experience in the finance and startup fields. Not only that, but I worked in Corporate Finance at NORD/LB for almost seven years before becoming a restructuring consultant at FTI Andersch AG. In this role, I advised on complex restructuring and refinancing projects across Europe. In 2016, I started my own company, LENCHEN – Der Lebkuchen, and led the startup to become a well-established name in the delicatessen pastry sector. Since July 2021, I have been working for Veganz Group AG as the Executive Board member responsible for Finance, IR, Human Resources and IT. Along with my entry came the official kick-off of the company's IPO, which was successfully closed in just under 4.5 months in November 2021. I am an active mentor in the startup scene.

How did you get into the AgriFood Tech industry?

My first contact with the AgriFood Tech industry was through my own startup in the delicacies business. Here I learned a lot about this industry. From the right use of raw materials over product development to the distribution and proper marketing of food products. During this time I was able to build up a good network in the food/agritech startup industry. This ultimately led to my contact with my current employer, Veganz Group AG, and I have remained loyal to the industry within my current position.

What does mentoring mean to you personally?

I have experienced the ups and downs, the ambition, but also the challenges that one is confronted with during the early startup phase myself and have learned lots of lessons during this process. I often recognize my own experiences in the situations of the startups. Furthermore, I am glad to be able to pass on my experience and knowledge to young founders. And I also do learn a lot within a mentoring process. This is a two-way street, and I appreciate the ambition and dedication of the founders to a great extent.

Why did you decide to support RootCamp startups as a mentor?

I think it's great to be able to actively support startups in developing and establishing a working business model. Through my professional experience, I know the food and AgriFood tech industry well. Therefore, RootCamp is a perfect match. Furthermore, RootCamps approach differs a lot from other accelerator programs and with its focus on mentoring gives the right impulses to the startups.

Alexandra has provided great support for our startups, especially in the area of financing.

What requirements do startups need for a successful mentoring relationship?

For a successful mentoring relationship, it is important that the people behind have confidence in their business, in themselves and in the mentoring. They have to be open-minded and willing to closely work together to identify challenges and find solutions. To get it going, of course, a certain enthusiasm and commitment must be present.

➡️ We are constantly looking for individuals willing to support founders that bring a range of skill sets to the table. If you’re interested in being a RootCamp mentor, just shoot a message to Gaia Amatteis.

Traditional multibillion-dollar corporations have dominated the modern economy due to their market access, structured processes, and well-known, trusted products. Uncertainty is being caused by the emergence of new trends, technologies, and market opportunities. In this environment, startups thrive. They are quick, problem-oriented, and fearless, but they lack experience and economy of scale. Collaboration between corporations and startups appears to be a perfect match, but it is not as simple as it sounds. They need help.

Regularly, we want to present you the startups that are part of the RootCamp program. In the interview series we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Get to know wiCow of batch #2.

Regularly, we want to present you the startups that are part of the RootCamp program. In the interview series we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. This time we want to introduce you FibriTech who are part of RootCamp batch #2.

The RootCamp Demo Day is designed as an exchange platform for the agrifood tech scene in which corporations, investors and startups can discuss current topics like sustainability, circular economy, green packaging, digitalization of agriculture, and soil improvement techniques. Let’s see what happened this year and how we celebrated the Batch #2. 

Regularly, we want to present you the startups that are part of the RootCamp program. In this interview series we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Get to know Contagra of RootCamp batch #2.

Regularly, we want to present you the startups that are part of the RootCamp program. In this interview series we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Get to know DigiFarm of RootCamp batch #2 and its co-founder Nils Helset. 

With the increase in the world´s population, the demand for food, energy and water is rising as well. However, the resources available are finite and have a limited capacity to meet this growing demand. Globally, around 90 billion tonnes of primary resources are extracted and used each year, with less than 10% being recycled. In addition, agricultural and land-use changes account for around 31% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the agricultural sector a major contributor to climate change.

Regularly, we want to present you the startups that are part of the RootCamp program. In this interview series we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Get to know E-Terry of batch #2.

Modern agriculture is in the process of a technological revolution. Influenced by the growing global demand of sustainable produced food, followed by the increasing costs and shortage of labour, and the regulatory pressure for the reduction of the use of agrochemicals, robotic technology is redefining quickly agricultural production.

Global challenges such as the growing world population (predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050), the increasing demand for food, and climate change are impacting the environment and putting pressure on agriculture. More food and fiber need to be produced by adopting more efficient and sustainable production practices, and by adapting them to the changing environmental conditions. To face these challenges, digital agriculture and agricultural decision-making systems have become very attractive.

Regularly, we want to present you the startups that are part of the RootCamp program. In the interview series we introduce you to the founders, their innovative technology and how RootCamp has taken the startup to the next level. Let's start with GeoPard from Cologne (Germany) of batch #2.

Carbon farming is an agricultural method which aims to sequester atmospheric carbon into the soil as well as into roots, leaves and wood.  It is also known under the term “regenerative agriculture” and includes numerous agricultural methods. 

The development of agriculture has become one of the central issues in society. This is because food production is responsible for one third of annual greenhouse gas emissions and is therefore a key contributor to climate change. Conversely, agriculture suffers from extreme weather conditions and farmers' harvest and livelihoods become increasingly uncertain. 

The fact that one farmer can now feed about 130 people is the result of constant innovation within the last centuries. Just within the last 40 years the techniques of modern biotechnology were added. But how will AgBiotechnology shape the development of the agricultural sector in the future? Can AgBiotechnology help us to feed all the people on earth and at the same time enable an environmentally friendly way of working? Do we have to expect to reach the borders of the laws of physics?

These are questions that we will probably only be able to answer in retrospect many years from now, but one thing is already certain: AgBiotechnology offers many possibilities and startups have a great potential to build a disruptive business and contribute to a more sustainable agriculture.

Biotechnology in general means "any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use". 
For us at RootCamp, AgBiotechnology encompasses more specifically biological and chemical techniques used on-farm including inputs for crops and animal agriculture in general, genetics, microbiomes and breeding.

At RootCamps we catalyze the cooperation of industry and international early stage as well as established startups. To support that, we also aim to build a supportive network and ecosystem.

There are thousands of startup programs in a wide variety of fields. But there are very few for agtech startups. You probably heard about us on social media, somebody introduced you to us, or you ended up at RootCamp by chance. Either way, still need more information about us and our program? Still unsure if you should apply to RootCamp with your startup? Then I have written down 11 reasons why our accelerator program is the right one for you.

And don't forget: the next application deadline is 16th January 2023 and you can't miss it!

"Nothing changes if nothing changes". In order to be able to continue living on our earth, more must be done for the protection of the environment, nature and species. 

Less than a year after opening up, we celebrated the end of the acceleration program with the first Demo Day on March 11th. Over 100 international attendees from the agrifood industry joined the virtual event to hear about our program, see the startups pitch and get more insights on innovation for soil health.

Incubators are great for skyrocketing your business in an environment where coffee machine chit-chat can turn into a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity. Is it possible to establish this typical atmosphere of a startup community remotely? We found out by doing.

The Berlin-based startup SmartCloudFarming is one of the first who joined RootCamp. Their remote sensing technology provides 3D soil maps about moisture and nutrients as well as soil organic carbon.

Why is that useful? “Imagine the corona-virus can be identified via satellite in real time images. You could find out the values for every city and act accordingly. If you would use the same value and actions for the whole country it would not be effective. The same applies to soil organic carbon. Instead of having one value for five hectares you can get ten values for each hectare using a satellite. Precise and in depth”, explains CEO and plant biotechnologist Michele Bandecchi. Compared to other technologies, they don’t have to collect soil samples, are faster and more scalable.

Sanja Brdar and Oskar Marko from Novi Sad/Serbia are ringing in the next agricultural revolution. Their startup CROPT offers AI solutions for the agriculture of the future which means they use high tech to accelerate the development of the sector with big data, AI, machine learning and similar concepts.

While shaping future developments Oskar looks back at history to explain how this modern technology came into place. Agriculture was shaped by developments like “the Industrial Revolution in the 19th and early 20th century where new tools were developed. During the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s new fertilizers and pesticides were introduced. All of this was done to increase yield."

Now there is again a pressing need to increase yield: “We need to increase the agricultural production by 70% until the year 2050 and the only technology that can help us today is IT." This is where CROPT comes into place. Their technology analyses data to make precise recommendations on the kind and amount of fertilizer a farmer needs. This way yield goes up and costs go down.

At their former employer BASF, Maik Schacht and Norbert Heidinger worked with an experienced team on making a novel hydrogel that helps plants thrive despite climate-change induced droughts, available to farmers. To get faster and more effective, Maik and Norbert bought the technology and the knowledge from the corporation and founded their own startup Be-Grow as a management buy-out.

On farms the hydrogel makes more water and nutrients available to the plants, which is crucial for the survival of plants in dry summers and to produce more yield. Unlike former similar products, it is completely free of harmful substances and can even be used in combination with fertilizers. The hydrogel is as effective as a greenhouse when growing plants but at low cost for the farmer: “The investment of a farmer to build up a greenhouse is about one million Euro per hectare. In comparison, the cost for Be-Grow Boost products for one hectare is about 250 Euro, which can be easily covered by the additional yield.” This way the product is also affordable for smallholder farmers in poor countries.

When Florian Gösling and David Gebhard went backpacking in India, they didn’t plan to come back with a business idea. But when travelling the country they also visited shrimp farms. While India is the biggest producer of shrimp globally and ships them worldwide, the conditions are not always the best for the animals, the consumers and the environment. So David and Florian decided to find a better solution - even though as a lawyer and an engineer they had nothing to do with the agrifood industry. What got them hooked was the possibility of “creating a positive impact with a product that everybody loves”, says David.