A lot has happened since Smarterra (officially Smarterra powered by SMAFINE) was launched in February 2024 in Matera. This EU Horizon project is dedicated to fostering AgriFood innovation systems and entrepreneurial activity in Southern Italy.

Last year, RootCamp, together with five other consortium members, kicked off the SMARTERRA powered by SMAFINE project in Matera, Southern Italy. The EU-Horizon funded initiative aims to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern Italy’s food and agriculture sector. Despite its economic importance, the AgriFood sector in Southern Italy encounters barriers to growth, particularly due to limited funding sources that hinder local startups and scale-ups. Seeking to bridge this funding gap, the project aims at attracting foreign investors and informing European capital providers about the promising opportunities within Southern Italy's AgriFood sector. 

Within SMARTERRA powered by SMAFINE, RootCamp’s activities focus on knowledge-sharing, ecosystem support, and capacity-building initiatives. One such measure is a delegation visit to Hannover, including consortium partners and SMARTERRA powered by SMAFINE ambassadors—four selected agritech startups from Southern Italy. The delegation visit, taking place from February 24th to 26th, will include visits to the Bayer Life Hub in Monheim, RootCamp’s Demo Day in Hannover, and the agrifood de:hub meetup in Osnabrück. Apart from the startups, Johan Jörgensen, project consortium member and Founder of Sweden Foodtech will join the delegation. 

Here are 4 AgriTech Startups Transforming Southern Italy’s Agriculture

Abit Agritech: AI-Powered Solutions for Healthier Soils

Using advanced soil analysis tools and AI-powered technology, Abit Agritech a startup from Milan around CEO Chiara Antonucci helps enhance soil biodiversity and health. Their innovative solutions optimize soil management practices, reduce dependency on chemical inputs, and promote environmental sustainability.

Anostra: Smarter, Safer Agricultural Machinery

Giuseppe Castellitto, along with his team from Anostra introduces Aisidoro, a plug-in module that transforms existing agricultural machinery into safer, semi-autonomous systems. Using AI, it adapts to terrain and driving styles, reducing false alarms and enabling timely emergency responses.

Terroir from Space: Detecting Unexploited Vineyard Planting Sites

By utilizing satellite data Alessandro Saetta and his co-founder from Terroir from Space  analyze key parameters associated with soil and climate for different locations. This information is fed into a trained AI algorithm to detect and classify new planting sites, with long-term resilience to climate change.

Symbiagro: Green Biotechnology for Enhanced Productivity

Symbiagro leverages microbial biocontrol agents, biostimulants, and biofertilizers to enhance crop resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, while reducing chemical usage. The team around CMO Alessandro Pipolo patented their microbial production process which improves product affordability and shelf life.

SMARTERRA powered by SMAFINE’s mission is to connect the South Italian innovation ecosystem with other European investors, mentors and project partners. To learn more about our activities and upcoming events, check out our website and our social media. If you are interested in learning more about SMARTERRA powered by SMAFINE, one of the startups or if you even have a collaboration idea in mind, don’t hesitate to contact us.

What´s next?

Save the date! Don’t miss the chance to discover these innovative startups. Within the delegation visit, the founders will attend our Demo Day on February 25, 2025, at RootCamp headquarters. Mark your calendar and connect with Southern Italy! REGISTER HERE

The Smarterra activities are funded under the project SMart Agriculture & Food INnovation Ecosystem (SMAFINE) funded by the European Union’s HORIZON EUROPE research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101114215. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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After an exciting three-month program and intensive preparation, the eagerly anticipated moment finally arrived. We welcomed attendees to the 5th Demo Day held at our headquarters in Hannover. This year's event for RootCamp Batch #5 brought together a multitude of stakeholders from our valued partnership network, uniting a diverse audience ranging from local startups and academic representatives to corporate collaborators. In the vibrant atmosphere of the event, the spotlight was focused on the values of innovation, collaboration, and the exciting potential for cross-industry synergy.