Three companies – Cotter Agritech, ProvEye and Izario – have been announced as winners of University College Dublin’s (UCD) inaugural accelerator programme.
Entitled AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme, it is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in building their own innovative businesses in the agri-tech and food-tech arenas.
Cotter Agritech
Limerick-based start-up, Cotter Agritech, was named AIB and Yield Lab AgTech Start-up 2022, and received a €10,000 prize fund.
Founded by brothers Jack and Nick Cotter, the company developed a system that identifies only those animals that need anti-parasitic drug treatment through the use of advanced algorithms.
This enables farmers to switch from blanket treating animals to a precise application, reducing anti-parasitic drug use by up to 50% resulting in lower costs, lower biodiversity damage and prevention against parasite resistance.
The start-up recently concluded research trials involving 18 commercial farmers in Ireland and the UK.
ProvEye
ProvEye was named the Ornua Most Innovative AgTech Start-up 2022 and was also awarded €10,000.
This UCD spin-out was founded by Dr. Jerome O’Connell and Prof. Nick Holden from UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering.
ProvEye uses first-to-market intellectual property to process and analyse unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite imagery to obtain insights into the efficiency and sustainability of the agricultural sector.
The software yields accuracy in the measurement of crop yield, disease detection, productivity and environmental impact.
Izario
Izario was announced winner of the AgTechUCD One to Watch 2022 award and received €8,000, sponsored by Devenish, Herdwatch and Carbery.
Founders, Raymond Heneghan and Stepan Dzhanov, based in Galway, have developed an autonomous robot that will help reduce labour input needed in broiler-breeder and commercial egg-laying hen barns.
The robot replaces human labour by taking over tasks such as picking floor eggs, monitoring bird health and welfare along with monitoring the sheds’ environmental outputs.
Izario’s autonomous robot allows farmers and processors to make informed decisions based on data.
AgTech programme
The AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme took place virtually across 12 weeks and provided participants with intensive business-development workshops and training while being mentored by agri-tech and food-tech experts and business advisors.
Eight start-ups participated in the programme with main focus on their commercial development including market visibility, customer acquisition and new partnerships.
Niamh Collins, director, AgTechUCD Innovation Centre, said:
“We will continue to support our first cohort of start-ups, who are disrupting the ag-tech industry, creating opportunities for a healthier, more efficient and more sustainable agri-future.”