The AgTechUCD Innovation Centre has announced the nine start-ups selected to participate in University College Dublin’s (UCD) new accelerator programme dedicated to early-stage AgTech and FoodTech start-up companies.
The inaugural AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme, which began this week, is an intensive 12-week virtual programme which includes: Dedicated business development workshops; investor readiness training; mentoring from AgTech and FoodTech experts and business advisors; guest speakers; and facilitated introductions to AgTechUCD’s venture capital and business angel networks.
Participating start-ups are based in Cork; Donegal; Dublin; Galway; Limerick; Roscommon; Westmeath; in addition to Northern Ireland and Tunisia.
Programme applications were also received from start-ups based in Chile; Croatia; England; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Kenya; the Netherlands; and Ukraine.
Tom Flanagan, director of enterprise and commercialisation, NovaUCD, said: “We are delighted with the calibre and global potential of the start-ups selected to participate in the inaugural AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme.
“The programme received applications from all across Ireland, and indeed from all around the world. This highlights the demand for this accelerator programme in Ireland and the interest from international start-ups underscores Ireland’s leading reputation in the AgTech and FoodTech sectors.”
AgTechUCD
AgTechUCD, based at UCD Lyons Farm and part of NovaUCD, is focused on accelerating the launch and scaling of AgTech and FoodTech start-ups in Ireland.
It has been funded through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland.
AgTechUCD aims to support founding entrepreneurs as they build their innovative businesses into leading enterprises, though the AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme.
It provides access to incubation space and to on-farm testing for new products and services at UCD Lyons Farm.
Niamh Collins, manager, AgTechUCD Innovation Centre said: “During the next 12-weeks, the AgTechUCD Agccelerator programme will focus on supporting the commercial development of the nine participating start-ups.
“Through the programme we will also be working with the start-ups to help increase their visibility in the marketplace, attract new customers and investors and forge new partnerships.”
“AgTech has already established key relationships with strategic players in the agtech and foodtech sectors in Ireland, across Europe and in the US, which will now leverage to support the participating start-ups to launch their products or services into new territories,” she added.
UCD Agccelerator Programme
The Agccelerator Programme will conclude in early-December when participating start-ups will pitch their businesses to a panel of investors with the opportunity to be awarded prize funding in a number of award categories.
Partners on the AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme include: AIB; The Yield Lab Europe; Bimeda; Devenish; Carberry; Origin Enterprises; Ornua; and HerdWatch which are providing financial and mentoring support.
Additional mentoring support will be provided by Greencore; Kubota; Dairymaster; Dawn Farms; the Virtual Vet; IFAC; Finistere; Macra Na Feirme; HBAN; and Atlantic Bridge.
Participating start-ups will have access to specific supports from AWS Activation; Catalyze; Deloitte; and FR Kelly.
Start-up participants
The nine start-ups selected for the UCD programme are as follows:
- Cotter Agritech – developing the Cotter Crate, a novel sheep handling and monitoring system;
- CropHound – uses remote sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor crop health, growing conditions and crop potential from planting to harvest;
- FodderBox – developed and built a fully-fitted, self-contained, computer-controlled fodder production system that sustainably produces 1t of fresh premium fodder per day, in pure water;
- FreshGraze – developed a robotic moving fence and management system which portions out new pasture to grazing animals as they require it;
- Izario – developed an autonomous poultry robot that operates in broiler-breeder and commercial egg-laying hen houses;
- Niskus BioTec – focused on the provision of innovative products and services to the agri-food and biotech sectors in fungal large-scale solid-state fermentation.
- Positive Carbon – developing food waste monitoring technology for the food service industry;
- ProvEye – spin-out from the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering. Provides advanced processing software which can be used to create actionable management decisions in agriculture and other industries;
- SmartBeeKeeper – developing SmartBee a cutting-edge hardware and software platform to enable beekeepers monitor and track their beehives.