Three innovative Irish startups have each received €10,000 as part of the AIB and Yield Lab AgTech Start-up 2022, Agriland reported.
The three companies, Cotter Agritech, ProvEye and Izario, were announced as winners of University College Dublin’s (UCD) inaugural accelerator programme. The three companies were supported by tech gurus and mentors as part of their development.
Cotter Agritech, founded by brother Jack and Nick Cotter, developed a system that identifies only those animals that need anti-parasitic drug treatment through advanced computer algorithms. Which enables farmers to switch from blanket treatment of herds to targeted treatment saving up to 50% in costs.
ProvEye, the second startup, was named the Ornua Most Innovative Agri-tech Startup of 2022 and awarded €10,000. The UCD spin-out company 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 measurements of crop yield, disease detection, productivity and environmental impact.
Izario was the third winner of the cash fund, and was classed as UCD’s “One to Watch 2022”, awarded a cash prize fund of €8,000 sponsored by Devenish, Herdwatch and Carbery. The autonomous robot the team have developed is said to reduce labour input needed in broiler-breeder and commercial egg-laying hen barns.
The UCD 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.
Niamh Collins, director, AgTechUCD Innovation Centre, said of the event: “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.”
