Registration for the TechStart Agro Digital startup acceleration program is now open

Registration is now open for the fourth edition of TechStart Agro Digital, an open innovation and startup acceleration program co-run by Embrapa Agricultura Digital and Venture Hub. Startups that have already gone through the initial validation phases of their project will be selected, with digital solutions for agribusiness that address four major themes: digital transformation of agricultural chains, agrometeorology and climate change, sustainability of supply chains and advanced biotechnology. Registration must be made by March 17th, at website from TechStart Agro Digital.  

The objective of the program is to contribute to the expansion of new technologies for the sector. To this end, it offers startups technological and business support through a structured process, which includes specialized training and mentoring and connections with research institutions, corporations and investors, creating opportunities to attract partnerships and resources. Launched in 2019, the program has already graduated 28 startups, with at least 10 of them receiving investment proposals during their participation in the program. Another 21 startups also established contact with Embrapa Units for project proposals and partnerships.

For Embrapa Digital Agriculture innovation analyst Martha Bambini, the prospects for the evolution of the agrodigital segment, in the short and medium term, are very positive, involving many opportunities and challenges that can be explored by startups. “There is an expectation for the evolution of various aspects of Agtech entrepreneurship, associated with the digital transformation movement of agricultural chains, such as the areas of fintechs, greentechs, climatetechs and edtechs, offering possibilities for new businesses and attracting investors”, she highlights.

Between February and March, online events will be held to present the acceleration program and to answer questions from those interested in signing up for this new edition. The events will also feature the participation of startups that were accelerated by TechStart Agro Digital, addressing their experience with the program. In this edition, the program has the support of the companies Bayer and EY.

How the program works

TechStart Agro Digital is structured in two stages. Based on the information provided in the program application form, the best-ranked startups will be invited to participate in Warm Up, starting in April. Over the course of nine weeks, activities will be carried out to introduce startups to the context of formation and evolution, using content and tools focused on ideation, validation and planning of technological development.

Next, the startups will go through a new evaluation process to select those that will proceed to the acceleration stage, when they will have access to relevant content and mentoring with professionals from the TechStart ecosystem and Embrapa researchers. “From then on, it will be four and a half months of a lot of hardwork and intense participation of those selected, who will have a program focused on their technological development, product validation and market analysis so that they become suitable and attractive for recruitment. investment”, explains Maurício Duran, coordinator of Acceleration Programs at Venture Hub.

Among the contents covered are traction tools, scale, technological development and investment. The objective of this stage, according to Duran, will be to develop in startups the ability to solve their challenges and customer problems in a cyclical way (creating, defining, testing, observing results, capturing more data, analyzing and developing), with agility and always returning to the market for validation, based on the Lean Startup concept.

Exclusive benefits

During the acceleration stage, startups will have exclusive benefits, such as easy access to the Venture Hub coworking space, the VH Academy online knowledge platform and legal, marketing and intellectual property services. In addition to connecting with the technical mentor network, participants will also have free access to resources and infrastructure for developing new products, such as agricultural information and models available on the Embrapa AgroAPI Platform.

The tool includes data on cultivars and productivity, agricultural zoning, vegetation indices, agrometeorological, soil and genomic data, among others, which are accessed through APIs (application programming interface, in English translation) and can be useful , for example, in the development of digital solutions for production planning, monitoring and management.