FarmSense, a pioneering agtech startup, proudly announces its crowning achievement today: winning the top accolade in Bayer’s esteemed global Grants4Tech Pest Monitor Challenge. This recognition underscores the profound impact that technological advancements, such as FarmSense’s FlightSensor™, can have on reshaping the future of commercial agriculture.
During an intensive demonstration session spread over several days at Bayer’s German headquarters, the FarmSense team showcased the prowess of their FlightSensor™ technology. The startup’s real-time pest monitoring capabilities notably impressed the judging panel, comprising industry veterans and experts. This led to FarmSense securing the top prize of 10,000€ and opening the door to potential future collaborations with Bayer.
Bayer, a pharmaceutical giant, outlined the primary objective of their competition: to unearth “novel technologies to detect and identify above and below ground pests in crops at an early infestation stage.” Such innovative solutions are aimed at optimizing the application of crop protection measures. The judging criteria rested on four key pillars: the novelty of hardware design, sensitivity, scalability, and testability.
Expressing gratitude and looking ahead, Dr. Shailendra Singh, FarmSense’s co-founder and CTO, stated, “Receiving the top honor in the Bayer Grants4Tech Pest Monitor Challenge is a significant milestone for FarmSense. Our FlightSensor’s capability for real-time pest monitoring and classification is vital for championing the sustainable growth of commercial agriculture. We are very bullish about what the future holds for FarmSense.”
The essence of the FlightSensor™ lies in its groundbreaking integration of computational entomology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-time analytics, designed to enhance insect monitoring and crop management. This avant-garde approach to pest management spells multiple benefits for growers – from saving precious time, effort, and financial resources to decreasing pesticide use and boosting crop yield.
Founded half a decade ago, in 2016, FarmSense has committed itself to aiding farmers in streamlining pest management and eliminating the uncertainties of insect monitoring. The FlightSensor™ is a testament to this commitment, offering real-time insect data and identification and, thus, empowering farmers to make timely, mission-critical crop and pest control decisions.
FarmSense’s journey, from its nascent stages as an incubator project at the University of California, Riverside, to an award-winning startup, has been spectacular. With over $2 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding already in its kitty and potential funding opportunities that could raise this amount to over $4 million, FarmSense’s success story continues to inspire. The startup’s stellar accomplishments include recognition and support from prestigious entities like Microsoft, Google, the US Department of Defense, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and many more. As the global agricultural community gravitates towards sustainable practices, innovators like FarmSense, with their game-changing technologies, are poised to lead the way.
Image provided by FarmSense
