By Investing in Agritech, Brazil Sets out to Feed the World

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The investment in Brazilian agricultural startups has been developed by accelerators and funds focused on feeding the world. And obviously making a lot of money from it.

In this regard, exhibitions and themed events start in Brazil with this concept: promoting new ideas to increase agricultural production.

One such example comes from the interior of Paraná, in southern Brazil. The second edition of AgroBIT Brazil, held in Londrina in mid-November, collected funds that represent a lot of money.

The presence of Silicon Valley-based innovation platform Plug And Play was the most representative. And yes, the North American group, that accelerated 1,107 startups in 2018 (562 in the USA, 545 non-domestic) will invest in Brazil.

Plug And Play has a success story with cases such as Pay Pal, Dropbox, Rappi, among others. The fund’s representative in Brazil, Luís Dearo said they are working to make new investments, now in Brazilian startups, and agribusiness is in this focus.

Francisco de Frutos, Director – Food & AgTech at Plug and Play Tech Center said in an exclusive interview with The Rio Times, that they are interested in new technologies, in the sectors of agriculture, health, finance.

Frutos highlighted that the group opened an office in Brazil, in the financial capital, São Paulo. Plug And Play is owned by an Iranian family, who left the country in 1979 and immigrated to the United States.

Londrina, an innovation hub in agricultural technology

At the opening of the exhibition, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Tereza Cristina launched the Innovation Hub in the city. In her speech, she highlighted that Brazil has to invest more and more in technology in agribusiness.

“More and more we have to embark on technology in agribusiness, more and more we have to take responsibility for the food security of our country, and more than 160 countries where Brazil exports. The innovation center in Londrina is the first of a set where the Ministry of Agriculture will try to add all the innovation efforts and try to provide a cooperative work between the centers and the Institute of Science and Technology-ICTs that we have today in the country” says the director of the department of support to innovation for agriculture and livestock, Luis Claudio Rodrigues of France.

Feeding the world

Edsmar Resende, director of startup 10b, is adamant that “With sustainability and profitability we have to feed the world’ s ten billion inhabitants by 2050, and the world food base is in Brazil’s hands”. Resende emphasized this potential when introducing his “Pitch” at AgroBIT in Londrina, in search of investors.

With the mission of “creating opportunities for innovative start-ups and funds, through financial investment, networking and strategic partnerships, aiming at return and growth for businesses,” Smart Value Investiment S/A was also present at the exhibition.

Smart Value is chaired by Guy Tsumanuma, according to him, the company’s goal is to be a “seed capital” fund in the national scenario, relying on partner funds. The goal is in progress. The group is an angel investor in several startups, being the main sponsor of the second edition of AgroBIT Brazil.

With the exhibition, the Londrina region has become a showcase for agritech startups seeking partnerships and development.

In-depth study

The exhibition has also served as a place of study. The program featured debates worthy of academic dissertations focused on generating business. This is different from academia, because in Brazil in general, universities do not focus on business. With rare exceptions.

Coordinator of AgroValley, the body that governs the agro innovation ecosystem in the Londrina region, George Hiraiwa, an agronomist who graduated from the University of São Paulo, leads the organization to AgroBIT.

The panelists point out that Brazil is in search of technology, innovation, and investments in agriculture. Here are some of the highlights of the exhibition:

– How to produce more efficiently, cheaply, and sustainably

– Innovations in agricultural mechanization – John Deere

– Digital solutions to increase profitability in the field

– Innovation in business models: changes in the consumption profile and sustainable production challenges in the agricultural value chain

– Consumer perception: where are consumer expectations heading?

– Market and value creation for sustainability in Brazilian beef cattle ranching.

– How startups differ from traditional companies by providing solutions for agribusiness.

– The evolution of biotechnology in agribusiness – molecular biology and agro in the future

– Technology in animal husbandry: high-impact technological solutions in the milk chain

– New engineering: advanced manufacturing

– Advances and perspectives in connectivity in the field, new perspectives for connectivity, successful case in connectivity in agriculture

– Digital platform and solutions for agriculture

– Artificial intelligence in the field