The registration period for the fourth edition of TechStart Agro Digital, acceleration and innovation program in startups carried out by Embrapa Digital Agriculture and Venture Hub is open. Startups will be selected that have already passed the initial validation phase, with digital solutions for sectors related to agriculture. The main themes are: digital transformation of agricultural chains, agrometeorology, climate change, sustainability of supply chains and advanced biotechnology. Register until March 17 on the TechStart Agro Digital website! Click here to sign up.

The program aims to develop new technologies from startups. It offers technical and business support in a specific process, including training, qualified mentoring and connection with research institutions, corporations and investors. This creates opportunities to attract partnerships and resources. Launched in 2019, it has already benefited 28 startups, and at least 10 of them were proposed for investments during its participation. Another 21 startups have contacted Embrapa for project proposals and partnerships.

Embrapa Digital Agriculture has that, according to Innovation Area Analyst Martha Bambini, the prospects of agrotech for the coming years are very encouraging. She listed several areas that address the digital transformation of agricultural chains, all open to new businesses and good investments: Fintechs, Greenechs, Climatechs and Edtechs.

Since February, online events are being held to show the acceleration program and answer all questions so that they can register for the next edition.We will also have startups that were accelerated by TechStart Agro Digital, sharing how was their experience in the program.In this edition, we have the sponsorship of Bayer and EY companies.

How our program works?

TechStart Agro Digital consists of two main stages. The startups with the best qualifications will be invited to participate in Warm Up, which will begin in April.For nine weeks, startups will have access to online and face-to-face content and tools to learn everything about the context of complex development and evolution. These resources teach how to verify the viability of the idea, validate the business plan and plan the optimal technological development.

After that, the startups will go through a new round of evaluations to select those that will move to the acceleration phase. During this stage, they will have access to relevant content and mentoring with professionals from the TechStart ecosystem and researchers from Embrapa. “From there, it will be four and a half months of very hardwork, with a schedule focused on technological development, product validation and market analysis to make them able to attract investments”, explains Mauricio Duran, coordinator of the Venture Hub Acceleration Programs.

The program will include an online stage and will also allow startups to connect through hybrid events. In it, we will address areas such as traction, scale, technological development and investment. According to Duran, the objective of this stage is to enable startups to solve their customers' problems in a cyclical way (creating, defining, testing, observing the results, capturing more data, analyzing and developing), with agility and always taking into account market responses to validate each step from the Lean Startup approach.

Exclusive advantages

During the acceleration process, startups will have access to some exclusive benefits that can facilitate their development. For example, a network of specialized technical mentors, promotions of legal, marketing and intellectual property services, as well as free access to the Venture Hub platform and VH Academy. Participants will also be able to use resources from the AgroAPI Embrapa Platform to create new agricultural products. This tool provides information on cultivars and productivity, agricultural zoning, vegetation indices, agrometeorological, soil and genomic data through APIs. This information is extremely useful for creating digital solutions for planning, monitoring and production management.