Start-Up Nation Central collaborates with Microsoft to promote Israeli agri-food tech startups

Start-Up Nation Central has collaborated with Microsoft to promote Israeli agri-food tech startups in the international marketplace. The collaboration focuses on connecting AI, data, cloud, and machine learning technologies from agricultural information to Microsoft's AI tools.

Together, Start-Up Nation Central and Microsoft will work to identify global agri-food tech challenges, with an emphasis on connecting AI technologies that can help develop durable models for optimal and sustainable agriculture across the entire value chain. Led by Microsoft agri-food CTO Ranveer Chandra, the collaboration will identify relevant innovative companies in Israel that are using agricultural data for cutting edge applications. It will also examine how these technologies can be integrated into Microsoft's cloud-based agriculture-focused business tools.

Israeli agri-food tech entrepreneurs will benefit from exposure to global opportunities through Microsoft's network of connections. Potential opportunities include collaborations with strategic partners, access to new markets, and showcasing market-ready technologies on a global scale.

Avi Hasson, CEO, Start-Up Nation Central: "The Israeli agri-food tech industry is well advanced in data, software, and connectivity, and offers incredible potential for Microsoft in the growing field of data-driven agriculture. Israel boasts over 250 leading cloud agriculture startups that offer fertile ground for innovation in this rapidly developing sector. Start-Up Nation Central's unparalleled access to the Israeli startup ecosystem and connections to global multinational companies like Microsoft, enables us to create exciting opportunities."

In the first phase of the collaboration, Start-Up Nation Central and Microsoft will promote a series of tech challenges to propel mapping Israeli startups and relevant technologies within the agri-food tech sector.

The first two tech challenges are already underway with a focus on water management and sustainable agriculture. As part of these challenges, over 40 relevant Israeli startups were mapped, and two Israeli agri-food tech companies– Projini (developers of innovative pesticide solutions) and Saturas (developers of a breakthrough sensor-based precision system for optimized irrigation) – were selected to collaborate with Microsoft at this event and have the opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft's global technology and investment teams.

Saturas is an Israeli agtech company that has developed an InTree sensor-based intelligence system, enabling accurate wide-scale health tree management for high-value crops and forestry.

Anat Halgoa Solomon, Co-founder and CEO, Saturas: ''Knowing that this is a difficult time in the market today for investments, both globally and especially in Israel, this vote of confidence and opportunity we received definitely improve our position and chances to succeed. In addition to the participation at the conference, we were invited by Microsoft and Start-Up Nation Central to place Saturas tree model at 15 Microsoft locations around the world next to the farm model they present to promote their new platform – which we are very proud of."

Projini AgChem is discovering and developing new pesticides that interfere with the cellular machinery known as protein-protein interactions network. Such novel discoveries are much needed to grow enough food for the fast-growing world population. 

Dotan Peleg, CEO, Projini: "During the conference we revealed our technology to dozens of leading stake holders in the field. AI is reshaping many industries and using AI to innovate the crop protection industry for sustainability, pesticide safety and pesticide-resistant control opens new horizons for all. Projini is proud to pioneer this important industry transition with our unique AI capabilities. We are privileged to scale our proprietary AI capabilities even further through collaborations with Microsoft's promising new AI platforms "

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