Page 33 - Identifying and scaling AI startups for SDGs

Identifying and scaling AI startups for SDGs

10.6 Startups decarbonizing agriculture and forestry sectors

Online, 10 June 2022
Moderator: Josh Choi, Program Lead at AI for Good, ITU

Startups:

• Brahm Earth: Brahm Earth offers a cutting-edge solution for monitoring and optimizing
agricultural inputs and outputs, enhancing yield while minimizing environmental impact.
Utilizing AI, Brahm Earth delivers insights that prevent excessive manure use, avert crop
damage, and accurately predict yield quality and quantity. Read more here.
• Bloompool: Bloompool assists farmers in cultivating crops using a water-nutrient mixture,
integrating AI and robotics to optimize the process. This approach significantly reduces
reliance on high-carbon-emitting machinery and fertilizers. Sensors collect data and
transmit it to a central computer, enabling farmers to take informed actions or allowing
programmed robots to execute tasks based on predefined logic.
• Secure Forests CIC: Secure Forests CIC designs and implements comprehensive forest
security programs that blend data-driven enforcement with community involvement and
actions against illegal trade. Their Forest Domain Awareness System employs both above-
canopy sensors, like satellites, and below-canopy sensors, such as the Guardian acoustic
sensor. The Guardian leverages AI technology to monitor forest sounds, identifying
frequencies indicative of illegal activities, like chainsaw use. Upon detecting such sounds,
the system sends real-time alerts to rangers via a mobile app, enabling informed decisions
on appropriate responses, such as deploying patrols or drones to investigate the area.
Each Guardian sensor covers a 3.5km acoustic range.
• Chemotronix: Chemotronix facilitates the transfer of farm waste to biofuel companies
through a dedicated platform that connects farmers with biofuel producers. Leveraging
data gathered from this process, Chemotronix employs AI to forecast methane and nitrous
oxide emissions, aiding in the strategic planning of a path to net-zero emissions.
• INVESTIV: INVESTIV is an Ivorian AgTech company focused on enhancing agricultural
conditions across Côte d’Ivoire and West Africa through precision agriculture. Artificial
intelligence plays a pivotal role across our operations, enabling precise plant and tree
counting, as well as assessing air quality. In agriculture, the identification of diseases
specific to various plants is crucial; by leveraging AI, we achieve enhanced accuracy in
disease identification and management.

Judges:

• Sreenivas Raghavendran; Gamechanger/Commercial Partnerships Manager, Shell
• Lynette Tan; Global Head of Marketing, Pricing and Digital, Shell
• Eric White; Head of Tech for SDGs, World Economic Forum
Ⓡ Josef Kienzle; Agricultural Engineer, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization

10.7 Experience Switzerland's thriving AI startup ecosystem

Online, 2 June 2022

Moderator: Josh Choi, Program Lead at AI for Good, ITU

Startups:

• ZYTLYN: Zytlyn offers a cutting-edge prediction technology platform designed to
assist companies in navigating their critical retailing and e-commerce challenges. The
flagship product, ZYTLYN Demand Forecast, is tailored to deliver predictive capabilities

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