Pests cause a 20-40% loss of agricultural production worldwide, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In addition, the organization estimates that “plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion, and invasive insects around US$70 billion“.
Riverside, California-based Agtech startup FarmSense, founded in 2016, is tackling this problem of crop pest monitoring through its FlightSensor, which uses novel optical sensor technology to automate the process of real-time insect classification and counting.
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“This technology virtually eliminates the need for sticky traps and manual insect counts.”
Eamonn Keogh | Co-founder Farmsense
SBIR Funding
We previously reported about SBIR funding FarmSense obtained in December last year.
FarmSense, a Riverside, CA-based pest management AgTech startup obtained $2.2 Million in SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) funding. The latest funds will be specifically used for biosecurity research, and to understand the impact of Japanese Beetles and Gypsy Moths as invasive species.
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“The growing consensus is that early detection and rapid response is the best solution to the pest issues facing us. However, early detection has been a challenge due to lack of robust automatic surveillance systems,”
Dr. Shailendra Singh, Co-founder and CTO FarmSense
It was also reported that FarmSense had won other grants as well. For instance:
FarmSense has won several innovation awards and grants, including:
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Award
- Vodafone Wireless Innovation Award
- National Science Foundation Award
Applying FarmSense Technology in Almond Orchards
Per TechCrunch’s report, FarmSense is testing its technology in “almond orchards in Southern California thanks to a Small Business Innovation Research grant.”
Shailendra Singh — the company’s CEO who has developed systems for wireless and cellular networks as well as security — works on the hardware side. He provided a working price point for each sensor, which will be billed by the season, at $300.
Matt Marcure in TechCrunch
Riverside Angel Summit 2021 Finalists for $100K Prize
Farmsense was among the four finalists competing for a $100K funding prize at the Riverside Angel Summit 2021.
GattaCo, Inc., SiLi-ion, FarmSense, Inc., and Pharm Robotics qualified as four finalist teams in this year’s Riverside Angel Summit, competing for prize money of $100K.
Startempire Wire also reported about StarNav, a startup that obtained SBIR contracts from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. “The startup develops special navigation receivers to provide positioning without GPS. Its target customer is the Department of Defense (DoD). This is especially useful when facing GPS jamming and spoofing.”
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