GoviLab AgriTech Accelerator Program (Sri Lanka)

Objectives

• Its primary objective is to establish an enabling ecosystem for innovators and entrepreneurs developing solutions which address these challenges to scale their business models ensuring affordability and accessibility of their solutions to smallholder farmers.

Focus Areas

• GoviLab has collaborated with stakeholders from the government, private sector, industrial bodies and smallholder farmers themselves to identify 3 key problem areas faced by smallholder farmers that can be addressed through Agritech solutions developed by startups in Sri Lanka. Agritech start-ups working to address the following problems are open to apply to the program:
  • Agricultural Inputs & Practices:
    • Mechanization of input (fertilizer, seeds, agrochemicals) application
    • Timely fertilizer application/farm management
    • Pest & disease (timely detection & management)
  • Water Management:
    • Timely dissemination of information regarding water needs of different crops
    • Mechanization that ensures accurate water provision for crops, reducing water wastage
  • Post Harvest Management:
    • Providing smallholder farmers with direct access to market and empowering them with information regarding specific crop demand (market price/quantity needed)
    • Value addition
    • Storage

Benefits

• Capacity Building Funds
• Access to grant funding and equity investment opportunities and facilitated access to a large international investor and donor networks
• Support in product development, including design, rapid prototyping, and manufacturing consultation to ensure scalability and relevance of your product for smallholder farmers nationwide.
• Streamlined access to diverse partners including government, private sector, technology and agriculture experts, as well as direct engagement with smallholder farmer communities at the national level.
• Mentorship by a set of qualified global and local experts; and curated set of capacity building sessions to support with national scaling of your technology
• Access to Hatch Co-working space and the Hatch MakerStudio

Eligibility Criteria

• Your Startup is solving one or more of the following problems for smallholder farmers:
  • Timely application of agricultural inputs & mechanization of farming practices
  • Water management
  • Post harvest management
• And has:
  • Developed an AgriTech Product e.g. farm management software, sensors & IOT, robotics, mechanization etc.; And
  • Is post-revenue (Audited financial statements will be required)

For more information, visit Hatch.