Nigeria - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Farmspace is an agritech startup that provide access to affordable soil testing as-a-service to smallholder farmers in Nigeria, through a portable AI-powered soil analysis device that provide data-driven insight for efficient usage of fertilizer & water.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

We offer quick soil data analysis to provide data-driven insight on soil nutrients level, pH, water, conductivity and organic matter in real-time to reveal nutrient deficiencies or corrections needed to provide conducive growing soil environmental conditions for plant growth. Our device is portable powered by batteries which collect and measures soil fertility on-field to generate fertilizer recommendation and crops most suitable for the soil. Our goal is to empower smallholder farmers with the best agronomic practices to make informed decisions on efficient fertilization, irrigation and sustainable soil management. Our innovative solution is facilitating the integration of precision farming into farmers daily practices which increase food productivity with less environmental impact. We started 2021 and currently we have 10 units our devices where we have registered 3243 farmers, tested 314 hectares of land, save 7700kg of fertilizer and restore over 127 hectares of degraded land.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Climate change and unsustainable soil management practices such as excessive and inefficient use of chemical fertilizer/pesticides degrades soil health and deteriorate its biodiversity which adversely affects crop yield and pollutes the environment which increase GHG emissions. It is essential for farmers to measure and monitor their soil health to enable them sustainably grow healthy crops and use their farm resources more efficiently. However, in Nigeria, soil testing laboratory are expensive, time consuming and the labs are mostly located in urban areas far from the rural farming communities which makes it difficult for smallholder farmers to access soil testing services. For farmers to produce sufficient, healthy and nutritious food they need to understand the health status of their soil through affordable access to soil testing services to provide them with data-driven information that will help them use their farm inputs more efficiently with less impact on the environment.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Our solution offers affordable and accurate soil analysis within 30 minutes to provide real-time to empower smallholder farmers with information to optimize fertilization and irrigation on their farm. Farmers use the result from their soil health test to increase efficient use of their farm input resources by precisely applying the best sustainable agronomic practices (type, rate and time) that matches their crops need for proper growth and development while reducing wastage from excessive use of resources. Smallholder farmers that have used our solution have benefited by reducing their cost of production by 45%, increase their productivity 200% and increase their profit margin by 60% within two farming seasons. This have helped farmers incorporate sustainable farming practices into their daily farming work and increase their productivity of safe and nutritious food, while promoting better soil health that have increase the soil carbon sequestration capacity and biodiversity.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our services is targeted at smallholder farmers who are mostly unaware of the importance of soil testing or cannot access affordable conventional soil testing laboratory and environmentalist who are enquirers of environmental health/conservation. Most smallholder farmers in Nigeria cannot access affordable soil testing services in get information that will support their decision making, we have over 34 million smallholder farmers in Nigeria who produce mostly over 80% of the food we eat and are 67% women while 33% are men who use crude tools and methods that have kept their production low when compared to their counterparts. Our product is channeled through site visitation of farmers on their farm lands and integration of our services through farm inputs distributors such as fertilizer and seed manufacturers. Our customers can contact us via mobile phone calls or visit our office to book for our services or use our social media channels to contact us to get their soil tested.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-11-04

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

4

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

2

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Our founding team members are: 1. Tijjani Ali Lawal - CEO/Manager is an agricultural and environmental engineer with over 8 years of experience in designing and developing farm technology. 2. Muazu Ali - CTO is a mechatronics engineer with 5 years of experience in computer programing and AI automation in food production. 3. Jennifer Aniogbu - Lab technician and field expert, a soil biochemist with 3 years of experience in soil testing and application of nutrients to match crop suitability. 4. Shuaibu Abdullahi - Marketer with 7 years of agribusiness and agro products marketing in Nigeria. 5. Aiesha Isa is a field agronomist operators with 6 years combined skills in farming and extension agents.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100051591506339, https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/climate-adaptation-challenge/solutions/76832

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

c) Industry (equipment, commercial, logistical and professional services, transport)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 7 - Strongly Agree on NO POVERTY is our solution is helping vulnerable smallholder rural farmers that are living in economic hardship and affected more by climate change disruptions grow more food through providing them with the knowledge and tools needed to understand their soil health status and the best precise ways to efficiently use farm input resources to increase their food productivity and increase their house hold income while minimizing their cost of production. This will increase their economic purchasing power from profit earned through their farming work which will gradually take them out of poverty read line and participate in self sufficiency's in both food security and the local economy because they are earning more money from their farms.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 7 - Strongly Agree our solution is helping farmers produce more food that is safe and healthy by utilizing minimum inputs usage such fertilizer and water. We are helping them grow more food with less resources thereby making more healthy food available and affordable as a result contributing to the food security and abundance in their communities. Through application of data-driven sustainable soil management ensures the use of less chemicals which can contaminate food if not checked, our soil testing solution is helping smallholder farmers streamline only the precise amount of farm input needed to produce high quality healthy and affordable food for all.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 5 - Agree, With the help of soil testing farmers can maintain an optimum level of chemical fertilizer or pesticides used on their farm which increase health of consumers as they adapt to sustainable soil management. Unsustainable farming practices degrades soil due to excessive use of chemicals that adversely affects crop health on farm and after harvest which when consumed can cause issues to good health and well-being of the people as a result with out solution farmers use chemicals efficiently that do not affect the health of crops or consumers if consumed.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

We are only contributing to farm education using our decision support system from measurement of soil health.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 7 - Strongly Agree as we are targeting smallholder farmers who are mostly women that face gender digression or have less help when it comes to adaptation of sustainable farming practices. Our solution is strongly taking gender equality into consideration by making available precision agricultural technology and knowledge assessible and affordable to women smallholder farmers. This will reduce the gender opportunity gap that exist along gender difference that affects women the most. We are currently working with more women farmers than men farmers on our customers list as there are mostly into farming vegetables and fruits.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

5

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 4 - Agree, Our solution helps prevent excessive use of chemicals which may end up contaminating fresh and ground water around farming communities. by helping farmers make informed decisions we are able to reduce the environmental damage from chemical used such as fertilizers and pesticides.

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

We are not working on providing clean energy

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 7 - Strongly Agree, Our solution is helping farmers make that much needed transformation from traditional agricultural practices to precision agriculture using modern artificial intelligence powered tools that increase their adaptability and help them more to a more smart decision system to keep up with their work which reduce drudgery and hardship associated with farming.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 7 - Agree, Our solution increase the level of industry by providing innovative infrastructure that helps improve access to soil health assessment to produce decision support that will help farmers integrate modern smart farming technology into their daily farm work.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

Our justification for selecting 7 - Strongly Agree, We are making available and affordable our innovative technology to the most vulnerable and marginalized rural smallholder farmers to empower them with the necessary skills for sustainable farming and making it available at thesame time affordable for them.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

3

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

we are helping communities better integrate sustainable farming practices.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

3

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

Using our solution will help smallholder rural farmers produce and consume resources responsibly.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

We are helping farmers decarbonize their operations which will reduce carbon emissions and increase soil health that will make it sequence more carbon. through our solution we are able to help farmers cut excesses and pollution that increase climate change and improve soils biodiversity as a result of adoption of sustainable land management practices which helps them produce more food using less resources and reduce their overall carbon footprints.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

5

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

We are reducing a large sum of excessive chemical that use to be washed down to water bodies which can negatively affects aquatic life and biodiversity of living organisms below water.

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

6

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

We are promoting biodiversity of land which improve life on lands and allow nature to flow without interference of human unsustainable activity. Our solution help farmers integrate soil conservation and sustainable land management in their daily farm work which increase the natural habitant and allow life on land to flourish within a rich biodiversity natural environment.

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

5

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

We are promoting food security which promotes peace and justice among rural farming communities.

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

We are collaborating and partnering with other players in the SDG space to ensure we achieve and deliver impact that will help our communities achieve their SDGs

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

2

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.08 Justification for my startup

Our startup leverages modern artificial intelligence and sensor technology to build patterns of soil health characteristic data set that enable us to build models on checking soil fertility in real time to help farmers make informed decisions. our product is using precision usage of resources so we can only use them efficiently to improve their productivity and optimize usage.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our top competitors are: 1. Conventional soil testing laboratories and institutions. 2. Human eye observations and texture true hand feelings of the soil. 3. Soil data maps provided by GIS data maps for soil classification. Our competitive advantage are 1. Our solution is more accessible and affordable. 2. We offer real-time result within 15 minutes on 98% accuracy as compared to our competitors 21 days and 56% respectively. 3. Our device is potable which makes it easy to carry for mobility and can be used for onsite testing directly on the farm land. 4. Our soil testing result comes with localized language that is easy to understand and translate to action by local farmers in our communities.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes we customers are largely female smallholder farmers who are on a 2:1 ration when compared to males, one of our core values is we are promoting gender equality in access to affordable precision agriculture tools, making sure women smallholder farmers have equal opportunity and access to affordable soil testing services to help them gain valuable soil health insight for making informed decisions on their crops and farm input resources usage.