Ethiopia - Startup under 3 years old

Décrivez votre projet en quelques mots

At Armada Agriculture, we provide a diversified and digitally enhanced one-stop shop for agricultural mechanization services on usage basis, significantly increasing farm efficiency and productivity.

01.01 Décrivez votre startup en détail

ARMADA Agriculture provides practical and affordable mechanization solutions designed to meet the diverse needs of farmers, from land preparation to harvesting. Our mission is to bring Ethiopian agriculture into the future with reliable access to affordable mechanization services and inputs that ensure high quality, sustainable, and competitive agricultural production enhanced by and delivered through digital means. We offer a range of services, including the rental of tractors and various farming implements, and equipment maintenance through flexible financing. Additionally, we provide comprehensive training programs and expert advice to ensure farmers can make the most of these tools and techniques.

01.02 Quel est le problème principal que vous essayez de résoudre ?

Food insecurity is a significant issue in agriculture, as the agricultural sector struggles. Despite employing 80% of the population, agriculture faces challenges such as high cost associated with agricultural machinery, limited access to inputs, technology gap and poor output levels. As a result, many farmers continue to live in poverty, sparking a trend of migration among the younger generation on harrowing journeys across oceans.

01.03 Dites-nous quels sont les principaux avantages et/ou bénéfices de l'utilisation du produit/service fourni par votre startup (au moins 3).

Our services offer several major advantages that significantly benefit farmers. By providing necessary equipment on a usage basis, we optimize resource use and eliminate the financial and logistical burdens of ownership. This approach addresses the lack of agricultural mechanization, which accounts for 50% of the yield gap. We also offer affordable services with flexible financing options, allowing farmers to pay when they sell their yield. Our tractors, fitted with GPS technology, ensure optimal routing, scheduling, and maintenance, leading to increased efficiency and productivity. Additionally, we utilize satellite imagery for detailed farm analysis, including soil moisture levels, enabling farmers to make informed decisions about crop management, ultimately enhancing soil health and crop yields. Beyond these benefits, our operations contribute to job creation, with a particular focus on empowering women and rural youth.

01.04 Veuillez décrire précisément à qui s'adresse le produit/service de votre startup. Quels sont les bénéficiaires visés ?

Small-scale Individual Farmers: These farmers often operate on limited land and resources, benefiting from our affordable and accessible mechanization solutions to enhance productivity and sustainability. Small-scale Farmer Clusters: Groups of small-scale farmers who collaborate or belong to cooperatives can leverage our services to collectively improve their farming practices and output. Large-scale Commercial Farms: Larger agricultural enterprises benefit from our advanced technologies and comprehensive support services, optimizing their operational efficiency and profitability. Youth: We aim to create job opportunities and engage rural youth in modern farming practices, contributing to community development and reducing rural unemployment.

01.05 Quand votre entreprise a-t-elle été créée ?

05/12/2022

01.06 Vendez-vous déjà votre produit/service ?

Oui

01.07 Combien y a-t-il de propriétaires de votre entreprise en plus de vous ?

4

01.08 Parmi les autres propriétaires, combien sont des femmes ?

1

01.09 Veuillez décrire le profil des autres propriétaires de votre startup (compétences, expérience, etc.).

Semegn Tadesse Experience: Experienced technology professional with expertise in design, outsourcing, agriculture, and data companies. Has an in-depth understanding of user behavior. Eyoeal Kefyalew Experience: Experienced marketer with a decade of experience in advertising and branding. He enjoys photography and have been featured in exhibitions and awards. Mikias Atskemariam Experience: Software Architect with 5 years of extensive experience in technology consultancy and building products in EdTech and FinTech. Forward-thinking in developing ML-empowered complex distributed platforms. Michael Berhanu Experience: Experienced finance professional who managed ARMA Studios’ finances for 10 years. Demonstrated success in managing the company’s growth and working with the same team for a decade.

01.10 Si vous avez un site web, une page sur les médias sociaux (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin...) ou une application, veuillez fournir le(s) lien(s) ici :

https://armadaeth.com/

01.11 Quel est le secteur d'activité qui décrit le mieux votre entreprise ?

Agriculture

02.01.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Pas de pauvreté'

7 - tout à fait d'accord

02.01.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

By improving agricultural practices and increasing farm productivity, we directly contribute to elevating the economic status of farmers and their families.

02.02.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Faim Zéro'

7 - tout à fait d'accord

02.02.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

We focus on increasing yield and income for smallholder farmers. By implementing modern farming techniques and providing training on efficient agricultural practices, we've seen a significant increase in crop yields and reduction in post-harvest losses. For example, through the adoption of best practices in land preparation, farmers in our program have experienced an average yield increase of 20%. Our efforts are aimed at further increasing yield to ensure food security for the community.

02.03.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Bonne Santé et Bien Être'

3

02.03.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.04.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Éducation de Qualité'

3

02.04.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.05.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Égalité entre les Sexes'

5

02.05.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

we a are actively involved in job creation, with a particular focus on women and rural youth. Our approach prioritizes the representation of women and youth at all levels by providing recruitment, training, and employment opportunities. This initiative aims to empower individuals to become independent contractors or gain valuable experience as employees in the agricultural sector.

02.06.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Eau Propre et Assainissement'

1 - pas du tout d'accord

02.06.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.07.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Énergie Propre et Abordable'

2

02.07.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.08.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Travail Décent et Croissance Économique'

7 - tout à fait d'accord

02.08.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

We prioritize mechanization and digitalization in farming operations to create more efficient and sustainable agricultural environments. By introducing modern machinery for tasks like plowing, we've reduced the labor intensity of farming within our community and created jobs for more than 20 rural youth.

02.09.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Industrie, Innovation et Infrastructure'

4

02.09.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.10.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Réduction des Inégalités'

4

02.10.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.11.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Villes et Communautés Durables'

2

02.11.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.12.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Consommation et Production Responsables'

3

02.12.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.13.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques'

5

02.13.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

We promote conservation agriculture practices to mitigate the environmental impact of farming.

02.14.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Vie Sous-Marine'

1 - pas du tout d'accord

02.14.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.15.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Vie Terrestre'

4

02.15.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.16.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Paix, Justice et Institutions Efficaces'

3

02.16.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.17.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Parteneriats pour la Réalisation des Objectifs'

2

02.17.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

06.01 Un grand nombre de clients utilisent déjà un produit/service très similaire au nôtre.

2

06.02 Notre produit/service représente un type de produit/service entièrement nouveau

3

06.03 Notre produit/service pourrait être décrit comme une nouvelle technologie

3

06.04 Notre produit/service est une amélioration d'un produit ou d'un service existant

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

06.05 Notre produit/service pourrait être décrit comme une extension d'une gamme de produits ou de services

3

06.06 Notre produit/service répond à une demande ou à un besoin qui n'a pas été satisfait par d'autres produits/services.

7 - Tout à fait d'accord

06.07 Notre produit/service est une nouvelle version d'un ancien produit/service

5

06.08 Justification

Our service represents a significant improvement on existing solutions and addresses unmet demand. While few farmers currently use machinery, our platform integrates IoT technology and data-driven decision-making, providing precision and efficiency. We are consistently innovating; in addition to our current services, we are developing a marketplace for agricultural machinery and inputs with integrated farm advisory. On average, we receive three calls per day nationwide, without any marketing, requesting mechanization services. Because we cannot fulfill all these demands alone, we are developing a platform where other farmers who own agricultural machinery can connect with other farmers nearby, like Uber but for farming equipment.

06.09 Analyse compétitive

In the agricultural mechanization sector in Ethiopia, we face competition from both agricultural machinery dealers and traditional farming practices. However, ARMADA Agriculture maintains a strong competitive advantage due to our unique offerings and strategic focus. Unlike other players, our integration of digital technology into the mechanization process sets us apart from traditional methods. By combining advanced machinery with digital platforms, we offer a holistic solution that optimizes productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Additionally, our utilization of IoT technology enables us to provide farmers with data-driven tractors and implement selection, further enhancing their operational efficiency.

11.05 Menez-vous des actions au sein de votre communauté pour promouvoir le rôle des femmes entrepreneurs ?

As the former president of the Automotive Engineering Association at my university, I promoted girls involvement in STEM fields. I helped scale a job-matching platform that facilitated 70,000 job matches, with 54% of them being women. Currently, I'm working on expanding this initiative to include digital upskilling for women. I have spoken at various events supporting female entrepreneurship in tech and agriculture, including as a panelist at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. Additionally, I am a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women alumna. I have also recently mentored young women in agriculture at the Women in Tech Hackathon themed "Bridging the Digital Divide in Agriculture: Agritech for Inclusive Access to Market and Finance," supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, CARE Ethiopia, and UN Women.