Initiative called AgTech Digital Natives (ADN), aims to support Brazilian AgTechs, enhancing innovation in the sector; subscriptions are free
São Paulo, March 9 — Microsoft Brazil has opened enrollment for the AgTech Digital Natives (ADN), a new program aimed at digital native companies in the agribusiness sector, the so-called AgTechs. The program aims to provide, free of charge, technology, coaching sessions, mentoring and support in marketing and sales actions. Those interested in participating must register at the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.
According to the Radar AgTech 2021 report by Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária), startups in the sector grew 40% during 2021, compared to 2019, reaching a total of 1,574, with the average of a new agribusiness startup popping up every day. In this sense, the AgTech sector represents a great opportunity, either because of its impacts and benefits for the country’s economic development, or because of the possibility that technology can help increase production and guarantee food for the world’s population.
According to Herbert Lewy, general manager of Intelligent Agriculture and Bioeconomy for Microsoft in Latin America, technological advances continue to grow: “Today the field generates an exponential amount of data that technology can transform into strategic information to improve different types of production processes. In this way, it is possible to increase the efficiency of the value chain, exports and the domestic market. We want to contribute to the field being one of the main sectors in the smart economy and, by democratizing the use of technology, smart data will allow the field to innovate and move towards a more sustainable future.”
In the context of digital acceleration, we are heading towards an era where we will see more digitization in the next decade than in the last 40 years – and the field will not be left out of this movement. “We are launching Microsoft AgTech Digital Natives because we want to power innovation, supporting entrepreneurs to use the power of data as an engine to drive smart environments, creating better experiences, more knowledge, generating interactions and solving some of the main challenges that producers face. “, he said Herbert Lewy.
The stronger the AgTech ecosystem, the greater the chances that solutions will support producers, driving their goals of transforming their business models through innovation. Family producers will also benefit from the adoption of technology. ADN is a call to all entrepreneurs, regardless of the size of their business, to receive the necessary support to grow.
According to Wilson País, Director of Digital Companies and Ecosystems for Microsoft in Latin America, Microsoft created Microsoft AgTech Digital Natives to bring innovation to every producer and help drive a transformation in the ecosystem of local entrepreneurs. “We want to accompany these startups on their growth journeys, making their businesses grow and scale globally. Microsoft’s goal is to democratize access to technology in the countryside,” said País.
Agrotools, the largest ecosystem of digital agribusiness solutions with more than 15 years of experience in the sector, was the first to join the program, which includes the benefit of mentoring and actions in conjunction with Microsoft. The long-standing partnership became even closer with the program and the companies have structurally collaborated to bring the most advanced technologies, which Agrotools already does with hundreds of contracts in the agro, with the objective of strengthening the ecosystem with data, processing and connectivity in the field – whether for large corporations or small and medium-sized businesses. By having access to the benefits of the program, Agrotools, which specializes in data intelligence and AI for agribusiness, developed native solutions on Microsoft infrastructure, in addition to providing services directly in the Microsoft Azure marketplace.
“Our goal at Agrotools is to transform the entire agribusiness ecosystem and, through technology, lead a transformation in the way we produce, plant and harvest. Companies and producers that do not have access to data, for example, are missing many opportunities and, in this sense, we develop solutions that address all the challenges that the sector presents. We know that the power of the cloud and Artificial Intelligence are catalysts for the development of the segment and the partnership with Microsoft allows us to explore the full potential of our solutions globally”, explains Sergio Rocha, CEO of Agrotools.
About Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a project that aims to remove barriers to startup success and provide founders with free resources at any stage of their company’s development to help build a successful startup. The initiative provides a series of benefits, from Microsoft Azure credits, access to GPT-3 models with Open IA and no-code tools like Bubble to a tool to assist in the talent hiring process, client search and networking with colleagues and investors with resources from the LinkedIn.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation in the era of the intelligent cloud and the intelligent edge. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. The company has been in Brazil for 34 years and is one of the subsidiaries of Microsoft Corporation, founded in 1975, which is present in over 190 countries. From July 2021 to June 2022, the company invested more than US$ 15 million in donations and discounts for non-profit entities, impacting more than 2,000 institutions with software donations, purchase discounts and support for training projects. With the launch of the Microsoft For Startups Founders Hub, 443 new startups were approved, totaling 703 supported startups, which together have consumed USD 11,898,488.00 of Azure cloud credits.