Vitiport

Pesticide protection of crops poses heavy environmental burden, toxicological risk for farm workers+public and enormous financial costs for farmers.

With high use of pesticides, pathogen resistance grows and farmers find themselves in vicious circle of constant spraying. We all consume toxic chemical residues that stay in fruits and vegetables. Cancer-risks related to pesticides have shown importance of using less chemicals.

For us, part of the solution lays in answering question: WHEN to treat?

Our innovation – mobile app Vitiport gives personalized advice to growers on WHEN to treat. Vitiport calculates correct time to apply treatments with surgical precision so growers drastically reduce number of sprays and treat only when it is necessary and effective. E.g.: 2017 trials in France: # of treatments reduced by 58%, saved over 6000L of water and 140KG of CO2 emissions per every hectare.

Vitiport is 1st solution with global scalability potential (other solutions are local/regional)

Pesticide protection of crops against pathogens poses heavy environmental burden, toxicological risk for farm workers+public and enormous financial costs for farmers.

Number of pesticide treatments continually increases, resistance of pathogens grows and producers find themselves in vicious circle of constant spraying. E.g. French vineyards were sprayed 15 -17 sprays in 2014, 18-22 sprays in 2016; apple orchards: 20 sprays/season and numbers keep growing. This translates to 120 kg of toxic chemicals/ per hectare released to environment every year, with costs over 800 €/ per hectare.

We all consume toxic residues that stay in fruit and vegetables after all those treatments - 70% of fresh produce sold in US contains pesticide residues. Moreover workers on farm and public are exposed to significant cancer and toxicological risks. 

Staying on this path is unsustainable. Risks related to pesticide use have shown the importance of using less chemicals and using solutions that are safe for farmers and public.

We bring innovation for precision agriculture - mobile app Vitiport which gives personalized advice to growers on WHEN to treat. 

Vitiport calculates correct time to apply treatments with surgical precision so growers drastically reduce number of sprays, treat only when it is necessary and effective.

2017 trials in France: # of treatments reduced by 58%, saved over 6000L of water and 140KG of CO2 emissions per every hectare.

Vitiport is the 1st solution with global scalability potential (validity of other solutions is only local/regional) and is affordable for small farmers as there is no need to purchase expensive hardware. 

Grower pins GPS location of his farm in Google maps, app downloads meteorological data for his parcel and runs causal algorithms to calculate whether there is a risk of diseases & pests. Vitiport then clearly indicates infection risk and whether if there is a need for treatment or not.

Who benefits from our innovation?

1) App end-users = farmers 

Vitiport helps them lift heavy toxicological burden on environment, achieve input and financial savings, lower health risks. Our customers are able to minimize use of pesticides by approx. 40% (customer results: France, 2017 – number of treatments reduced by 58%, Slovakia 2018 – 53% reduction ). App was developed with direct feedback from farmers in France, Austria, Slovak and Czech republic since 2018.

2) General public, consumers 

Quality of fruits is immensely improved, lowered toxic residues in products for direct consumption (e.g. in grapes by 60% by spraying according to Vitiport). This benefits end-consumers and supports food safety.

3) “B2B” customers – companies producing biological crop protection products

These products are better for environment however their efficacy is highest with correct timing. Vitiport is an ideal tool to be combined with “bio-solutions” to achieve sustainable crop protection.

Example of field results of using Vitiport and its environmental impact

Solution aligns with 2 dimensions: 

1. Supporting small-scale producers: affordable, personalized solution that helps them achieve sustainability and save inputs. 

2. Solution for larger farmers: input savings, increasing productivity, decreasing pesticide use, fuel use, emissions.

What makes Vitiport innovative and globally unique in comparison to competition is its global scalability, applicability in every country, high precision and ease-of-use. 

Our advisory platform is ready to be scaled globally thanks to 2 facts:

·       Unique Intellectual Property – Vitiport prediction engine uses proprietary causal algorithms  which stem from 20+ years of R&D. Our causal algorithms define precise triggers of crop infections so farmer can take action before symptoms become visible to the eye. These algorithms are unparalleled in terms of precision and are applicable globally, so we are not limited to single country/region as it is the case of our competitors. Vitiport can predict disease infection risks for farmers in any country on both Northern and Southern Hemisphere. All our competitors use statistical algorithms which are valid only for one specific country. Moreover ongoing climate change brings unpredictable weather patterns for which competitors' statistical algorithms can not account for and therefore have low accuracy.

·       Top-of-class technical solution – Cloud solution with no need to buy and install expensive meteo-stations or hardware. Our customers need only internet connection. Vitiport is extremely easy to use and affordable to small farmers.

Vitiport is SaaS digital service operating in Cloud. We paid utmost attention to ease-of-use for end-users so it is available as mobile and desktop app. Farmers only need to download app and functioning internet.

Platform’s prediction engine is based on causal algoritms and calculates with various meteodata inputs (using satellite, radar, meostations data). We use GPS technology to locate farm, assign it the closest source of meteodata and automatically start calculating risks of diseases based on meteorolical data inputs.

We also use IoT – we developed wireless rain gauge in order to get more precise data about precipitation as local rainstorms, especially in summer months, are impossible to predict beforehand and are very local.

Vitiport works with widely used technologies - Cloud computing, GPS and Google maps, API connectors to meteodata providers, IoT for rain sensors.

Problem: high use of pesticides

Our approach: Vitiport calculates precise time when crops need to be treated. Framers spray only when necessary and most effective.Our customers make less but more effective treatmets. Vitiport drastically reduces number of sprays by approx. 40-58% (tested by independent expert authorities)

We will illustrate on concrete field results of grower from Slovakia

Action: 53% reduction of pesticide treatments (19 sprays without use of Vitiport, 9 with Vitiport)

Immediate outcomes:

• Lifting environmental footprint per every hectar:

   - 67% less chemicals released into environment (34kg less of active chemical ingredients released into environment per hectare)

   - 53% less water used (6600 litres saved per hectare)

   - 54% less CO2 emissions from tractor (14Okg of GHG saved per hectare)

• Improving financial sustainability, higher productivity and efficiency:

    - Productivity improved by 53% (8,5 h of saved man-hours per hectare)

    - Cost of protection lowered by 52% (from €868 to €415)

Long term outcomes:

• Less toxicological risks for farmers and public, less cancer-risks
• Healthier environment, conservation of soil microbiome
• Higher food safety (less toxic residues in fruit we consume approx. 60%)

We are currently calculating predictions for over 200 hectares of farms (specifically growers of grapes)

In one year we would like to offer predictions for 500 hectares of vineyards and launch trials for new modules we have in pipeline - citrus fruit and apples & pears.

In five years we would like to cover at least 2000 hectares.

VITIPORT currently serves grape growers in 6 EU countries: France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, Czech republic. Module for grape growers is ready to be scaled immediately (we launched commercial operations with first customers in 2018). We plan to scale up operations in EU especially France, Italy, Spain and enter new markets – US, South Africa, India and China in. We want to be first advisory platform operating globally on both Hemispheres.

Vitiport platform has immense expansion potential – to expand into new crops e.g.: apples, pears, citrus fruits, cotton, rice etc. and for each crop vertical algorithms for new pathogens can be developed.

Our team has 2 new modules in pipeline: 1 for apples & pears and 1 for citrus fruit. Launch and field trials are planned for 2022.

As our startup does not have extensive distribution and sales channels we plan on partnering with our B2B partners - agrochem companies that have big and developed networks. This way we will be able to reach thousands of farmers worldwide.

Following risks can pose as barrier:

1.     Agricultural traditions: farmers are traditional, conservative, not used to modern technologies, previous negative experience with unreliable advisory platforms, initial mistrust. 

2.     Unavailability or insufficient accuracy of meteo-data: we use historical data and also weather predictions. Our advice to farmers depend on quality of this input data.

1. risk: "Agricultural traditions"

Mitigation: Education and evangelization about added value, results in comparison to competition, younger generation is more tech-savvy. We are preparing case studies from expert field test, customer testimonials to communicate high value proposition. Moreover we plan to launch e-learning platform to educate growers on topic of sustainable crop protection

2.    risk: unavailability or insufficient accuracy of meteo-data 

Mitigation: Using multiple data providers (global+local companies for different countries), satellite, radar and terrestrial stations data. We have developed affordable IoT sensors to collect precise rainfall data.

not applicable

10 members - 5 full time and 5 contractors

Our team combined diverse backgrounds and many decades of experience.

Co-founder and CRO - Bruno Gabel, PhD. - is one of world’s top experts on crop protection, former leader of Phytopathology department at Slovak Academy of Sciences, holding a number of international patents and

various research stays (INRA France, Davis California, US). For over two decades he has conducted a great number of R&D activities throughout the EU and as result of these activities the company possesses unique IP, which gives Vitiport strategic market edge.

Co-founder and CEO - Roman Korbacka, MBA - holds MS in Technical Cybernetics and MBA from IMD, Lausanne 2007. He has 20+ years experience in a management position at AT&T, Lucent Technologies and Deutsche Telekom with focus on sales, operation and strategy. He previously participated on the development of the couple of tech startups oriented on business process automation and big data apps.

Co-founder and CMO - Martina Drobna -  holds MA in International Relations and Diplomacy. and BA in Graphic Design. She stands behind Vitiport's UX and UI design.

Expo 2020 Dubai

Vitiport has been selected out of 11.000+ applicants to be presented at this global event as Global Innovaton, along with receiving grant. Expo 2020 will offer us great exposure.

EU Commision

EU awarded this innovation a Seal of Excellence and a grant under Horizon 2020 framework along with business coaching.

IFV - French Institue of Vine and Wine

Highest expert authority in viticulture in France tested Vitiport since 2018.

Business model has 2 strategic routes:

1. “B2C”SaaS model - farmers as primary paying customers. Vitiport has following revenue streams:

- Current revenue stream: Sales of licenses to use Vitiport app: farmer pays for license, 1 license covers predictions for 10 ha radius, license price depends on number of pathogens, hectares, number of seasons.

-Future rev. stream: sale of highly targeted marketing space in the mobile app, advertising, offering expert services and consulting

2. “B2B”modelselling to agrochem producers and distributors who will distribute Vitiport to their end customers. 

These companies are interested in our digital tool as it lifts their ecological footprint and represent an ideal complementary tool for their biological crop protection products. Application timing of their Bio/eco products is extremely important factor that affects their efficiency. Timing can be set according to Vitiport to achieve highest efficacy, making this digital app strategic marketing tool for these companies. 

We currently serve both B2C and B2B customers. 

We would like to connect with talents and experts who do not want to just talk about sustainability but provide real solutions. 

There is still much to be improved and we plan to work on: building robust IT infrastructure, embedding AI and machine learning, IoT sensors that work in different countries and networks, data science etc. 

Solve could help us win talents to work with us, develop it further and also attract investors.

As our startup does not have extensive distribution and sales channels we are looking for partner who would supplement this competence so more farmers will use our service.

We are looking for investors/VC to be able to scale-up our solution globally and launch new modules.

We are always looking for talented people to bring on board of this project to make it a global success. 

Vitiport seeks partnerships:

• Technical expertise and talents to further develop product and scale-up
• Introductions to investors or interested potential B2B clients 
• Strategic advice to choose best business model strategy, revenue models for global market

Vitiport is the first digital platform advising farmers on crop protection that has global scalability potential. When we succeed to scale this innovation it will positively impact not only health of our planet, health and wallets of farmers but also wellbeing of all of us as we all consume fruit produce treated with chemicals (organic or not, all produce is sprayed).

Just by setting precise and correct timing of treatment the sustainability impact of our innovation is significant.

We would use the Prize for:

1. Vitiport scale-up – getting platform ready for global operations

1.1 Invest into backend and IT infrastructure (Open Architecture Design, API connectors, improve scalability & performance)

1.2 Software adjustments to work in all time zones (necessary for global operations) 

2. Launch new modules for citrus fruit and apples & pears which are in pipeline. Carry out expert field tests to confirm validity

3. Marketing activities (content and social media)