Argentina’s Sylvarum Among 8 Startups Selected for AgFunder’s GROW Impact Accelerator

Sylvarum is a deep-tech startup founded by Guadalupe Murga in Argentina (now based in the US) that’s specializing in plant electrostimulation technology to boost crop metabolism and improve yields. The company was selected with other 7 companies from around the world for GROW’s new cohort.

The AgFunder GROW Impact Accelerator has announced the eight startups selected for its fifth cohort, which began on May 14, 2024. This year’s program saw a record number of high-quality applications from 74 countries, with half of the cohort led by women.

This year’s focus is on bridging the gap between finite planetary resources and the 2030 sustainable development goals, as well as fostering agrifoodtech innovation amid a challenging funding environment. The selected startups span diverse areas, including food safety, functional ingredients, precision agriculture, and carbon management.

Each startup will receive a $100,000 cash investment from AgFunder, along with access to its global network of co-investors, mentorship, and support from Singapore-based GROW over a six-month period. The hybrid program allows founders to work from their home markets while participating in in-person visits to connect with Singapore’s agrifoodtech ecosystem and other entrepreneurs.

The 2024 cohort includes:

1. BioDefense: Develops BioShield, an edible coating that extends the shelf life of meat, fish, and seafood, thereby reducing food waste.
2. Bluemethane: Creates a product to capture methane from water and repurpose it as bioenergy, starting with wastewater treatment and aiming to expand to other water bodies.
3. eFeed: Offers precision animal management technology using AI to optimize feeding and reduce methane emissions, with AI models trained on over 100,000 animal data points.
4. Fashol: Provides an agribusiness platform connecting farmers to buyers, customers, and capital, aiming to stabilize food prices and reduce food waste.
5. Plantik: Develops technologies to engineer climate-resilient plants more quickly, with a scalable pipeline tool for different plant species.
6. SAYeTECH: Designs and manufactures smart agricultural machinery, such as multi-crop threshers and grain cleaners, to reduce post-harvest losses and increase efficiency.
7. Sylvarum: Specializes in plant electrostimulation technology to enhance crop yields, with its first product targeting greenhouse-grown tomatoes.
8. Vivagran: Produces and commercializes Tritordeum, a new cereal species that serves as a high-value ingredient for baking, malting, and feed.

The AgFunder GROW Impact Accelerator, launched in 2019, supports the growth of emerging agrifood technologies and promotes sustainability. The program will culminate in a demo day in Singapore on November 21, during Singapore International Agri-Food Week.