Agriculture is the backbone of feeding and powering our society. At the same time, the industry faces significant pressure to adapt to ever-shifting socioeconomic and geopolitical landscapes and pressure to address climate issues while also reducing emissions. This is echoed in the EU Taxonomy, which offers investors even more motivation to back environmentally friendly agricultural technologies.
Today, we’ll introduce you to ten remarkable EU agritech startups reshaping how we cultivate our food, protect our natural resources, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world. These trailblazing companies are ushering in a new era of sustainable agriculture by merging cutting-edge technology with environmentally conscious practices, creating a brighter and greener future for our planet.
CropBiome
CropBiome specializes in sourcing, selecting, fermenting, characterizing, and testing microbes derived from wild plant species closely related to widely produced wheat and other cereal crops. The startup uses these natural, plant- and animal-friendly microbes to coat the raw seeds of mass-produced crops. These dressings reduce the need for environmentally hazardous chemicals, strengthen crop resilience, boost soil health, and yield much healthier harvests.
The Irish startup raised €1.3 million this past summer.
Agreena
Agreena began as a digital trading platform in 2018 designed to democratize and streamline grain trading. It has since evolved into one of Europe’s first platforms to enable the issuance and trading of carbon certificates for farmers, now serving 13 European countries. The AgreenaCarbon program aligns with the crop year, allowing farmers to benefit from their climate initiatives annually. The company acquired Hummingbird Technologies earlier this year, bolstering its value chain and standing in the agricultural sector for soil carbon certification.
Makabi
Croatian startup Makabi has created a 3-in-1 encapsulation technology for plant protection, nutrition, and controlled release of bioactive components as a green chemistry innovation for sustainable agricultural production. This technology curbs environmental pollution, addresses climate change, and enhances the biopotential of the food produced. The agritech company is poised to make significant strides in the agricultural industry by fulfilling key EU Taxonomy criteria.
SAIA
Indoor farming provides a stable environment and shelter from external fluctuations. SAIA contends that for indoor cultivation to be universally accessible, robots and artificial intelligence systems must support workers and enable growers to manage their farms optimally. Founded in 2017, this Dutch startup works to separate indoor farming from dependence on skilled workers, bringing autonomous indoor farming closer to reality.
Qubeto
Data collection is crucial for evaluating pesticides and chemicals before they enter the market and are applied in the field. Qubeto, a German company, fuses automated data collection with cutting-edge experimental design and AI-powered data analysis to transform the current substance screening process.
Global Biodesign
Employing natural predators for pest control is an effective method to decrease pesticide use in fields. Global Biodesign, a Brussels-based startup, has improved the effectiveness of biocontrol applications for pest management in agriculture and forestry production. Their device securely and efficiently deploys the pests’ natural adversaries (such as wasps or fungi) more effectively than its competitors.
Aurea Imaging
Located in the Netherlands, Aurea Imaging aspires to shape future orchards using crop intelligence tools. Their technology empowers fruit growers and farmers to monitor and treat each tree individually, moving away from the current one-size-fits-all approach. They envision a future where AI-driven crop intelligence optimizes agronomic management and controls equipment like sprayers, pruners, and spreaders—paving the way for precision orchards through digital agronomy.
eAgronom
eAgronom initially aimed to help local Estonian farmers minimize paperwork and administrative burdens. Their solution has become one of Europe’s largest farm management software systems. They currently aid over 1,500 agribusinesses (spanning over a million hectares of land across Europe) in achieving higher yields and profits through technology and consulting services. The company has also created a farming-based carbon credits platform to revolutionize the voluntary offset market and expedite the shift to net zero.
IrrigationNets
With an increasing number of farmers facing salinized groundwater issues and the need to supply fresh water to their fields, Berlin-based startup IrrigationNets offers a timely solution. Their technology transforms salinized groundwater into freshwater, featuring an on-demand system that caters to various crop water requirements. This cost-effective alternative to desalination plants enables farmers to achieve complete independence from external freshwater sources.
Nordetect
Enhancing food quality and accessibility in cost-effective ways that boost profits and minimize chemical emissions is a shared goal among consumers and food producers. Danish innovators Nordetect is on a mission to fulfill these objectives with their smart nutrient testing system. Utilizing UV-VIS spectrophotometric methods, their AgroChip, optical analyzer, and SaaS platform provide rapid in-field insights into the water and leaf tissue samples, allowing for real-time nutrient dosage adjustments. This conserves resources and money and paves the way for tailored plant-by-plant farming.