The Farms and Frontiers: UP-Israel AgTech Innovators Forum

Deadline: 6 June 2025

The Farms and Frontiers: Uttar Pradesh (India)–Israel AgTech Innovators Forum presents a unique opportunity to foster collaboration between start-ups from India and Israel, with a focus on digital agricultural innovations targeted at the Eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bundelkhand regions.

The initiative, aimed at strengthening UP’s agricultural ecosystem through scalable, technology-driven solutions, is supported by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security, Government of Israel, through the FoodSystems 2030 Multi-Donor Trust Fund administered by the World Bank. The initiative is a part of the Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening Project (UP-AGREES) implemented by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Focus Areas

Addressing similar agricultural challenges in Eastern UP and Bundelkhand such as sparse arable land, water shortages, climate change and erratic rainfall.
Delivering sustainable, future-ready solutions as Israeli AgTech companies are leading the way in sparse land (only 20% arable land), and semi-arid climatic conditions.
Offering advanced technology entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a unique blend of cutting-edge innovation and environmental stewardship that is redefining global agriculture.

Thematic Areas

End-To-End Digital Traceability (For Kalanamak Variety of Rice)
- To boost value and quality of Geographical Indication-tagged crops, especially for Kalanamak variety of rice:
  - RFID, QR codes, blockchain, and IoT-based system
  - E-commerce market platforms utilizing traceability layers
  - Technology-enabled farmer payment transparency
  - Geo-tagged input tracking for compliance
  - Precise, real-time, hyperlocal insights for farmers
- To guide input use and improve the quality and yield of the different crops in Eastern/Bundelkhand regions of UP:
  - Hyperlocal crop, soil and climate advisory
  - Semi/Autonomous Machinery
  - Variable Rate Technology (VRT) or Innovative input delivery
  - IoT sensors and control systems
Farm Management Platforms Reliable, farm-level data on soil organic carbon
- To monitor soil health, design regenerative practices, and participate in carbon markets:
  - Hyperlocal soil organic carbon (SOC) monitoring systems
  - Satellite imagery-based assessment of SOC and vegetation health
  - Data Management and Carbon Credit Platforms

Types of Channels

Channel 1: Innovators
- Startups with solutions in the identified thematic areas will have the opportunity to build cross-border partnerships and receive mentorship to refine their innovations for the specific needs of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand regions. Selected solutions may also have the chance to pilot and scale their models in real-world settings through the Up-Agrees project.
Channel 2: Champions
- Individuals or startups from India and Israel who are experts in their domain and are willing to guide innovators in co-developing relevant and scalable solutions through workshops and one-on-one sessions are invited to join the initiative. The experts will provide hands-on support to help AgTech innovators transform their ideas into viable, impactful solutions.

Benefits

Innovators (Indian and Israeli Startups)
- What’s in it for Indian startups?
  - Access to cutting-edge technology/solutions
  - Access to new markets and partners
  - Structured matchmaking support, creating cross-border collaboration
  - Potential for piloting and scaling up solutions through the UP-AGREES project
- What’s in it for Israeli startups?
  - Access to new markets and partners
  - Structured matchmaking support, creating cross-border collaboration
  - Potential for piloting and scaling up solutions through the UP-AGREES project
Champions (Mentors for Innovators)
- What’s in it for Indian and Israeli mentors?
  - Shape scalable innovations
  - Deepen sectoral impact
  - Access high quality startups
  - Showcase your thought leadership
  - Pay it forward

Eligibility Criteria

Channel 1
- Innovators from India
  - Operational for at least 1 year as of 31st March 2024
  - Revenue between INR 10 lakh to INR 100 crores
  - Customer base of at least 1,000 farmers
  - Registered as a Private Limited Company
  - Raised a round of series A funding
- Innovators from Israel
  - Operational for at least 1 year as of 31st March 2024
  - Revenue between USD 1 million to USD 100 million
  - Customer base of at least 1,000 farmers
  - Registered as a Private Limited Company, LLC or Public Limited Company
  - Raised a round of series A funding
Channel 2
- Champions (mentors for Innovators) from India
  - Startup founder of at least an INR 100 crore revenue company in the thematic areas;
  - Executives from VC/PE funds invested in a company with a revenue of INR 100 crore+;
  - Angel investors/family offices invested in a company with a revenue of INR 1 crore+;
  - Executives of AgTech/Agribusiness with a revenue of INR 100 crore+;
  - Experts/representatives of Research Organizations or Ecosystem Support Organizations or International Development Organizations (with focus on digital agriculture in India);
  - Industry leaders in building, scaling, or investing in digital technology ventures, preferably with global exposure.
- Champions (mentors for Innovators) from Israel
  - Startup founder of at least a USD 10 million revenue company in the thematic areas;
  - Executives from VC/PE funds invested in a company with a revenue of USD 10 million+;
  - Angel investors/family offices invested in a company with a revenue of USD 10 million+;
  - Executives of AgTech/Agribusiness with a revenue of USD 10 million+;
  - Experts/representatives of Research Organizations or Ecosystem Support Organizations or International Development Organizations (with focus on digital agriculture in India);
  - Industry leaders in building, scaling, or investing in digital technology ventures, preferably with global exposure.