Editor’s Note: Abi Ramanan is founder and CEO of ImpactVision, one of AgFunder’s portfolio companies that’s combatting food waste and food safety with hyperspectral imaging.
Today, the World Economic Forum selected ImpactVision as one of 56 Technology Pioneers of 2019: early-to-growth stage companies that are shaping industries from agriculture and cleantech to modern policing and many more.
ImpactVision is a machine learning company applying hyperspectral imaging technology to food supply chains in order to improve food quality, generate consistent, high-quality products, and reduce waste. Its software provides real-time insights about the quality of foods and is aimed at food processors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. For example, its system is able to determine the freshness of fish, the ripeness of avocados or the presence of foreign objects rapidly and non-invasively.
By joining this community, we will be part of a two-year program of World Economic Forum’s initiatives, activities and events, bringing cutting-edge insights and fresh thinking to critical global discussions.
This year’s Tech Pioneers are emerging innovators from a diverse set of industries. These companies are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more, including, of course, hyperspectral imaging for real-time food quality control.
It’s a fantastic mix of skillsets and technologies, including several other agtech businesses. The list features fellow food waste warrior Full Harvest, a B2B marketplace for imperfect and surplus produce, Alesca Life, a Hong Kong-based indoor vertical farming and crop management solution, Inari Agriculture, which is using gene-editing to produce healthier crops, and Photanol, a Dutch company making biodegradable plastic from CO2.
At the Technology Pioneers Workshop in October 2019, we’re looking forward to learning from all the others entrepreneurs in this impressive cohort about how to overcome start-up hurdles, collaborate more effectively and make sure that we do good with technology.
As a founder, one of the most underutilized resources seems to be other founders – many of our challenges might differ in detail but have consistent themes; adoption, hiring, fundraising, pricing, etc. The breadth of technologies, countries and markets represented by this group offers a truly unique opportunity for learning and knowledge-sharing, and that’s why we put ourselves forward for this program.
We are absolutely delighted that ImpactVision is one of the 56, chosen for our ability to “transform our industry” and “improve society for years to come.”
Stay tuned for updates over on our blog.
