€4m smart agriculture app start-up fund launched

15 Sep 2014

Known as the SmartAgriFood accelerator, the €4m south-east BIC scheme is an open call for SMEs and web entrepreneurs to develop a new generation of smart agriculture applications and services.

Using FIWARE technology, those participating in the fund will be designed for use by farmers and food producers to help them increase productivity while minimising their environmental footprint including intelligent machines, sensor networks, and smart ICT.

As part of the accelerator, grants of up to €100,000 will be granted by SmartAgriFood to Irish and European SMEs and web developers and will be distributed over a three-staged development process with an additional €2m in funding provided by the Europe-wide ICT-AGRI network to pay for expert advice and support services for the successful SMEs.

Along with funding, the accelerator will also give successful applicants access to useful data for the development of new applications/services, technical support and advice in prototype development and setting up end-user trials for testing the new application in different European countries.

SMEs will also receive support through access to start-up and growth financing.

The SmartAgriFood accelerator is open to all Irish ICT SMEs & web app developer applicants with the cut-off date for entries being 15 November.

Smart agriculture image via Shutterstock

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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