Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Phone app for African, Asian farmers gets funding

2019; American Chemical Society; Volume: 97; Issue: 47 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1021/cen-09747-buscon2

2474-7408

Melody Bomgardner,

ICT Impact and Policies

An artificial intelligence platform that diagnoses plant diseases via a free Android app has attracted $7.3 million from investors. The Plantix app was developed by Peat, a Berlin-based start-up. Peat spun off from Leibniz University in 2015 with the goal of tackling crop failure in places where farmers do not have the access to technology and expertise common in developed countries. "In developing and emerging countries in particular, our digital solution can drastically reduce crop losses, minimize pesticide use, and increase overall yield," Plantix CEO Simone Strey says in a statement. Funding was led by Russia's RTP Global, which invests in companies that deliver services via apps built on artificial intelligence. According to the United Nations, 80% of farmland in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa is managed by smallholders who farm less than 10 hectares. Plantix specializes in crops grown in those regions—chilies, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, millet, and peanuts—as well