We had a chance to catch up with Wolfgang von Loeper, the founder and entrepreneur behind Mysmartfarm. Part of the Hivos sponsored Green Pioneer Accelerator, the Mysmartfarm team is currently engaged in an intensive acceleration program hosted by our partners Impact Amplifier in Cape Town, South Africa. Want to meet this company in person? Join our upcoming Venture Forum Thursday the 11th of June 2015.
Please pitch your business?
Mysmartfarm assist big & small farmers with intelligent information to farm viably and sustainably. We are a one-stop-shop consolidation for all of a farmer’s data and high tech agricultural hardware on one cloud platform; designed for ease of use and access, it empowers farmers with eco-intelligent, scientific, real-time advice that saves time and money.
What inspired you to start this?
As a farmer myself I was hugely challenged with all the different, independent and to each other incompatible platforms. They took up vast amounts of my time and didn’t really give me the key metrics I needed quickly. But I always knew there was a better solution.
What problem are you solving?
Save a farmer time, increase his yield and decrease input costs. Deliver him with key decision metrics that assist him in achieving those goals.
Can you describe your target market? What is the size of business opportunity?
Current target market are commercial farmers of which there are about 800m hectares globally
What is the innovation you bring about? What is the impact opportunity?
We’ll be able to save water use and fertilizer use while still increasing soil fertility and farm resilience against climate change.
Please highlight what has been achieved so far. What are the key milestones?
I’ve raised a government grant, raised private equity, finished MVP, and have first paying customers.
Why did you join the Green Pioneer Accelerator and how are you leveraging this program?
I knew Max and had a good feeling the course would be good and am very happy that I did it. I hope to also engage with their network intensively.
Where could you use additional support? How can the members of the VC4A community help you?
Real access to market.
Do you have an ask for investors? What are you looking for? If you have raised capital in the past please mention this here.
We are looking for R3m
What is your advise to other startup entrepreneurs out there?
Validate your product, market, technology and be clear on your goals and concise with your business model… and then hang in there and never stop networking to find those supporters that can bring you forward.
What do you feel needs to happen to spur more innovation in green?
News needs to get out there what green problems need to be sorted. Unfortunately most don’t even realise what ‘green-problems’ we have.
Want to meet this company in person? Join our upcoming Venture Forum Thursday the 11th of June 2015.