Trio of MME alumni secure $3.5 million in funding for ag-tech startup
Kitchener-Waterloo software startup IntelliCulture has certainly been putting the pedal to the metal over the last few years. They’ve been pushing their expansion to the United States after seeing much success in Canada.
Co-founders Cole Powers (BASc '19), Michael Wu (BASc '19), and Ramin Shaikhi (BASc '16, MASc '19) were all involved in the automotive industry. They went on to see if the skills they gained there allowed the team to solve a solution to help growers plan equipment maintenance and labour, track and visualize critical activities like sprays and harvests, and help those growers still stay compliant with industry and safety regulations. The software uses third-party telematics to collect data and then generates visualizations and insights from that data to help growers optimize operations. This not only saves efficiency but also money. Plus, the startup is looking to digitize daily safety inspections that are typically done by hand with pen and paper to help further improve operations challenges that growers may face.
Vinyards account for about 50 per cent of IntelliCulture’s customers, with orchards being 30 per cent. However, the company sees growth in fruit and vegetable crops as well.
Congratulations, IntelliCulture; we can’t wait to see how you continue to make waves in the agriculture industry.