Bee and insect populations are dwindling. This is giving rise to a fall in yield within agriculture. The budding startup from Hamburg offers agricultural companies a precise analysis of the need for honey bees, mason bees and bumble bees for an optimal yield. Farmers can use the BEEsharing online platform to order the optimal combination of pollinators at the click of a mouse. BEEsharing selects the appro-priate beekeepers in the region and supplies the end customer from its one-stop shop.
The award is the result of a public vote at the ‘DemoDay’ which is the finale of a week-long startup bootcamp which Rentenbank is organizing for the second time with the Frankfurt-based accelerator TechQuartier under the ‘Innovate Agriculture’ banner.
‘The bootcamp was an intense experience. We all had a very steep learning curve. The opportunity to network with other startups was particularly crucial. Although each of us is pursuing a different business goal, we all share the challenge of having to build and develop a young company. Furthermore, the input from existing companies and industry experts was extremely valuable. Having the ability to access expertise in such a concentrated format was a great opportunity for us,’ said Nils Gerber, co-founder of BEEsharing.
The ten participating startups discussed their business models with established entrepreneurial personalities from within agri-business, experts in business creation and potential investors. Participants at the event were trained at workshops on topics including growth strategies, business valuation or contract arrangement and communication with collaborative partners. In addition, startups were able to network with decision-makers from within agribusiness. Detailed discussions with the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Julia Klöckner, who visited the founders’ bootcamp on Tuesday were on the agenda.
Traplinked and Farmerscent achieved second and third place respectively. The companies which came first, second and third will present their business ideas at the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture.
Background information about Rentenbank
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank is Germany’s development agency for agribusiness and rural areas. Under its statutory promotional mandate, Rentenbank provides low-interest loans for agriculture-related investments via other banks on a competitively neutral basis. Rentenbank provides funding for banks, savings banks, and local authorities with regard to rural areas. How does Rentenbank promote sustainability? The appropriation of profits is also subject to the promotional mandate. The bank is a public law institution whose capital stock was formed by contributions paid by the German agricultural and forestry sectors. The bank is one of the few triple-A rated institutions in Germany and raises funds primarily in the international capital markets.
