Editor’s Word: This put up was created in collaboration with and with monetary help from EIT Food.
On 25 November, the Demo Day of the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) programme befell within the PKO Rotunda in Warsaw, an initiative that helps ladies entrepreneurs working to create a extra sustainable and revolutionary meals system.
Now in its sixth version, EWA 2025 is a six-month entrepreneurial programme designed to help aspiring and early-stage feminine entrepreneurs throughout 13 nations: Albania, Estonia, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
Backed by EIT Meals and the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise (EIT), a physique of the European Union, EWA helps contributors construct the abilities, confidence and networks wanted to develop and scale their concepts. Though ladies play an important function in agriculture and rural innovation, their work typically goes underrecognised. The programme goals to deal with this by providing sensible help, tailor-made coaching and entry to a long-lasting group.
Following our earlier interviews with Anabel Millán Leiva, Co-founder of Cucare Diagnostics, and Nadica Desanova, Co-founder of Mimic Tech, we conclude this three-part interview collection with a lady entrepreneur whose AI-powered crop-protection answer demonstrates how know-how can enhance farm effectivity whereas supporting biodiversity.
Interview with Nina Bazela, co-founder of Antyszpak
Are you able to begin by sharing the inspiration behind Antyszpak and the way your journey into creating an clever, AI-driven crop-protection system started?
The inspiration for Antyszpak got here from the true, sensible wants of orchard homeowners. Whereas my workforce and I had been engaged on a unique technological undertaking for agriculture, we had the possibility to talk with these farmers who admitted that they had no environment friendly strategies for shielding their crops from birds. They particularly complained in regards to the conventional gadgets generally used at the moment – like cannons that emit loud 120 dB bangs each jiffy -which aren’t very efficient and find yourself disturbing all the neighbourhood.
They challenged us, asking, “Couldn’t you give you one thing totally different, extra environment friendly and fewer disruptive?” We began brainstorming and realised we might use lasers, which trigger a pure concern response in birds. From there, we developed our answer: a robotic turret that detects birds in digicam pictures utilizing visible detection algorithms and tracks them with a laser beam till they depart the sphere.
What motivated you to give attention to AI-powered hen deterrence, and the way do you consider this know-how contributes to a extra sustainable and biodiverse agricultural system?
What actually motivated us was the need to create an answer that’s each good and environment friendly. Through the use of AI, Antyszpak solely prompts the laser when a hen is definitely detected within the digicam pictures. This strategy considerably will increase effectiveness whereas decreasing vitality consumption and prolonging the lifetime of the laser.
Wanting forward, we plan to develop a hen classification algorithm in order that we will finally scare away solely the pest birds whereas leaving protected and helpful species utterly undisturbed.
I consider this know-how is a serious step ahead for sustainability as a result of it permits these helpful birds to remain within the orchard and eat bugs, which naturally reduces the necessity for dangerous pesticides and results in more healthy soil. It’s additionally a way more humane and non-invasive various to strategies like protecting nets, which might by chance hurt or kill birds.
Past the surroundings, there’s an actual social and financial profit too; our system is silent, so it eliminates the noise air pollution that usually causes conflicts between farmers and their neighbours.
Antyszpak makes use of a robotic turret that may safely deter birds. Are you able to stroll us via how this technique works and what makes your strategy distinctive in comparison with conventional crop-protection strategies?
Our answer detects birds in digicam pictures utilizing visible detection algorithms after which tracks them with a laser beam till they depart the sphere. Birds are naturally afraid of laser mild and fly away after they see it close by.
There are already options available on the market that use laser mild for hen deterrance however they transfer the laser ‘blindly’ via the sphere, in accordance with a pre-programmed path. However birds are intelligent; they study these patterns and easily feed within the components of the sphere that aren’t being swept at that second.
Our AI-based, focused answer not solely will increase effectiveness, but additionally lowers the vitality consumption and prolongs laser lifetime because of turning the laser on solely when a hen is detected. Sooner or later, because of the event of a hen classification algorithm, we can scare away solely pest birds, leaving the protected birds undisturbed.
At the moment, many farmers nonetheless depend on conventional strategies like visible or sound deterrents, protecting nets, or hiring a falconer. Nonetheless, these strategies are both ineffective (as a result of birds rapidly get used to visible and sound deterrents), or they’re too pricey and inaccessible for smaller orchards.
What had been a few of the largest challenges you confronted in creating Antyszpak, each on the technical and market sides, and the way did you overcome them?
Like every startup based by younger entrepreneurs, our largest preliminary problem was positively the shortage of funding. We needed to develop each the enterprise and the know-how part-time whereas conserving our ‘regular’ day jobs.
On the technical aspect, we had been shocked by the period of time and dedication we needed to put in performing preliminary area checks. As engineers, we had been a bit perplexed at first as a result of some days we’d journey to a take a look at location solely to search out no birds there, even when there had been a whole bunch the day earlier than. We needed to seek the advice of with ornithologists to learn to maximise our probabilities for profitable checks and, importantly, learn how to keep away from scaring the birds away ourselves simply by being current within the area.
In the marketplace aspect, nevertheless, we had been really shocked by the excessive degree of curiosity from farmers. They actually lack environment friendly and inexpensive options for hen deterrence and have been very prepared to check out revolutionary concepts like ours that present efficient safety at an inexpensive worth.
When did you first hear in regards to the EWA programme, and what motivated you to take part?
I first heard in regards to the EWA programme whereas we had been in the course of creating Antyszpak and in search of potential sources of funding. I had the possibility to talk with Małgorzata Druciarek from EIT, who really helpful the initiative to me.
My motivation to affix was actually primarily based on my previous experiences; I’ve had nothing however nice experiences with programmes that help ladies in know-how and join us so we will do superb issues collectively. Due to that, I used to be positive that taking part in EWA was going to be value it.
How did the mentorship and coaching through the EWA programme affect the event of Antyszpak? What would you establish as essentially the most vital classes you realized?
Taking part within the EWA programme has been a very helpful expertise for me as a founder. Probably the most sensible advantages was the chance to work carefully with my mentor, Monika Borowiecka. Our collaboration allowed me to refine our market technique and enterprise mannequin, which was a crucial step for our development.
The coaching additionally centered on a number of key competencies which can be important for any startup. I’ve been in a position to enhance how I pitch and current the undertaking professionally, and I’ve gained a extra structured strategy to analysing the market, understanding the competitors, and planning for worldwide enlargement.
Past the formal coaching, the programme supplied entry to the EIT Meals ecosystem. I’ve established contacts and even began direct collaborations with two different participants- revolutionary farmers with a powerful media presence. This partnership has vital potential for Antyszpak from each a enterprise and advertising and marketing perspective. It actually strengthened the concept connecting with different professionals within the AgriTech area is without doubt one of the most essential issues a founder can do.
Sustainability and security are core rules of Antyszpak. How do you make sure that your answer protects crops whereas remaining protected for each birds and folks?
Security is one thing we take very severely. In the beginning, as with every undertaking involving lasers, it’s essential to keep up strict security measures. We guarantee – at each the {hardware} and software program ranges – that the laser beam by no means surpasses the mounted borders of the sphere or orchard.
We additionally present appropriate warning indicators and instruct the homeowners that nobody ought to enter the orchard whereas the laser is in operation. Moreover, the system is mounted excessive up and shines the laser downward towards the bushes and the bottom, by no means up towards the sky.
Relating to the birds, we’ve designed the system to be humane. Due to our hen detection capabilities, we level the laser subsequent to the hen fairly than immediately at it, which minimises any threat classification algorithm to make sure we solely deter dangerous species whereas leaving protected birds in peace. We additionally need to develop a human-detection algorithm so as to add an additional layer of security, ensuring that even when somebody intrudes into the orchard, their eyesight gained’t be at any threat.
How do you see AI-powered precision instruments like Antyszpak shaping the way forward for agriculture, notably within the context of decreasing losses, enhancing biodiversity and supporting farmers?
I see AI-powered instruments as a basic shift towards extra sustainable and economically secure farming. From an financial perspective, our objective is to immediately improve yields by defending crops from destruction, which interprets into increased revenue – particularly for small and medium-sized farmers. It’s additionally about value and time effectivity; as a result of our answer is much less labour-intensive than putting in nets or hiring falconers, it reduces the general monetary and time burden on the farmer.
Environmentally, the precision of AI permits us to be rather more selective. By deterring solely dangerous pests, we are going to depart helpful, insect-eating birds in peace, which naturally reduces the necessity for chemical pesticides. This contributes to more healthy soil, higher public well being, and higher biodiversity since we remove the bodily dangers posed by protecting nets
To conclude, what recommendation would you supply to different ladies entrepreneurs enthusiastic about beginning their very own entrepreneurial journey in agrifood know-how?
My important piece of recommendation is: community. You could get on the market to agrifood occasions and meet motivated, skilled individuals who may also help validate your concepts and warn you about potential dangers. It’s equally essential to speak to your shoppers immediately. Attempt to study what their precise wants are earlier than you begin pitching your ‘nice thought’ and making an attempt to persuade them it’s precisely what they want.
And, in fact, I might extremely advocate becoming a member of programmes like EWA. It’s a implausible approach to meet different inspiring founders and discover a group the place you possibly can help one another all through this journey.
Extra on the programme
As a part of EWA 2025, Nina joined a rising #EWAProgramme group of greater than 600 alumnae throughout Europe. This community continues to help and unlock the potential of early-stage feminine founders properly past the period of the programme.
She additionally had the chance to pitch her thought on the Next Bite Satellite occasion, Accelerating Innovation By way of Ladies Management, held on 4 December in Warsaw. The occasion introduced collectively almost 350 innovators, founders, and traders to rethink the way forward for meals and spotlight women-led innovation throughout the agrifood ecosystem.
Registration for EWA 2026 opens quickly! Keep tuned and assist construct a way forward for meals powered by ladies. More information is available here
About EIT Meals
EIT Meals is the world’s largest and most dynamic meals innovation group. Backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise, it really works throughout the meals worth chain to speed up innovation and entrepreneurship, equipping changemakers with the abilities, instruments, and help they should reshape the way forward for meals.
EIT Meals is one among 9 innovation communities established by the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise (EIT), an impartial EU physique arrange in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship throughout Europe.
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