With the end of the year in sight, it’s time to take a look back at what 2016 had to offer. What’s clear is that the startup industry is still flourishing, with many young entrepreneurs that have plenty of innovative, disruptive ideas for the future. The following days we will be looking back at the startups that stood out to us particularly, and ask them about 2016 and their plans for the future. Today: Connecterra.
Cows and machine learning
With a tagline ‘fitbit for cows’, this Amsterdam based startup had our attention right from the early start. Connecterra provides connected activity monitors for dairy farms. It allows farmers to track every single cow at every given moment. Throw some analyses by machine learning and data science in the mix and you get a comprehensive analysis that provides insights on how to keep every cow happy and healthy. This is important for farmers as well; Happy cows perform better, thus making more money for their owner.
‘From zero to one’
We’ve spotted Connecterra in 2015, when founder Yasir Khokhar said that he had the ambition to connect the entire world. Even though this ambition hasn’t moved passed the cow-stage yet, it doesn’t mean 2016 wasn’t a huge year for the startup. This summer they raised their first capital of $1.8 million. And on the latest Web Summit, Connecterra was named one of the most sought after companies. “2016 was a formative year for us”, says CEO and founder Yasir Khokhar. “We really went from zero to one this year. As a team, we’ve pushed boundaries of what is possible with artificial intelligence and proven the success of our technology with customers in worldwide locations.”
All about the product
Raising close to $2 million in seedmoney would probably be a pretty big highlight for any startup. But when asked about the biggest step Connecterra made in 2016, Khokhar does not mention money. It’s about steps they made with the product: “Every day we take another step into new territory. That’s the beauty and charm of building something from scratch. But if I really had to choose, getting the product into the hands of customers and beginning to see the impact our technology can have on the efficiency and productivity of farming is hugely gratifying. It’s a validation of our vision, and it puts a smile on our faces every time we make a difference.”
‘Watch us closely’
“Connecterra is now on a global map of companies to watch out for and while that is a source of pride for us it is also a responsibility for us to live up to. In 2017, we will be actively ramping up our production and scaling up in all dimensions. We’re growing the team, growing our customer base, growing our product portfolio and will soon be unveiling a new brand identity that will provide more context on our future plans. Watch us closely, we’re on a mission.”
