In a world where crop diseases threaten the livelihoods of millions of farmers, FarmAi is leading the charge to create sustainable, tech-based solutions. Since winning Huawei’s Seeds for the Future Global Startup Competition in 2022, FarmAi has been working tirelessly to refine its innovative approach. Recently, on October 26, 2024, Purpose in Motion (PIM) hosted a special 10th Anniversary event titled “FarmAi’s Startup Journey: Innovation, Challenges, and Triumphs in Agritech.” During this event, FarmAi’s five co-founders shared candid insights into their startup journey, offering invaluable advice to aspiring social entrepreneurs.
5 Key Takeaways from FarmAi’s Startup Journey
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
With the founding members spread across different countries, effective communication is crucial to ensure that FarmAi’s development moves along. As such, the five members have made it a priority to maintain open lines of communication through weekly meetings, and occasionally in-person to motivate one another. This was only possible as the team members were equally committed towards the success of FarmAi, displayed mutual respect, and believed both in the team and the mission they were working towards.
Adaptability is Key for Success
One of FarmAi’s biggest challenges arose when they encountered strict drone regulations in Algeria, a key market in their initial expansion plans. Faced with the reality that laws wouldn’t change quickly, the team decided to pivot to a new market where their solution could thrive. FarmAi’s CEO, Ouassim, encouraged budding entrepreneurs to stay flexible, saying, “Do not wait for the laws to change for you, and do not have tunnel vision; always take in different points of view.” This ability to pivot effectively allowed FarmAi to continue moving forward rather than becoming stalled by external factors.
Be Patient
Several members shared candidly about the doubts and perplexity that their friends and family members had about their entrepreneurial venture. Especially in the first few years when a startup may not be profitable yet, it is important for founders to remain steadfast in their mission, stay patient, and keep pushing forward.
Know Your Market
From the outset, FarmAi invested significant time into researching the agricultural industry and zeroing in on crop disease as a pressing issue. Despite their preparations, they still faced skepticism from farmers unfamiliar with drone technology. Rather than giving up, FarmAi made an ongoing effort to involve farmers at every stage of development, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the testing phases. This collaboration built trust, showing farmers how FarmAi’s solutions could positively impact their work.
Build Your Support Network
Through the roller coaster ride, FarmAi found that having a strong, supportive network was key to them pulling through hard times. To that end, Ahlam Boumezrag shared that PIM played a major role in connecting FarmAi to various legal and tech experts, which helped the team overcome various difficulties.
Memorable Quotes
About Our Speakers
Ouassim Hamdani serves as the CEO and AI Developer at FarmAi, where he is responsible for overseeing the development and integration of AI technologies. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in AI engineering, Ouassim applies his expertise to advance the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
Ahlam Boumezrag is the Co-Founder, R&D Lead, and PR Manager of FarmAi, where she has been instrumental in driving innovation through research and development, actively promoting the company to the public, and overseeing community engagement. She is a proud graduate of the Higher School of Telecommunications and ICT, holding a degree in Telecom Engineering.
Mohamed Aimen Benkoua is the Co-founder and COO of the company. He holds a Master’s degree in IT Systems Security from the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene and plays a key role in driving the company’s management and development efforts.
Abderrahmane Herizi, a graduate of the National Institute of Post and ICT, is a co-founder of FarmAi. He contributes as a front-end developer, designing the app interface, and brings assets related to research and partnerships to the company.
Mohamed Riadh Ziane is the Co-Founder and Deployment Manager of FarmAi, a network and telecommunications engineer who graduated from the University Saad Dahlab of Blida. As a tech-savvy professional, he is responsible for management and on-site development and deployment operations at FarmAi, leveraging his technical expertise as a key asset in fulfilling his responsibilities
Other Social Entrepreneurial Resources
- NextBillion: A platform that examines the nexus between development and enterprise, offering articles, case studies, and interviews with leaders in social innovation and impact investing. Visit NextBillion.
- Mission in a Bottle by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff: This graphic novel narrates the story of Honest Tea, a mission-driven business. It provides lessons on entrepreneurship and social impact in a unique and engaging format.
- Doing Well By Doing Good: Enrou’s Path To Even Bigger Global Impact: This article on Entrepreneurs.com explores how Enrou, a social enterprise, has successfully expanded its global impact by combining business success with meaningful social contributions. Read the article here.
Contributors
Kenny Leung, Event Moderator
Kenny is a seasoned executive and board member in the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) field with 15 years of experience on organizational and people development. Kenny graduated at the City University of Hong Kong major in Business Administration and Project Management. At the earliest years of career, Kenny worked in a global quality management firm targeting to implement international standards and compliances to the hotel industry. In 2006, Kenny had a chance to join a global program in Kenya for community development and social impact project. Since then, Kenny has spent full time in the NGO field participated in some interesting development programs in North Korea, Inner Mongolia, Hebei province and lastly stationed in Beijing for about 7 years. In the past few years, Kenny was an Operation Director and Chief Executive in Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation and Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation respectively to drive sustainable development projects in Mainland China.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyleungcheukyin/
Ting Ting Liew, Interviewer/Writer
Ting Ting is passionate about social impact, innovation, business development, and the nexus among these three areas. She was previously a Business Partner in Enterprise Singapore, a government agency that champions enterprise growth. Ting Ting graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Social Work. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Yenching Academy, Peking University. She is currently working on her thesis regarding the development of social entrepreneurship in China. During her free time, you can catch Ting Ting running, doing aerial yoga, or finding the best dessert in town!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ting-ting-liew
Melody Su, Video Editor
Melody Su, born in New Jersey and raised in California, is a dedicated daughter of Taiwanese immigrants with a passion for fostering the next generation of global scholars. Having lived and worked in five countries, including Italy, Spain, China, Taiwan, and most recently Japan, Melody brings a rich, cross-cultural perspective to her nearly decade-long career in education.
Melody holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UCSB and a Master’s in Postsecondary Administration & Student Affairs from USC. Her journey led her to China, where she spent three and a half years working as an international admissions counselor and reconnecting with her Chinese cultural roots. She is the founder of Episteme Nexus (EpNex), a consultancy that supports small-to-medium-sized enterprises and educators in program management, leadership development, and more. Through her podcast, EpNex: Education 360, she explores topics on education, mentorship, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Currently a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University, studying AI in education with a concentration in workplace learning, Melody is also an active board member and treasurer of the Graduate School Education Research Association (GSERA). Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, hiking, binge-watching Netflix, and solving logic puzzles.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodylsu/
