Jad Tawil Co-founder and CTO
Jad
Conceptualizinganideaisworthlessifit
cannotbetranslatedintobusiness.While manyofushavefleetingconceptsorideas, fewpeoplebelieveinthese.Theypursueand transformideasintobusinesses.Afterobservingor beinginasituation,somecomeupwithconceptsthat werenevertried,whileotherstwisttheexistingones tosatiatethemarketneeds.
Thiseditionisdedicatedtothosewhochosetoact insteadofsittingonideasorgrumblingaboutthe absenceofcertainservicesorproducts.These entrepreneurswalkedmilestobewheretheyare today.Andtheirjourneyhasbeenanythingbuta cakewalk.Theydaredtofollowtheirdreamswith sheerperseveranceandhardwork.
Innovationshavealwaysmadetheworldabetter placetolive.Aslongasthereisthehumanraceon earth,innovationswillcontinue.Andaslongasthere areinnovations,businesseswillcontinue.Therecent decadesawstart-upsmushroomingacrosstheglobe. Going‘glocal’isthenewmantra,andstart-upshave reiteratedThomasFriedman’sconceptoftheworld beingflat.
Bridging Agriculture and Robotics through Innovation
Tawil Co-founder and CTO
Bootstrappingorcrowdfunding,start-upsaresprinting aheadwithnomoodtostop.Start-upsaregrowingatan unprecedentedpaceattractingglobalinvestorsandpartners. Despitechallenges,thenumberofstart-upsisthrivingand reachingtheunicornstatus.Thesedaredevilsaresetting examplesandlessonsforaspiringentrepreneursoralready existingonestoreachpinnaclesofsuccess.
Realizingthemarketneeds,predictingthefuturemarket trends,andanalysingthemarketiscrucialforanybusiness tosucceed.Technologyhasmadethingseasierandhasalso createdhugecompetitioninthestart-upecosystem.Most start-upsareessentiallytechnology-driven.
However,survivinginamarketrepletewithideasisa herculeantask.Thrivingisevenmoredifficult.Networking andscalingplayvitalrolesingivinganextraedgeand winningmarketbymarketinthiscompetitivespace. Successfulstart-upsfocusmoreonsalesandmarketing. Theyseeanopportunityineverysituation.Evenduringthe
onsetoftheongoingglobalpandemic,theychosetoseean opportunityratherthanperceiveitasathreat.
Wefeaturedsomeboldentrepreneursinthiseditionof InsightsSuccess, Top 10 Start-ups to Watch in 2021, whose out-of-the-boxthinkingresultedinoutperformingothers.
Readabouttheirexcitingjourneyandhowtheycontinueto beresilient.
Haveanenlighteningread!
Sumita Sarkar
C O N T E N T S Jad Tawil Co-founder and CTO
Bridging Agriculture and Robotics through Innovation
22
5 Promising Unicorn Companies that are Changing Industries NewEntry
More than Benefits
An all-encompassing work culture: what business leaders should keep in mind
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DouxMatok
Offering Improved Nutri on through Sugar-based Sugar reduc on Solu on
Richard Nahas
Upda ng Integra ve Medicine with Tech Innova ons
Rokoko
Reimagining the Possibili es of the Anima on Industry
Digitally inform every irriga on decision on earth SupPlant
Star Agritech Interna onal
Establishing a Global Foothold in the Tobacco Industry InterviewwithInsightsSuccess
Eleva ng the Experience of Swimming Sport The Magic 5
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Anish Miller Senior Editor
Managing Editor
Assisting
Art & Design Head
Abhishaj Sajeev
Visualiser David King Co-designer
Paul
Art & Picture Editor Priyanka Rajage
Art & Design Assistant Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Rohil
Sherin Rodricks Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Business Development Executives
Kelly, David
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head
Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Circulation Manager Tanaji
sales@insightssuccess.com
September, 2021
Featuring Brief CompanyName DouxMatok douxmatok.com
AriMelamud CEO
Hastee hastee.com
NexusRoboticsinc. nexusrobotics.ca
Reputation.ca reputation.ca
RivianAutomotive rivian.com
Rokoko Rokoko.com
StarAgritech International staragritech.com
SupPlant supplant.me
JamieHockin
MarketingDirector
JadTawil
Co-founderandCTO
RaphaelThurber ChiefOperatingOfficer
RjScaringe CEO
JakobBalslev CEOandCo-founder
DouxMatokisaleaderinefficientdeliveryofflavorsand improvednutrition,suchassugar-basedsugar-reduction,enabling tastierandhealthierconsumptionofsweetfoods.
Hasteeistheultimateemployeebenefit-allatnocost.Hastee canbeofferedtoallemployees,nomatterwhattypeofcontract orseniority,anddrivesrealproductivityimprovements.
NexusRoboticsisanagriculturalsolutionscompanythat deliversflexibilityandfreedomtothosecreatingthefutureof farming.
Reputation.caLtd.isaToronto,Canada-basedOnline ReputationManagementcompanythatspecializesin customizedstrategiesthatallowitsclientstoamplifytheir voicesonthewebandensuretheyareportrayedpositively.
RivianAutomotive,Inc.isanAmericanelectricvehicle automakerandautomotivetechnologycompanyfoundedin 2009.
RokokoisastartupbasedinCopenhagen,Athens&San FranciscothatcreatedthemotioncapturesolutionsSmartsuit Pro(sensor-basedmocapsuit),Smartgloves,andMotion Library(world'slargestmarketplaceofmotionassets).
AylinBahçevan MarketingSupervisor
OriBenNer CEO
SAI’smissionistopartnerexclusivelywithmediumsized companiesintheprovisionoftobaccoandservicesforthelong term.
SupPlant'sPrecisionAgriculturesystemsassistsfarmersby givingthemthetoolstomaintainacorrectirrigationregimeall yearround.
THEMAGIC5 themagic5.com
RasmusM.Barfred Co-founder Tulip tulip.com
JamesYancey CEO
THEMAGIC5createscustom-fitswimminggoggles,madeto measuretheuniquecontoursofyourface.
Tulipisafast-growingSaaScompanylaser-focusedondriving thedigitaltransformationofretail.WhatmakesTulipuniqueis itsemphasisonpeople.
Bridging Agriculture and Robotics through Innovation We design and build a fully autonomous robot that uses a pioneering technology to pull weeds out of vegetable crops. “ Jad Tawil Cofounder and CTO
Whyhastechnologybecome analmostomnipresent entityinourdailylives? Whydowerelyonappliancesand stringsofcodesfortasksasfeebleas washingdishesordoingthelaundry? Whydowetrustmachinesandrobots forsurgeriesandcreatingartificial organs?
Theanswertothesequestionsfairly revolvesaroundthecapabilitiesthat wereinfusedintothesemachinesand appliancesbyscientistsandtechnology pioneers.Theseinventionspossessthe abilityofcomputinglargeandcomplex datawithexceptionalprecisionand derivingaccurateoutcomesthatfar outperformthosederivedbyhumans. Moreover,theevidentaddedadvantage
ofconveniencedeliveredby technologyiswhatmakesitinevitable. Beingabletoleveragetheinnumerate possibilitiesofferedbytechnologyhas putmanyinnovativeindividualsand companiesonthemapandthisedition, Top 10 Startups to Watch in 2021 endeavorstoplacethespotlighton them.
Amongthesecompanies,Nexus Roboticsisonenamethattrulystands outforitscontributionwithinthe agriculturetechnologyspace.Inbrief, NexusRoboticsisaNovaScotian technologystartup,developing autonomousroboticsolutionsfor agricultureusingmachinelearning.
“Wearecurrentlyundergoingthefinal phasetestingaprototyperobotthatcan
We plan to address the harvesting of some very specialized crops that demand a gentle and precise touch to harvest such as peas or peppers. “ “ weedvegetablecropsinawaythatis trulyunique,”saysJadTawil,the CofounderandCTOatNexus Robotics.
Jadhasbeeninstrumentalinbuilding thecoreofNexusRobotics’AI programsincedayoneandhasliterally ‘sleptundertherobot’tooverseeevery stepofthesoftwareandhardware build.Inthefollowinginterview,Jad sharesafewinsightsonthecompany’s journey,itsvision,anditsprospective future.
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interview:
Pleasebriefouraudienceabout NexusRobotics,itsUSPs,andhowit iscurrentlypositionedasaleading playerintheagriculturetechspace.
Wedesignandbuildafully autonomousrobotthatusesa pioneeringtechnologytopullweeds outofvegetablecrops.Unlikeother agbots,Nexususesprecisearticulated armstoremoveweedsfromvegetables withoutdamagingthecrop.That allowsfarmerstoweedtheirfields
Stick to your plan, focus on what you want to achieve and bring that to the market as soon as you have a workable solution. “ “ withoutusingmanuallaboror herbicidestodoit.
Whatothersolutionsdoesyour companyoffer,andhowarethese makinganimpactontheindustry andyourclients?
Whiletherobotroamsfields,itcollects datathatisatthecoreoftheimpactwe canhaveonfarmers’life.Beyond weeding,wewillbedeveloping softwaretoidentifydiseasesand insects.Thisinformationwillenable thefarmerstomakemoreinformed decisionsabouthowtobestcarefor theircrops.Additionally,weplanto addresstheharvestingofsomevery specializedcropssuchaspeasor peppersthatdemandagentleand precisetouchtoharvest.
Beinganexperiencedleader,share withusyouropiniononwhatimpact hastheadoptionofmodern technologiessuchasAI,bigdataand machinelearninghadonthe agriculturenicheandwhatmore couldbeexpectedinthefuture?
Farmersarefacingnewchallenges everyyearfromanuncontrollable friendcalledweather Thereisnopoint fightingit.However,theyarealso facingmajorissuesaroundlaborcosts andavailability,andthisisnotgoingto change.Thatiswhererobotics, automationandAIcanreallymakea differenceandwehavedecidedtostart withweeding,arepetitivetaskthat nobodyreallylikesdoingbutisso closelyrelatedtoacropperformance.
Takingintoconsiderationthe currentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdid youdriveyourcompanytosustain operationswhileensuringsafetyof youremployeesatthesametime?
Wehavebeenfortunatethatpandemic reallyactedasaneyeopenertothe worldabouttheneedtoautomatesuch operations.Thefactthatwewerestill pre-commercialwhenthefirstand secondwavesofthevirushit.So,we haveonlybeenslightlyimpacted, mainlythroughequipmentandparts delay Wehavebeenabletostructure ourR&Dwithmostofoursoftware folksworkingfromhome.
I would definitely give this technology a good try when offered to me. I find them almost ready to be seen as commercial, perhaps next season.” – Paul Howard, Cabbage farmer in Florida. “ “ Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingentrepreneurswhoaspireto ventureintotheagritechspace?
Sticktoyourplan,focusonwhatyou wanttoachieveandbringthattothe marketassoonasyouhaveaworkable solution.Itisnogoodforanyonewhen youR&Dforeverandnevergetthe technologytrulytestedbythosewho willeventuallybeyourcustomers:the farmers!
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyour company’soperationsandofferings in2021?
Ourgo-toMarketplanistohavetwo commercialunitswithearlyadopters intheUSsoutheastbyNovember 2021,followedbyarobustdemotour inCaliforniainMarch2022.Thiswill pavethewayforourCanadian(home) debutinthesummerof2022wherewe plantohaveseveralunitsscattered betweenOntario,Quebec,andNova Scotia.
Top 10 Start-ups to Watch in 2021
DouxMatok Offering Improved Nutri on through Sugar-based Sugar-reduc on Solu on Sugarconsumptionhasbecomeapublichealth problem,asitislinkedtoanincreasedriskof ailmentslikeobesity,diabetes,cardiovascular diseases,anddentalcavities.Ontheotherhand,itis utilizedinpatisserieanddessertitemsformorethanjust flavour;italsoservesavarietyofadditionalpurposes.As peraWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)report,therewill be55%growthindiabetespatientsoverthenextcoupleof decades.Thiscreatesaconundrumaroundsugar–whether toconsumeornot.
Inthishealth-consciousworld,peopleareawareabout balanceddiets.Theyenjoythesweetnessofsugaratthe sametime,theydon’twanttocompromiseontheirhealth. Asaresult,eithertheychoosetogiveintotheircravingsor prefersugarsubstituteswhichdonotproduceasugar-like taste.Lookingatthisdilemma,DouxMatokinventedthe sugar-basedsugar-reductionsolutionwithoutcompromising thetasteandhealth.
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,AriMelamud,the CEOofDouxMatoksharesthejourneyofhiscompany,the storybehindtheinceptionofIncredoSugar,andthe importanceofsugar-reductionsolutions.
PleasebriefouraudienceaboutDouxMatokandits journeysofarinthefood-techspace.
Inthe1940’s,AvrahamBaniel,ayoungchemistatthetime andfatherofEranBaniel,currentExecutiveChairmanof DouxMatok,beganthinkingofwaystomakesugarfeellike plenty,followingaBritishMandateinPalestinethat rationedallessentialingredients.Decadeslater,while meetingwithleadersofoneofthelargestsweetener manufacturers,thequestionaroseagain–Canthesweetnessofsugar(realsugar)beenhancedtoallowforreductionwhilestillsatisfyingconsumerexpectations? Hebeganconcoctinghisfirstproofofconceptattheageof 96with75yearsofexperienceinindustrialchemical research.Thefirstgloballyavailablecommercialproduct fromDouxMatokistheavailabilityofIncredoSugar We
We are hyper focused on working with partners in multiple geographies, and especially in the US, to bring products to market using our sugar reduction solution.
currentlyworkwithvariousbakerypartnersinIsraelwho useIncredoSugarintheirproducts,includingMaison Kayser,PieceofCake,Danny&Galit,andMatzotAviv
Wearenowhyperfocusedonworkingwithpartnersin multiplegeographies,andespeciallyintheUS,tobring productstomarketusingoursugarreductionsolutionand raisingmoreawarenessfortheIncredoSugarbrandandthe potentialimpactitwillhaveonlimitingsugarinproducts globally
Whilethelong-termgoalremainstofocusonaB2B strategyandworkwithpartnerstoprovideIncredoSugaras aningredient,we’vealsorecentlyunveiledlimitededition IncredoSpreadstoshowconsumersjusthowdeliciousa productmadewithIncredoSugarcanbe,andvalidatethat taste,texture,andsweetnessdoesnothavetomean compromisingonnutrition.
TellusmoreaboutIncredo®SugaranditsUSPs.
IncredoSugarisafirst-of-its-kindsugar-basedsugar reductionsolutionandthemainpillarofafullsolutionthat willincludeacarefullyselectedmixofnutritionalfibers andproteins.IncredoSugarimprovestheefficiencyof sugardeliverytothesweettastereceptorsandenhancesthe perceptionofsweetness,enablingsubstantialsugar reductionwithoutcompromisingtaste,mouthfeel,or texture.
Thebiggestchallengesofexistingsugarreductionsolutions aretheaftertastesassociatedwiththesweeteners,thesource oftheseingredientsandthebulkingsolutionsusedto replacethesugar.Globalresearchconsistentlyindicatesthat tasteisthefirstconsiderationwhenconsumersmaketheir choices.
Incredoallowsustheopportunitytoreplacesugarwith sugarwhichdoesnotcompromiseontastebutrather deliversthesamesweetnessexperiencewithloweradded sugartotheconsumer Withthesugarthatisremoved,we nowhaveanopportunitytoaddback‘betterforyou’ ingredientssuchasfibersandproteins,allowingustocreate amoreholisticwellnesssolution.
Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion ontheimpactmadebytheadoptionofmoderntechnologiesonthefood-techindustryandwhatmorecouldbe expectedinthefuture?
Theadoptionofmoderntechnologieshasquicklyadvanced thefood-techindustry,andweshouldexpectbothtechnologiesandtheindustrytocontinuetoevolve.Withthe additionofnewtechnologies,thecreationofnewfood-tech productsismadepossible.InmypreviousrolesasCEOat bothKimberly-Clark(largestnon-foodCPGcompanyin Israel)andSharonLaboratories(acompanythatdevelops andprovidesspecialtyingredientstothefoodandglobal personalcareindustries),Isawtheimportanceofboth adoptionofmoderntechnologiesandexpansionintonew segments.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitialchallengesdidyouface,andhowdidyoudriveDouxMatok tosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafetyofyour employeesatthesametime?
ThesafetyofallDouxMatokemployeeswasofutmost priorityattheonsetofthepandemic,andstillistoday!In theinitialdaysoftheviruswhentherewasstillalotof uncertainty,theteamwasunabletocollaborateinourlabs asusual,sowefacedsomeR&Dchallenges,butthe majorityofourteamwasabletoadjusttoaremote-first workenvironmentandwecontinuedonourmission.We’ve followedsocialdistancingrulesandenforcedamask mandateatallfacilitiesaswehaveslowlyreturnedtoinpersonofficelife.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothefood-techspace?
AbouttheLeader Ari Melamud is responsible for driving DouxMatok’s global expansion and leading fundraising efforts to scale up the organization. Melamud will propel accelerated commercialization of DouxMatok’s sugar-based sugar reduction solution, Incredo Sugar, executing upon partnerships in the US, Israel, Europe and beyond.
He will also oversee continued research and development of technology-based solutions and potential new applications for overall better nutrition in a variety of food categories and assist in growing the team with wellexperienced professionals in the food and ingredients industry.
Melamud brings over two decades of executive management experience across consumer goods marketing, advertising and B2B specialty ingredients, providing a diverse background, unique perspective, and strategic fit to lead DouxMatok.
Myadvicetobuddingentrepreneurswhoaspiretoventure intothefood-techspacewouldbetocommittoasolution, anendgame,andamission,andneverstopputtingyour bestfootforwardtocreatingit.Thisspaceisevolvingso muchfasterthananyofuscanpredict,anditisbecause manyhavethedriveanddeterminationtofigureitoutalong thewayandnotgiveup.
HowdoyouenvisionscalingDouxMatok’soperations andofferingsin2022?
Wearecurrentlyhyperfocusedonworkingwithpartnersto bringproductstomarketusingoursugarreductionsolution andraisingmoreawarenessfortheIncredoSugarbrandand thepotentialimpactitwillhaveonlimitingsugarin productsglobally
DouxMatokwillcontinuetoresearchtechnology-based solutionsandpotentialnewapplicationsforoverallbetter nutritioninavarietyoffoodcategories.TheUSandNorth AmericaingeneralisaprioritymarketforIncredoSugar, andwe’recurrentlyexpandingourteamintheEuropean regioninordertoexploreopportunitiesforIncredoSugarin themarket.
ExhibitingExcellence “Incredo® Sugar is a game changer when it comes to curbing overconsumption of sugar. Its sugar reduction solution can reduce added sugar without sacrificing taste, which frees up room to add back beneficial nutrients into a variety of foods. As both a mom who needs to feed a growing family of five, and a dietitian always on the hunt for healthy and balanced food recommendations, I’m so excited that consumers now can continue to eat what they love while improving their health at the same time.”
– Erin Palinski Wade, Registered Dietician, Nutrition & Diabetes Expert
“At Maison Kayser, we have always strived to create both delicious and creative products. We hold traditions close but are always looking to surprise our customers with delicious new creations. For one of our seasonal favorites – a Hanukkah donut – we worked with Incredo Sugar to create a mouthwatering pistachio filling that had half the amount of sugar. We were so impressed. The filling is more delicious than any we had tasted. It really is incredible!”
– Yoan Smadja, Maison Kayser Israel CEO
“When I use Incredo Sugar, technically I work exactly like I work with traditional sugar, but I can use much less. I know I’m not compromising the taste nor the health! Incredo sugar will change how we bake, and it will change the world as well.”
– Estella M. Belfer, Pastry Chef & Chocolatier
“Our mission as bakers is to share with the world that it is possible to have healthy and nutritious baked goods that are also delicious. Incredo Sugar allows us to do just that. We are excited to continue expanding our partnership with Incredo Sugar and explore innovative ways to serve our customers better-for-you products.”
– DVG Vegan Cookies
Interview with Insights Success RichardNahas There’slongbeenariftbetweenconventional medicineandalternativeformsofhealing.
EvidencehasbecomeprofoundlyimportantinWestern society,andespeciallyforthehealthcareindustry.Doctors rarelystrayfromthetreatmentsrecommendedby guidelinesthatarerecognizedbyregulators,governments andinsurers.
Butintegrativemedicinerecognizesthepotentialvalueof someformsofalternativehealing,despitethefactthatmost lackevidencefromthekindsoflargeclinicaltrials. Becausetheylackpatents,thesetreatmentsrarelygetthe kindofthefundingthatisneededtoconductthesetrials.
That’swhereDr.RichardNahascomesin.TheOntario doctorrunsTheSeekersCentreinOttawa,whereheuses integrativetreatmentstotreatchronicpain,especiallyfor thosesufferingfromtraumaticinjuries.Dr.Nahashas workedasbothanemergencyroomdoctorinmany Canadianhospitals,andhasalsoworkedwithshamans, gurusandtraditionalhealersindevelopingcountriesaround theworld.
Dr.Nahashasalreadyworkedtocreateanevidence-based approachtointegrativemedicineinotherways.Atthe UniversityofOttawa,hedevelopedanundergraduate curriculumformedicalstudents.Hehasalsopublished journalarticlesandtextbookchapters,andcontributedto nationalguidelinesandmultinationalclinicaltrials.
HewasalsoanAssistantProfessorintheDepartmentof FamilyMedicineattheUniversityofOttawaandhas servedasChairoftheMedicalInterestGroupfor ComplementaryandIntegrativeMedicineattheOntario MedicalAssociation.
Updating Integrative Medicine with Tech Innovations Now,he’sbuildinganapphecallsBEAM,orBringing EvidencetoAlternativeMedicine.Thegoalistohelptrack theeffectivenessofintegrativetherapies,usingmodern technologythatallowspeoplewhousethemtoinputdata aboutpain,mood,energyandotherso-calledpatientreportedoutcomemeasures.
TellusabitaboutTheSeekersCentreandwhatyoudo there.
Dr.RichardNahas:IfoundedTheSeekersCentrein2006, andintheyearssincethenwehavebeenworkinginthe emergingfieldofintegrativepainmanagement,withafocus onpainandthebrain.Thereareseveralmechanismsthat leadtochronicpain,includingthebrain. Mostpain specialistsagreethattherearetoomanypatientsstill sufferingfromterriblepain,despitetheirbestefforts. With anopioidcrisisthatisstillgrowing,anintegrativeapproach makesmoresenseforthesepatients.
TheSeekersCentreintegratesprescriptiondrugtreatment withinjections,acupunctureandotherComplementaryand AlternativeMedicine(CAM)therapies. Iworkwithagreat teamtocombinetheseapproachestocreatespecialized treatmentprogramsforourpatients. Manyofthemhave sufferedfromchronicpainforyearsandtheyhavetried many,manytreatmentsbeforecomingtous.
Wefeelverygoodaboutdeliveringwhatwethinkisgreat care,andourIthinkourpatientsgetalotofbenefitfrom ourapproach.
HowdidtheBEAMProjectcomeabout?Andwhydo youthinkit’simportant?
Dr.RichardNahas: Oursocietycaresaboutevidence, especiallyinmedicine,andforgoodreason.Professional
Top 10 Start-ups to Watch in 2021
healersofallkindsneedtoprovethattheirtreatmentswork toreceivelong-termfundingandrecognition.
Butunfortunatelythatplacesmanyformsofalternativeor integrativehealinginadifficultposition.Ifthere’sastudy thatprovesthatoneofthesetreatmentsisuseless,then that’smeaningfulandweshouldlookatthat.Butthereality isthatthere’snoproofthatmostformsofalternative healthcaretreatmentsareuseless.AndIpersonallydoubt that100percentof“unproven”treatmentshavenothingto bringtohealthcare.
That’swhyIstartedtheBEAMProject.Thegoalisto collectasmuchdataaswecanabouttheeffectivenessof manyformsofalternativemedicinewiththeadvanced technologyanddataanalysisthatisnowavailabletous.
Theprojectisstillinitsearlystages.Butultimately,I wouldliketoreleaseanappthatpatientswanttouse becauseitgivesthemvaluableinformationaboutwhat treatmentsworkandwhattreatmentsdonot.Iwouldalso likeittobeavailableforCAMpractitionerseverywhere, manyofwhomaredoinggreatworkandnotreceivingany recognitionforit.
What’sthecurrentstatusoftheBEAMapp?
Dr.RichardNahas: Well,weconductedapilotstudyof theappinNovemberandDecemberof2020atTheSeekers Centre.Weuseditonlytoassesstheeffectivenessofthe SeekersMethod,anassistedstretchingtechniquethat patientscanlearntousefordailyself-care.
Thetechniquecombinesmovement,breath,touchand awarenesstofindandreleasetherestrictionsinfasciathat limitmovement.Thoserestrictionsinfasciatypically persistafterinjuriesortraumatothoseareas,andtheycan causereferredpaininareasthatmosttherapieswouldnot thinktoassess.
Weusedtheappforpatientswhotook12sessionsofthe SeekersMethodoverasix-weekperiod.
MystaffandIlearnedalotabouthowtocorrectlyand efficientlycollectdataduringthistime.Welearnedthatit canbeverydifficulttoconvincepatientstogiveyoudata whenyouaskthemtofilloutaform.Ifyouwantpatientsto giveyouaccurateinformation,youhavetofigureouthow tomakeitfunforthem. Thisiscalledgamification.
Veryoften,whenyougotoadoctorandtheyaskyouhow manybaddaysyouhadlastmonth,youcanvaguely estimateit,butifyouhaveamonth’sworthofharddata— that’satotallydifferentthing.Thisisaquestionthatall researchersneedananswerto:Howdoweobtainthebest andmostaccurateinformationfrompatientsaboutthe actualeffectivenessofhealthcaretreatments?
Ithinkthisappcouldbeanimportantsteptowardasolution tothisproblem.
What’sthenextstepforBEAM?
Dr.RichardNahas: Atthispoint,we’reinthesecond phaseofdevelopment.Wehavetestedtheappwiththe SeekersMethod,sonowwe’regoingtousethistechnology tomeasureoutcomesaftereverytreatmentsessionwe provideattheCentre.
Wearehopingtodemonstratethatovertimewefindbetter waystogetconsistent,accuratedatafromourpatients.
Ultimately,Ihopetodeploythisappmorewidely,to crowdsourcedatafromthousandsofCAMprovidersand millionsofpatientsworldwide. Thiswouldbea tremendousresourceforleadersanddecision-makersatthe nationalandgloballevel. Fornow,though,Iamcontentto focusonmeasuringourabilitytoeasethesufferingofour patientswithchronicpain,toimprovetheirfunctionand qualityoflife..
Aftermorethantwodecadesasadoctor,thisstillfeelslike thebestwayIcanmaketheworldabetterplace—forall ofus.
Differentinterestsandavarietyoffieldshavelaida strongfoundationforbusiness.Businesseshave nowbecomeindustry-specific,whichhasmadeit easierforthecompaniestofindtheirnichesandconductthe businessongeneraltermsapplicabletothatindustry.
Scanningtheevolutioninthebusinessworldandthe emergenceofnewcompaniesinthepastfewdecades, companiesfocusingontechnologyaremakingitbigand intotheheadlines.Theword‘Unicornstart-ups’often makesittotheheadlinesofthenews.
Theword‘Unicorn’isthetitlegiventothecompaniesthat crosstheonebillionmarkintheirequityevaluation.Forthe companiesenteringtheunicornclub,ithasbecomemoreof amilestoneachievementthananentitlement.Todaymore than900companiesaresharingthetitleofUnicornacross variousindustries.
Thecompaniesenteringtheunicornclubarechanging industrieseffectively.Populared-techunicornstart-up BYJU’Shasrecentlyacquirednineothered-tech companies.Apartfromthat,thecompanyhaschangedand becomethefaceofonlineeducation.Theyear2021,despite theblockagecausedbytheCOVID-19pandemic,hasbeen agoodyearforstart-upsacrosstheworld.Keepingthatin thepicture,herearefivepromisingunicornsfromdifferent sectorsthatarechangingthefaceoftheirrespective industries.
Zapier:RepetitiveTasksmadeEasier Start-upsoftensimplifythetaskorallowustodoatask innovatively.Onesuch‘Out-of-the-Box’solutionprovider thatsimplifiedthetaskinaninnovativewaywithefficiency isZapier.Makingitsdebutintheunicornclub,ithas correctlyidentifiedthecustomer’sneedsandprovideda
22|September 2021|www.insightssuccess.com
23|September 2021|www.insightssuccess.com
solutionthatmadeadifference.Thisapplicationhelpsin automatingrepetitivetasksacrossdifferentapplications. Theapplicationisevaluatedatfivebillionandhas effectivelybeenusedbyprofessionalsacrossthechanging phaseoftheindustry
DigitalCurrencyGroup:FintechatitsFinest ‘Finance’and‘Technology’havegivenalotofflexibilityin howwehandleourfinances.Moreover,thearrivalof bitcoinandblockchaininthearenaisbeginningto transformtheindustry.Unicornstart-upsare revolutionizingit,andthelatestarrivalunicornstart-upin theindustry—theDigitalCurrencyGroup(DCG)—are helpingtheworldinbuildingabetterfinancialsystemfor thepeople.
DCGisevaluatedattenbilliondollarsandishelpingin developingastableandcomposedecosystemforthe decentralizedcurrency.DCGalsoprovidessupportacross theworldthroughstrategicinvestment.Ithasanetworkof 160+companiesinovermorethan30countries.It’sthe start-upslikeDCGthataregivingusmorecontrolofour finances.
Lacework:StrengtheningCybersecurity Theworldtodayisconnectedinthewidewebofthe internet,andjustliketheword‘Lacework’suggests, Laceworkisdoingthelaceworkforstrengtheningthe security—thebase—ofthecompaniesontheinternet.
Laceworkopenedtheentryoftheunicornclubfortheyear 2021withanevaluationof$8.3million.Despitetheheavy useoftheinternetandseveralusers,cybersecurityisstill oneofthoseareasthatarenotmuchcrowded.Thestart-up unicorniscoveringmostofthesectorsofcybersecurity, helpingothercompaniestosafeguardtheiruser’sdata. Theirservicesvaryfromthreatdetectiononthewebsites, enhancedvisibilityforthecloud,improvedefficiencyfor thewebsites,andeventoolconsolidationforthethird-party services.Withsuchenhancedefficiencyandaccuracy, Laceworkismakingenoughinstrengtheningthebaseof internetsecurityformodernbusinesses.
BlackUnicornFactory:UnicornHelping Small-BusinessesturnUnicorn
AnAfricanAmericanstart-upthatmadeittotheheadlines wastheBlackUnicornFactory Thecompanyisevaluated
at$7.7billion.DespitebeingaB2Bcompany,thereisno specificnicheofthisnewtechnologystart-up.
BlackUnicornFactoryhasdevelopedasystemthathelps itscustomertomovefromstart-upstothestockmarket. Thecompanyhasevenembeddedthatintheirtagline, whichstates,‘Fromstart-upstothestockmarket.’Black UnicornFactorytillnowhashelpedmorethan65start-ups fromtheirinitialstagestilltheyenterthestockmarket throughIPO.ItpreparesthecompaniestogotoNewYork ortheNasdaqStockMarket.Thisisaunicorncompanythat helpsothercompaniesturnintoaunicorn.
J&TExpress:ModernisingTraditionalSupplyChain Thereisalwaysanoddmanoutineverylist;theonethat belongstothislististhenewsupplychainunicornstart-up J&TExpress.Evaluatedat$20billion,thelogisticsstart-up madealoudentryintheclub,allthewayfromIndonesia. TheinclusionofAIandothertechnologyinitsbusiness conductallowedthestart-uptoreplacesomeleadersfrom theindustry
J&TExpresshasslowlyevolvedfromararelyseendelivery start-uptobecomingapopulardeliveryoptionformany businesses.Thesupplychainindustryisold,andinsuch industries,theentryofanewcompanyisquiterare.Despite this,J&TExpresshasmadeitsmarkintheindustryand madeittotheunicornclubbytransformingtheindustry
Theseunicornstart-upshavemadetheirmarkintheir respectiveindustries.Thechangesbroughtintheindustries bytheseinnovativecompanieshavebeensignificant.Today theseunicorncompaniesaretheconnectinglinebetween traditionalindustrialstructureandmoderntechnological advancements.
- Ashlesh
24|September 2021|www.insightssuccess.com
Khadse
Rokoko Reimagining the Possibilities of the Animation Industry Whatdoyouthinkaboutwhenyouwatchmodern superheromoviesshootinglasers,smashing throughbuildings,orwearingasuitmadeof Vibranium?Ourchildhooddreamscometruewhenwesee theseheroesonscreen–deliveringenthrallingexperiences andimmensesatisfaction.Whatmakesthesesuperhero movies,oranymotionpicturewithstunningCGI,provide visualpleasureisthemagicof Visual Effects
AnimationandVFXhavetransformedthemodern-day entertainmentindustry.Aswearemovingclosertowards evolutionarycutting-edgeanimationtechnologyand characterdevelopment,wecanseemoredetailed,accurate, andhigh-qualitygraphics,thisisduetotheadvancementin 3Dmotioncapturetechnology.Ithasnowbecomeeasyto create,record,track,streamandcustomisethingswitheasy accessandlessertime.
Oneprominentcompany,whichisdrivingthemotion capturetechnologyindustrytonewheightsis Rokoko–providing3Dcharacteranimationsoftwareand animationtoolslikemotioncapturesmartsuits,gloves,and facecapture,andamotionlibrarythathelpsinproducing
extraordinaryuser-friendlystylesofvisualeffectswith trackingofbodymovements.
Inthefollowinginterview,JakobBalslev,theCEOand Co-foundersharesabouthis aimtodemocratizemotion captureandhowheandhisteamarerevolutionisingthe animationindustry
Followingarethehighlightsoftheinterview:
PleasebriefouraudienceaboutRokoko,itsUSPs,and howyouarechangingthetraditionalwaysofmotion capturethroughyourinnovativeproducts.
Motioncapturetraditionallyrequiredhugestudiospace withinfraredcamerasandhoursofcalibrationbeforeyou couldrecordevenasingleframe.Ourtoolscanbesetup anywherebyanyone,andyoucangofromideatorecording inminutes.Withapricepointthat’safractionofthe existingsystemsonthemarket,Rokokodemocratized mocapandreachedanentirelynewaudience–the emergingcreators.
Think big from the start and bet on the emerging market.
About the Leader CEO Jakob Balslev’s graduation project from film school was his first meeting with motion capture, and while it showed the power of the technology, it also showed Jakob how ripe it was for disruption. To realize all the ideas, he had for this tech, it would have to be rebuilt to fit the modern creator.
In March 2014, Jakob quit his job as a film producer, teamed up with his long-time friend Matias Søndergaard, a business school student and expert in the disruption of 3D printers, and Anders Klok, a self-taught animator and inventor, and founded Rokoko with a mission to democratize motion capture.
In this journey, the three friends have seen that the need to understand and work with digital human motion goes way beyond the entertainment industry. With more than 100 employees, Rokoko is now branching into other industries like health, sports, fitness, manufacturing, robotics, and automotive.
JakobBalslev CEO&Co-founder
WhilewehavecustomerslikeNetflix,Disney,Sony, Microsoft,morethan60%ofourusersareindependent creatorsthatareoftensingle-handedlyproducingtheir contentandpublishingonsocialmediachannels.We’re seeinghowourtoolsareenablinganincreasingnumberof themtoquittheirdaytimejobandliveoffoftheirchannels inthebooming“creatoreconomy.”
Aftercreatingtoolsforbody,finger,andfacecapture,we arenowturningtowardsthesoftwaresideoftheequation andwillbelaunchingequallydisruptiveanimationsoftware toolsoverthenextfewyears.
Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion onwhatimpacthastheadoptionofAIandmachine learningtechnologieshadontheanimationanddigital motionniche,andwhatmorecouldbeexpectedinthe future?
Aswithanymodernstartup,machinelearningplaysan increasinglycriticalroleinourproducts.Rokokoissitting ontheworld’slargestcollectionofmotiondataand machinelearningwhichhelpsusleveragethatinto improvingeveryaspectofourplatformandtools,making motioncaptureeasierfortheend-user.
Computervisionsolutionsformotioncapturearealready beingadopted(andpossiblysooncommoditized)bythe largetechgiants,allowingeveryonetodoverysimple camera-basedmotioncapture.
Therearesomeinnateconstraintsincamera-based solutions,suchasocclusionandlineofsightbeingthemain twothatwillalwaysmakeitsuboptimalforalotofuse bases-e.g.,howwillyoutrackyourhandsbehindyour backoryourlegsbehindasofaifacameraalwaysneedsa clearvision.Rokoko’sbiggestbetonthehardwarefront addressesexactlythatissueandwillbereleasedin2022.
WeareutilisingAI/MLfortwokeyadvancements:
1. Makingmorecomplexanimationeditingmoreintuitive, thereforeallowinglesstechnicalanimatorstoachieve highlycomplexmovementsinjustafewclicks.
2. Allowinganimatorstotakearangeofdifferent movementsandfusethemwithconsistentstyleand nuance,tohelpanimatorsmaintainconsistent personalityacrosstheircharacters. Withineachofthesetwoadvances,we’reeffectively
utilizingAI/MLtomaketheentireprocessofanimating characterssimplerandfaster,inlinewithourmissionto democratise3Dcontentcreation.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudriveRokoko tosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafetyofyour employeesatthesametime?
Giventhatourstartingpointwascreatingtoolsthatcould beusedanywhereanddidn’tneedadedicatedstudioor staff,we’veseentheoppositeofthedeclineofmanyother companiesinthispandemic–massivegrowth.Ourtools weremadetoenable“workfromhome”andsowehada headstartwhenthatwaswhateverybodysuddenlyhadto do.
However,similartoallotherhardwarecompanies,weare nowsufferingalotfromtheshortagesincomponents worldwide,duetochallengesacquiringtechnical componentsandincreasedshippingtimes.Eventhoughwe areputtinginverylargeorders,there’snowaywecan competewithApple,Tesla,andtheothertechgiantswho areusingsomeofthesamecomponentsweare.
Luckily,we’vefoundasolutionthatwillhelpuscatchup andbebacktonormalfromthisfall,butit’sbeenarough coupleofmonthsforourwaitingcreatorsandwe’re immenselygratefulforthepatienceourwaitingcustomers haveshown.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheanimationanddigital motionspace?
Thinkbigfromthestartandbetontheemergingmarket.
1. Thinkgloballyfromdayone:Theworldof entertainmenttendstothinkveryisolated,short-term, andproject-to-project,makingthemlosethebigger picture.Aviablestartupneedstothinkaboutscalability andtheentertainmentspace,youneedtothinkglobally fromdayone.
Luckily,storytelling,likemusic,isauniversallanguage andthesimilaritiesinworkflowsanddesiresfroma creatorinEuropetoacreatorinAfrica,Asia,etc.are striking.Foundersneedtoconsiderpersonasand
projecttypesratherthantraditionalmarketing demographicssuchasgeography,languages,andsoon.
2. Betonthecreatoreconomy:PlatformslikeTikTok, Instagram,andYouTubehaveenabledthenew generationofcreatorstofindtheiraudienceandbuilta strongrelationshipwiththeminatimeframethatwas unheardofjustafewyearsback.
Theyaregoingfromideatopublishingindaysandthe creativity—bothincontentandbusinessapproach—is justexploding.There’scertainlyalotofgrowthinthe topoftheindustryaswellwiththedemandfromthe streamingplatforms,butifIhadtobettoday,Iwould betonGenZ.
HowdoyouenvisionscalingRokoko’soperationsand offeringsin2021?
Althoughwe’vebeenprofitableforawhilenow,wejust raisedanothersmallroundtoputevenmorespeedonour newstrategicinitiatives.TosupportourHQinCopenhagen, we’veopenedadevelopmentofficeinAthensthat’s growingveryrapidlyandgeneratingimmensevalueforus, andwe’rehiringinalotofdifferentpositionsintheUS.
ThenextbigfrontierforusisgoingintoAsia.Giventhat we’vehadnopresenceordedicatedfocusthereyet,it’s remarkabletoseehowlargeashareofourcustomerscome fromAsia.Ican’twaittoseewhatwillhappenwhenwe ventureinthefullspeedbeforelong.
What users have to say An inertial suit can be used pretty much anywhere – if I’m using motion capture, I want to use it for everything. Not just simple animations, I want to run, I want to fall, I want to do stunts… I was impressed on every front by the Rokoko Smartsuit so that’s why I chose it.”
– Loacher Films, VFX Animator
Before I bought the Smartsuit Pro, there was a competitor, however when I saw the data coming out of Rokoko, I knew that was the one!
– Don Allen III, Animation Teacher at Dreamworks and Freelance VFX artist
Rokoko is an incredible time-saving solution for animation. Capturing movement, retargeting, and then having directly such a human nature into the character movements changes everything.
Great customer support, killer product at an even better price point. By leaps and bounds the best mocap suit in the industry for the price right now
– Matt Brown
Icouldhaveanimatedthatshotandspentaweekon justtryingtodothose2secondsofanimationandit stillwouldn’thavelookedasgood.Werecordedall ofthosemovementsinonly15minutes.
–IanHubert
– Vicki Dang
Ori Ben Ner CEO
Agricultureplaysanimportant roleinanation’seconomy
Morethanhalfoftheworld’s populationdependsonagriculturefor survival.Itisnotjustanindustrybutis alifestyle.Andlikeeveryothersector, technologyhaspercolatedinto agricultureaswell.Theemergenceand adoptionofAIandBigDataisproving tobeahelpinghandforthefarmers.
Talkingaboutexceptionaltechnologies inagriculture,wecameacrossone particularinnovationthattracksthe dataduringcultivationandharvesting. Thisinnovationisbeingsuccessfully implementedbySupPlant,aleading precisionagriculturehardwaresoftwaresolutionprovider
SupPlanthasfoundawaytoscalethe sensing.Itputssensorsontheplants andtheirsurroundings,whichradiate tothecloudwhattheplantissensing, andtranslatesthatdata,throughtheuse ofartificialintelligenceandbigdatato irrigationrecommendationsand actionableinsights.
SupPlant Digitally inform every irrigation decision on earth.
The technology we developed is constantly monitoring plant growth, reacting to it, and striving to maintain it even when conditions change rapidly.
Thecompanyusesallthedataithas accumulatedfromabout31cropsfrom 14countriestocreatethebest knowledgebase.“Sensingplantsisan importantpartofagriculture,”saysOri BenNer,CEOofSupPlant.
Inthefollowinginterview,Oripresents hisviewsontheagriculturalsectorand enlightensuswithsomeexceptional tech-savvysolutionsforagriculture. Followingarethehighlightsofthe interview:
Pleasebriefouraudienceabout SupPlant,itsUSPs,andhowyouare changingthewaysinwhichfarmers andagri-businessesmanagetheir waterchallenges.
Weareworkingwithfarmersall aroundtheworld(14countries)on variouscrops(31cropstobeexact)in ordertohelpthemlistentotheircrops, usingtechnology Wehavethelargest plantsensingdatabaseintheworld, andwearehelpingfarmersgrowbetter andmorefruitwithlesswater
Forthelastfewyears,wehavebeen workingwithfarmersaroundthe world,butwefeltthatweareonly reachingasmallnumberoffarmers. Yet,mostagtechcompaniesonlyreach 2%oftheworld'sfarmersandignore the450Msmallholderfarmersthatdo nothaveaccesstotechnologybutneed itdesperately
Wedecidedthatwewanttoexpand andcaterto100%offarmers,notjust the2%.Ourlatestdevelopmentallows ustoutilizethevastamountsofdata accumulatedandprovidetheremaining 98%withasensor-lessirrigation regimethatisaquantumjumpfrom anyknowncommonpractice.
Wearedisruptingthewaycropsare beingirrigatedandgrown—tackling twooftheworld’sbiggestchallenges inthe21stcentury:watersupplies (71%ofthemgotoirrigation)and foodproduction(weincreaseyieldby 20%+startingfromthefirstseason solelythroughshiftingtoanAI-based irrigationregime).
Fordecades,thedecisiononhowto irrigatecropswasmadebasedonthe farmer’sintuition,experience,andat bestonsomescattereddata.Traditional irrigationapproacheslimitgrowersto beingreactive,notproactivein growingtheircrops.Weare revolutionizingirrigationfromthe bottomupandcreatingacompletely newmethodofindicatingwhenand howmuchwatershouldbeapplied— basedontheplant’sexactneeds.
SupPlant’ssensorsareplacedin5 locationsoftheplant(deepsoil, shallowsoil,stem/trunk,leaf,andfruit) andmonitorplantandfruitgrowth patterns,theactualwatercontentinthe soil,andplanthealthdata.
Inadditiontothisdata,SupPlant monitorsreal-timeandforecasted climaticdataandforecastedplant growthpatterns.Allthisinformationis uploadedevery10minutestoan algorithminthecloudthatprovides farmerswithpreciseirrigation recommendationsbasedonthe integrationofallthisdata.
CombiningBig-Dataaccumulatedover theyearswithreal-timedatacollected fromavastvarietyofhardware sensors,expertagronomists,andour uniquealgorithm.Weprovidehigh resolution,real-time,andforecasted insightsandirrigationcommandsfor anaccurateirrigationregimeand practices,ensuringhealthyandrobust harvestswiththeoptimumwaterusage thatbuildstheirresiliencethroughtime
Bottomline—weincreaseyields startingatdayoneby20%-30%while saving30%-40%wateruse.Theseare twooftheworld’slargestchallengesin the21stCentury.
Ori,pleasebriefusaboutyour professionaljourney,andhowyou havecontributedtowardsthe company’ssuccess.
Icomefromalonglegacyoffarmers whowantedtocreatemorewithless, andthatismylifemission.Theidea behindSupPlantwascreatedlong beforeIbecameinvolved.AvnerBen Ner,mygrandfather,wasbornand raisedtobeafarmerinasmallvillage intheNorthernpartofIsrael.
Tothisday,heisstillafarmer,atthe ageof88.Myfather,ZoharBenNer, foundedSupPlantunderthenotionthat plantscanspeakandifweareableto createatechnologythattranslatesplant language,wecanrevolutionize irrigation.
BeforeSupPlantIearnedmymaster’s degreefromtheInterdisciplinary Center(IDC)Herzilya,inPublic Administrationandpreviouslyserved intheIsraeliDefenseForcesasafirst sergeantintheRecon’unitofthe CombatEngineeringcorps.Ihavebeen workingatSupPlantformanyyearsin variousroles,includingCMO,and todayIamtheCEOofthecompany AlltheexperimentsandR&Daredone onmygrandfather’soriginalplot.
Beinganexperiencedleader,share withusyouropiniononwhatimpact hastheadoptionofAIandmachine learningtechnologieshadonthe agritechsectorandwhatmorecould beexpectedinthefuture?
Frommystandpoint,AIandmachine learninghavedisrupted,inagoodway, theagritechsector.Integratingnew technologieswitholdpracticeshas immenselychanged,notonlythe agritechsectorbuttheworlditself.In agriculture,farmerswillalwaysprefer toover-waterthantounder-water,as thedamagetoanunder-wateredfruitis fargreaterthanthedamagecausedto anover-wateredfruit.
Bychangingthebasicconceptof irrigationmethods,basedontheplant’s currentnecessities,ourunique
technologyhasproventosavewateron globalscalesandimproveproductivity andyields.Thesearecriticalissuesfor theentireglobe.
Weaimtoexpandlimitedresources andreduceinefficientuseofwater resources.Withahigherfrequencyof droughtsandfloodsleadingtoreduced cropyieldsofupto50%causingat least4billionpeople,toliveunder severewaterstressandfoodscarcity Inadditiontothis,593million additionalagriculturalhectares(twice thesizeofIndia)willbeneededto answergrowingglobaldemand.
By2050anexpected25%water deficit-demandsupplygapwillrequire real-timeadaptableirrigationto compensateforshortages.And currently,70%oftheworld’swateris usedtoirrigateonly20%ofthe world’sland,andofthatcurrently,only 5%utilizesmicro(drip)irrigation. Climatechangespresentthefarmer withacomplicatedchallenge,itdoes notrainwhenitusedto,heatwaves cancomeunexpectedlyandruina year’scrop,andtheoldpracticesare nolongervalidintheseconditions.The farmerisleftwithnotoolstotellthem whattheirplantsneedrightnowin ordertoprosperandgrow.
Wereacttothecurrentstatusofthe plantandtonearfutureclimaticevents preventingplantstressrightnowandin thenearfuture.Inthiswayevenifthe conditionschangethefarmercanreact correctlyandontime,orinadvance.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic, whatinitialchallengesdidyouface andhowdidyoudriveyour companytosustainoperationswhile ensuringsafetyofyouremployeesat thesametime?
Firstly,onthehumaneside,weoffered allthefarmersthatworkwithushelp withtheirchallenges.Wespokewith
allofthemandtriedtohelpwhoever neededassistance,mayitbewith labourorathelpsellingproduce.
Onthebusinessside,weoffered farmerstousetheSupPlantsystemfor freefora3-monthtrialperiod.Atthe endofthose3months,theycould chooseiftocontinuewithourservices orreturntheequipmentwithnocostat all.Westationedequipmentatthecost oftensofthousandsofdollarswith greatbeliefinourvalue.Allfarmers whochosethetrialperioddecidedto continueworkingwithSupPlantandto payfortheservice.
Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingentrepreneurswhoaspireto ventureintotheagritechspace?
Myfavouritequoteis‘Iknowmuch lessthanIthinkIdo.’Ibelievethese arewordstolivebyandIwouldadvise otherstothinkthesameway.When youbecomeanexpertinacertainfield, inthiscase,agritech,youregomight leadyoutothinkthatyouknowbetter thananyoneelsedoes.Itisimportant tostayhumbleandunderstandthat thereisalwaysmoretolearn.Iam fortunateenoughtobelearningmore everyday.
AnotherpieceofadviceIreceived fromoneofourinvestors(andoneof
themostinspiringpeopleIhavemet), JeffSwartz,theformerCEOand ownerofTimberland,‘differentis betterthanbetter.’Wewereinthe processofbuildingour5-yearstrategy andourmarketingstrategy
Theadviceencouragedmetochange mostofthehardworkdoneandmade merealizethatdoingeverythingbetter thanyourcompetitionorbetterthan yourpreviousselfisonlyasgoodasa wasteofenergy.NowIknow,SupPlant hasthepotentialtoimpactevery personontheplanet(aslongasthey eatfoodanddrinkwater).
Howdoyouenvisionscaling SupPlant’soperationsandofferings in2021?
IseeSupPlantexpandingwitha ‘SupPlantinside’approachofferinga widerangeofproductsandplatforms servicingall-sizegrowersandaneverexpandingvarietyofcrops.
Overall,ourgoalistohaveSupPlant digitallyinformeveryirrigation commandgivenintheworld.Forall farmerstobeabletoutilizeoureverexpandingdatabase,byfarthelargest andmostsophisticatedplantsensing databaseintheworld.
An all-encompassing work culture: what businessleaders should keep in mind Businesseshaveunderstoodtheimportanceofwork cultureandaretryingeverypossibilitytomakethe workingconditionsbetterfortheiremployees.This isbecauseanaverageemployeespendsaround1/3rdofhis lifeintheoffice,soproductivityisdirectlyorindirectly relatedtotheworkcultureoftheworkplace.
Thebettertheworkculture,thebettertheperformancebar oftheemployeeandhighertheprofits.Majorcompanies acrosstheindustriesareheavilyinvestinginenhancingthe workculturetomaketheworkspaceabetterplace.
Fromsortingouttheprocessofdecision-makingand smootheningtheworkflow,workcultureishavingahuge impactonthecodeofconductofbusiness.Eventhe revenueperemployeeincreasesupto30percentwhenthe employeesarehappyandindulgeintheworktheydo.
Tostrengthenthestructureofworkculture,businessleaders areprovidingasoundworkplacetotheiremployees.
2021|www.insightssuccess.com
Despitethemonetaryobstacles,small-scalebusiness leadersarecomingupwithcreativewaystocreateanallinclusiveworkculture.Thoughmostbusinessleaders adheretothetraditionalworkculture,changingwithtime hasbecomeanecessityformany.Forsuchemerging leaders,letthefollowingpointersbetheguideincreating anall-encompassingworkculture.
CompetitivePay Salarybeingoneofthemostimportantandfundamental aspectsofthejob,italsoplaysaverycrucialrolein balancingtheworkcultureofabusiness.Payingthe employeesaccordingtothenicheofthejobisextremely importantasitboostsmorale.Furthermore,payingforthe employees’worthenhancesthewholeworkstructure.
Competitivepayisalsoresponsibleforjobsatisfaction whichincreasesefficiency Apartfromthat,thepay structurealsosetsthebarfortheemployeesforgrowth, incentives,andcompensation.Also,trytoofferthe employeestheindustryrate;thisnotonlyhelpsinhiring andretentionoftheemployeesbutalsobooststhewillingnesstowork.
EncourageWork-LifeBalance Mostoftheemployeesspendamajorityoftimeinoffices working.Theworkpressureandotherfactorsaccountfor theirproductivityandefficiencyatwork.Itisimportantto understandthattheemployeesarehumansandhavealife outsidetheofficepremises.Maintainingwork-lifebalance andencouragingitmakesthestructuralbaseofthe companystrong.Alongwiththat,italsoincreasesthe employeeretentionrateforthecompany Work-Life balancealsohelpsinrefreshingthemoodandrechargefor theupcomingworkingchallenges.
Theworkshouldnotfeellikeaburdenfortheemployees andencouragingwork-lifebalanceintheworkcultureplays acrucialroleinthat.Thisaccountsinlayingastrong foundationforthecompany’sexoskeleton;apartfromthat, thisenrichesthecompany’sculture,whichbringsflexibility inworking.
Recognition Forabusiness,itisextremelynecessarytounderstandthat thecompany’ssuccessisthecollectiveeffortofthe employeesandthemanagement.Apartfromthat,thereis alwaysapersonwhoisresponsibleforthesuccessofthat
project.Asaleader,whenyourecognizeyouremployee’s hardwork,itoftenencouragesthemtodomoreandput moreeffortintotheprocess.Apartfromthatitalsoallows otheremployeestoworkhardandmakeaplacefor themselves.
Addingbenefitswithrecognitioncanimprovethequalityof theworkculturealmostimmediately.Theemployeesoften careforrecognitionandtheoutcomeofit.Soalongwith appreciatingthehardworkputinbytheemployees,allow themtoenjoythebenefitofthatsuccessbyadayoffor prizes,etc.
Inclusivity Themainprobleminadynamicworkplaceisthatnotevery employeefeelsincludedintheteam.Organizations emphasizinginclusionoftenstandoutfromthemajorityof thecompaniesandmakeafortunewithprofits.Thisis becauseeveryemployeefeelsincludedinthesuccessofthe company.Fewcompaniesoftencreateaspecialteamto maintaindiversityandinclusivityintheoffices.
Adaptinginclusioninworkculturedoesnotonlymeanthe involvementofemployeesintheculturebutallowingthe employeestoputforththeirideas,experiences, perspectives,etc.Thecomponentsofaninclusivework culturemayvary,buttherearesomecomponentsthatwill beusuallyfoundinaninclusiveworkculturelike;havinga voice,belongingness,uniquevalue,accesstoresources,a collaborativeenvironment,anddevelopment.
Creatinganall-encompassingworkcultureoftenrequires effortsfromthewholemanagementcommittee.Beingan ongoingprocess,thechangingnatureoftheindustriesis makingiteventoughfortheleaders.Forabusinesstostand out,theinvolvementofemployeesisasnecessaryastheir effectiveness.Sinceworkculturemarksthesuccessrateof acompany,itdirectlybecomestheresponsibilityofthe leadertoembedtherightworkculturethatwillhelpinthe growthoftheirbusiness.
- Ashlesh Khadse
Establishing a Global Foothold in the Tobacco Industry Ith f20 centurywasdedicatedtothegiantmanufacturing st hubs,then21 centuryismostcertainlyaneraofthe startups.Theevolutionofinternetandthe technologicaladvancementareleveragingthebusiness world,andstartupsaremakingimprintswiththeirsuccess. Despitethegrowingchallenges,startupsareproponentsof development,mayitbeanindustrialsector,servicesector, oragritechsector
Inthisera,manystartupswereestablishedandarerunning successfully,leavingthefootprintsforaspiring entrepreneurs.Oneoftheleadingexamplesofsuch companiesisStarAgritechInternational,whichoffersits customerstheproductswiththerightfeaturestocaterto theirneeds.
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,AylinBahçevan,the MarketingSupervisorofStarAgritechInternational, shedslightonthejourneyofthecompany,itsproducts,and thefutureaspectsofthecompanyintheagritechindustry.
PleasebriefouraudienceaboutStarAgritech International,itsUSPs,andhowitispositionedasa leadingnameinthetobaccoindustry.
StarAgritechInternational(SAI)isaprivately-owned company,establishedin2008.Itsuppliesunmanufactured tobaccoandtobaccoderivativestoprivately-owned manufacturers,traders,andgovernmentmonopolies.Ithas salesofficeslocatedinSingapore,Indonesia,SouthAfrica, Tunisia,Turkey,Belgium,Brazil,andRussia.StarAgritech InternationalownsandoperatestwoReconfactories–a SlurrytypeReconfactoryinIndonesiaandaNanoFiber ReconFactoryinBrazil.
, ,We weigh great importance in offering our customers the products with the right features to cater their needs. Inaddition,wegrowCigarLeafinCameroonwhichisone ofthebestsoughttypesoftobaccoamongthepremium cigarmanufacturers.Ourimmediatedeliverymodelisone ofouruniquebrandassetsanditempowersourteamto respondquicklyandeffectivelytothehighlycompetitive globalmarket.Insteadoftargetingpeople,wefocuson understandingthemandtheirneeds.
Weweighgreatimportanceinofferingourcustomersthe productswiththerightfeaturestocatertheirneeds.We haveadiverseproductportfolioconsistingoftop-notch tobaccoleafandtobaccoderivativessuchas:Recon,CRES, andDIET.Thisbringsustowhatmakesusdifferentfrom ourcompetitors:webelieveinconsumer-centricity.Wedo notpromoteoneproductovertheother,instead,we advocateproductsofthehighestquality,nomatterwhat theyare.
Aylin,pleasebriefusaboutyourprofessionaljourney, andhowyouhavecontributedtowardsStarAgritech International’ssuccess.
Aylin Bahçevan Marke ng Supervisor
FollowingmyexperienceinOgilvyPublicRelations,the advertisinggiantandBluTV,Turkey’sfirstandlargestlocal subscriptionvideo-on-demandservice,IjoinedSAIin March2021.Inlessthanayear,wehavecomealongway inthemarketingdepartmentacrossprintanddigital mediums.Tobaccoindustrybyitsverynatureisregulated bystringentrules.
Theserulesnotonlyrequireustocarefullycraftour messagesbutalsopushourcreativeboundariesineach advertisingcampaignthatwecreate.Wealreadyhavea strongpresenceintheleadingmagazinesofthetobacco industry,butweonlyaimtostrengthenthispresencemore bythinkingoutsidethebox.Thisyear,weaimtogrowour digitalfootprinttobenefitatamaximumfromtheomnichannelpowerofdigitaloutreachintoday'sfast-paced digitalworld.
Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion onwhatimpacthastheadoptionofAIandmachine learningtechnologieshadontheagritechsectorand whatmorecouldbeexpectedinthefuture?
Currently,AIandmachinelearningtechnologies specificallybenefitcompaniesinefficiencyandproductivity gains.AIalsobenefitsorganizationsbyenabling customizedinteractionsbetweenthemandeachindividual customer.Inthefuture,wepredictthatAIwilloffer industry-specificimprovementswhichwebelievewecan highlybenefitfromacrossfunctionstoleveragecompetitive advantage.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudriveStar AgritechInternationaltosustainoperationswhile ensuringsafetyofyouremployeesatthesametime?
TheoutbreakofCOVID-19causedacomplexsetof problemstobedealtwithforeveryindustryincludingours. Thebiggestchallengeforusinparticularwasdealingwith thegloballogisticscrisis.Risingpricesandenormous delaysatthelogisticshubsandportsdisruptedour operationsandseverelydamagedsupplychainsaroundthe world.
Inaddition,travelhasbeenandwillalwaysbeanintegral forourorganizationsinceweprioritizeeffectivecustomer relationshipmanagementinourservices.Inanefforttodeal withthechallengescausedbythepandemic,wefirst preparednewsalesforecastsinthescrutinyofnewmarket trendsandincreasingdemandtoensuresmoothdelivery Secondly,wetriedconnectingwithourcustomersthrough
virtualeventssuchaswebinarsandZoommeetingsthat wereregularlyheld.
Thesafetyofouremployeeswasofcourseatop consideration;hencewecametotheofficeonrotationand workedremotelyatleasttwodaysaweektopreventthe spreadofthevirusamongtheteam.Eversincetheoutbreak ofCOVID-19,weputevenmoreemphasisonemployee engagementandtriedarrangingget-togethersfortheteam bytakingallthesafetymeasures.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheagritechspace?
Thinkingoutsidetheparametersoftheindustryand adaptingcustomerexperiencestofitindividualsneedsand preferencesisessentialintoday’shighlyfragmented market.Inthe13yearsofStarAgritechInternational’s existence,wecontinuedgrowingouroperationsand diversifyingourproductofferingsbyagileproduct developmentwiththeuseofcutting-edgetechnology
Inthissense,weleadbyexamplewithourtobacco derivatives:Recon,CRESandDIET.Theseproducts provideamultitudeofbenefitsbothtothemanufacturers andconsumersoftobacco.Fortheconsumer,theyreduce harmandprovideenhancedsmokeexperience.Forthe manufacturer,theyreducecost,andtheycanbeused versatileforeachproduct.
HowdoyouenvisionscalingStarAgritech International’soperationsandofferingsin2022and beyond?
Wearealwaysonthelookoutforfindingournextsourceof growth.Weareattheearlystagesofprospectingon potentialacquisitionsinGermany,TurkeyaswellasBrazil. WerecentlyenteredtheEgyptianmarketinwhichthereisa vastpotentialforgrowth.Weplantobefullyoperational withofficesandsalesdepotslocatedinthegivencountryby theendofthisyear.
Wehaveaveryexcitingnewproject:weareintheprocess ofsettingupaReconfactoryinRussia.Reconisoneofour STARproductsandRussiahasavastcigarettemarket consistingof230billionsticks.Thismotivatesustogrow ourReconproductlineinothercountriessuchasTurkey andtheUSaswell.Inaddition,westartedthe‘MusProject’ withtheaimtocultivateourowntobaccoinourhome country,Turkey.
ThisprojectisthefirststepofStarAgritechInternational formingits‘LeafGrower’identity.Wearefocusedon increasingourorganization’scapabilities,capacity,and capitaltounlockourfullpotentialandachievequality growthbothinthedomesticandglobalmarkets.Itisinthe DNAofStarAgritechtotakechallengesandtheseprojects offerperfectchallengesforus.Wearehappilyand proactivelychangingthedynamicsofthemarket.The customerjourneyinsightspaintthepictureofhowand wherewecanimproveourselves.
Inourindustry,somethingofnoteistheimportanceof establishingtheword‘potential’.Techisconstantly evolving,whichisleadingtohighercustomerexpectations andrequiresfuture-proofstrategiesforbusinesses.Asa result,StarAgritechInternational,asaforward-focused organizationtriestopredictandrespondtochallenges whichmayariseandturnthemintoopportunities.
ElevatingtheExperienceofSwimmingSport Swimmingiscountedamongthemostpopular activitiesinthesportsarena.Asahobby,itisa therapeuticactivity.Itdoesnotjustengagethe musclesbutalsorelievesmentalstress.Agoodswimming sessionisnolessthanthepracticeofmeditation.
Whenpursuingswimmingasasport,theswimmerneedsto bewell-equippedwiththerightgeartopracticeand performtotheirutmostpotential.Oneobstaclethat swimmersoftenfacewhilepracticingistheill-fitting goggles,whichareonesizemadeforall.
Tohelpswimmersperformbetterintheirsport, THEMAGIC5cameupwiththeideaofcustomized swimminggoggles.Withthehelpofmoderntechnology, THEMAGIC5designsandmanufacturesgogglesthathave slickdesignsandaretailor-madetouniquelyfiteach swimmingenthusiast.
Inthefollowinginterview,RasmusBarfred,the Co-founderofTHEMAGIC5,tellsushowhe,alongwith hisco-founders,commencedonajourneyofmaking swimmingabetterexperienceforinnumerableathletes aroundtheworld.
Followingarethehighlightsoftheinterview:
PleasebriefouraudienceaboutTHEMAGIC5,itsUSPs, andhowyouchangeswimmers’experiencethrough yourtailor-madeswimgoggles.
THEMAGIC5istheworld’sfirstcustom-fitswimgoggle company.Everyswimmer,professionalathlete,or recreationalpool-goerhasthesamecomplaintsabouttheir goggles.Weaimtoeliminatethedistractionsofapoorly fittingpairofgoggles-sothatpeoplecanbetterenjoythe introspective,immersivenatureofswimming.
Weaimtoeliminatethe distractionsofapoor- itting pairofgoggles-sothat peoplecanbetterenjoythe introspective,immersive natureofswimming. Throughanapp-basedfacialscan,wecreatean individualizedfitforeachpersonwhoordersgogglesand canadaptthefitfurther,ifneeded,basedoncustomer feedback.
Eachgoggleproducedistailoredtothespecificcustomer, andourdatawhichisbasedon+40000customers,has allowedustodevelopafittingsoprecisethatweonly refund1%ofourordersbasedonfitissues.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononthe impactoftheadoptionofmoderntechnologiessuchas AIandmachinelearningonthesportinggoodsniche, andwhatmorecouldbeexpectedinthefuture?
Wehaveseenforyearsthatathletesandactive-minded peoplearedrawntowardhigh-techproductswiththe popularityofwearableactivitytrackersandtheriseof fitnessprogrammingapps.Peopleareusingtechnologyto gatherinformationandtopersonalizetheirfitnessroutines, andit’snaturalthattheywouldexpectpersonalized equipmenttostreamlinethatexperienceaswell.
About the Pioneers THEMAGIC5wasfoundedbyRasmusBarfred, NiklasHedegaard&BoHaaberin2017.
RasmusBarfredheadsallcustomerfacing activities-branding,marketing,sales, partnerships,andcustomersuccess.Priorto THEMAGIC5,Rasmusworkedatafewlarger corporationswithinstrategyandmergers& acquisitions.Healsoworkedwithco-founderBo HaaberatnrgX,aDanishtradingplatformserving theUtilityindustry
NiklasHedegaard:WhenNiklasstartedwith THEMAGIC5,hewasaprofessionalswimmerat theDanishnationalteam.Hehasspentmostof histimeoverthepast4yearsperfectingour ittingalgorithmandmakingsurethatour technologyworksforalltypesoffacesandforall typesofswimmers;recreational,triathlete, masterswimmerandprofessionalswimmers.
BoHaaber:Engineerintheteamwithvast managementandbusiness developmentexperience.Spentclose to20yearswithIBM,laterworking invariousmanagerialpositions withmajorDanishsoftware providers.Inbetweencorporate roles,Bohasco-foundedother startups,includingnrgXAps, togetherwithRasmus.
Rasmus Barfred Co-founder
NextWaveofCustomization: Weexpecttoseeamajorshiftonthehardwaresidewhere moreandmoreproductsget‘infused’withtechnology, whicharenotjustfortracking,butactuallymakebetter functionalproducts.Wethink‘customization’willbe redefinedtonotonlymeandifferentsizes,colors,and design,butinalargerextendthefitandfunctionalityofthe technologythatsimplyleadstohigherperformingproducts.
Acompellingsideeffectofthisisthesustainableangle:for swimminggoggles,forinstance,theattitudehasbeenthat youneedtogothroughseveralgogglestofindtheleastbad, whichmeansyouarewastingalotofproductsontheway, withTHEAMGIC5yougettherightproducttheveryfirst time.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudriveyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime?
46|September 2021|www.insightssuccess.com
COVID-19hadamassiveimpactontheswimmingsports market.Allpoolswereclosedforthemostpartoftheyear, andinthatenvironment,youcannotsellalotofgoggles.So assoonasCOVID-19hit,wemadeasignificanteffortto donateswimminggogglesasalternativePPEtohealthcare workersinNYC.
Weorganizedacampaignthatenabledustodonatemore than600goggles;thiswasaneffortthatmadesenseona deeperlevel.Ittookalotofmanpower,butitwasallworth it!
AsidefromourproductionofficeinCharlotte,North Carolina,ourentirecompanyhasalwaysworkedremotely ThethreeTHEMAGIC5co-foundersliveinNYC, Charlotte,andCopenhagen,soevenbeforethepandemic, ourteamwasexperiencedinworkingefficientlyfrom home.Ourcompanyculturehasalwaysencouragedthe independenceandflexibilitythatworkingremotely promotes.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothesportinggoodsspace?
Havesomeoneontheteamwhoreallyunderstandsthe productcategorytothebone!Nochancewewouldhave developedsuchahigh-performingandhighlyratedproduct ifNiklas(Co-founderwho’sapro-swimmer)hadn’tbeen onourfoundingteam.
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany’soperations andofferingsin2021?
Contented Clients
MattGrevers,investor,OlympicGoldMedalist Swimming-“To indgogglesthat itperfectly,it checksaboxofreliefforyou.That’swhatreallydrew metoTHEMAGIC5:there’snotinkeringaroundor adjustments.Thewayyougetitisthebestway.It its onyouandthat’sbecauseit’sscannedtoyourface.”
JanFrodeno,investor,OlympicGoldMedalist Triathlonand3xIronmanWorldChampion-“Iwas intriguedbytheconceptandhavebeenamazedby howtheproductlivesuptoitspromises,”Frodeno says.“Alotofotherbrandsclaimaperfector premium it,butthey’reallone-size- its-all.These gogglesaredifferent.Theyarecustom-made,and thatmeanstheyactually ityou.”
Ourcustomersreallylovethegogglesthatweproduce,and ourcustomerbasehasgrownexponentiallyinthepastyear, helpingourproductionteamtotripleinsizeinthepastfew months.Wedon’tplantoexpandourofferingsoutside swimminggogglesinthenearfuture.Weareveryproudof thetechnologythatwehaveandoftheuniquenessofour custom-fitproduct.
Weseeanexcellenttractioninthebiggestsegmentslike Recreationalswimmers,triathletes,andcompetitive swimmers,butwehavejustscratchedthesurfaceinthe market.So,whenweseethatthegrowthhassloweddown, wewilldivedeeperintoothermarketswhereour technologywillbearealdifferentiator.
