Vikram Sarbajna is successfully bringing his financial expertise to the realm of sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. Having worked on financial products at Rabobank for a number of years, he was familiar with insurance and agribusinesses – as well as the valuable role that satellite data can play in designing relevant insurance products. It was this background that led him to found Agtuall, a Dutch startup offering financial institutions insight into the risks that a particular area faces, such as drought or flooding. It does this by aggregating Earth observation (EO) images from the Copernicus programme’s Sentinel 1 and 2 satellite constellations for real-time monitoring that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) modelling.

The team developed and tested its climate data analytics platform during incubation and, ever since graduating from the ESA BIC programme in 2024, has been scaling up its product offering – which has been capturing attention globally. Earlier this year, the company was selected by the Climate Policy Initiative to join The Lab for its platform’s price risk option that addresses the challenge of price volatility in agriculture. Agtuall’s CEO has also been on stage and sharing expertise this year at conferences this year from Bangkok (at the Asia Financial Institutions Forum) to Rotterdam (at the AIAG Conference).

Positioned at the meeting point of financial institutions, agribusinesses, insurers and the farmers, Agtuall has its headquarters in The Hague and is working to contribute to the ecosystems in several countries in Asia (Bangladesh, India) and East Africa (Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda). Here, Vikram shares some insights about his involvement in the ESA BIC programme and the progress of his company.

What problem are you addressing with Agtuall’s technology? 

Essentially, we are trying to de-risk smallholder farmers. Due to various uncertainties, farming is a risky activity with two main types of risk: production and market.

During production, farmers are at the mercy of the weather – not enough rainfall, temperatures or humidity that might be too high – with added environmental factors too (such as pests, etc.). All of this will ultimately affect the yield of the crop that you are growing. Market risk then comes into play; when selling your crops, the market might not be favourable and prices can fluctuate. With Agtuall, we felt that there was a need for more affordable, accurate and good quality de-risking instruments in the form of insurance products to help the farmer manage the processes. So, we designed an innovative platform incorporating satellite data, which allows us to offer affordable agricultural risk assessment insurance. The platform combines cutting-edge AI crop yield models with scenario testing to deliver precise, personalised premium pricing that reflects each farm’s unique risk profile.

How did you develop this concept?

Initially, I was working at Rabobank on the technical side. During my time there, I was inevitably exposed to food and agri topics. That work inspired me to do more on the smallholder side on my own. I opted for smallholders, specifically, because it represents a large segment of farmers who contribute significantly to the food production for the entire world. Yet when it comes to de-risking instruments, there’s a large gap in terms of protection provided. These farmers are also one of the most vulnerable global communities. If you’re looking, for example, at a large farmer in the US or the Netherlands, there are technical innovations already available for them. In other places, there is no safety net for smallholder farmers. For those men and women, one small effect to the yield suddenly has a big impact on their income. Of course, it’s also a big market. Crop insurance as an industry, it is growing, there’s more need for it. So, it was a combination of both – wanting to protect this particular segment and the second more commercial driver. Our approach is built on innovation and empathy, bringing together data science, climate modelling and actuarial expertise to create solutions that are as precise as they are practical.

How important is collaboration in your ecosystem approach?

Our work with the smallholder farmers is always in combination with big players. We still, for example, work a lot together with Rabobank’s impact fund – the Rabo Foundation – that helps us a lot and we are also working with Rabo Partnerships. You always need someone on the banking side to provide loans because these smallholders need funds to develop their farms, adopt new regenerative agricultural practices or invest in higher quality seeds. Then, you also have agribusinesses as a category. That could be, for instance, a market player who buys the produce from the farmer or a seed company selling seeds. We say that we are solving this problem for a smallholder, but we can only solve these problems with an ecosystem approach – there’s always a bank involved and an agribusiness involved, and then the ultimate beneficiary is the smallholder.

What was your focus during incubation to develop the digital tools that power your platform?

Initially, we wanted to create a digital platform that basically supports insurance companies with the design of insurance products for smallholder farmers. Our proposal to ESA BIC was that we wanted to first design it and create a prototype and then perhaps even deploy it in a real-life case throughout the programme period. And we were very successful in doing that. We essentially created that platform, tested it with some paying customers, did a real-life pilot. That’s what we are now scaling. You can keep on designing these things but if you’re not engaging with your end customer and you’re not getting real-life feedback on it, then it becomes yet another technical product that you keep building just for your own amusement.

Did you already intend on using space data before participating in ESA BIC Noordwijk?

Yes, we were already planning on that as it’s a key aspect of our solution. It’s not a new thing to use satellite data to design insurance products. It has been done everywhere, not only for smallholders but also big farmers. The new question we asked was whether we can automate this. We wanted to find a way to make working with this satellite data easier, putting the different satellite and weather data streams together in one platform. During the ESA BIC incubation, we built on that and developed EO insights for smallholder farmers’ many varied requirements (the farm size difference, multiple crops, etc.). By collecting it all and integrating it into our platform, the time to create the insurance products was drastically shortened. The product is now positively impacting farmers’ livelihoods in various countries, including coffee growers in Uganda (pictured above).

What was the added value of the ESA BIC programme for you?

We got help improving the EO insights and received advice on the further development of our technology. Though, it was the connections we made that really stand out to me, both externally and internally. The programme introduced us to some valuable ecosystem players, for example, the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) – and we still get support from NSO in certain formats. We receive invites to events with themes that are very relevant to us, such as the NSO-initiated Indian delegation visit to SBIC Noordwijk and the sustainability-focused event with business leaders at ESA ESTEC. Those connections helped us a lot with getting to know who else is working on the same problem and what kind of support is available.

On the internal side, we really appreciated the interactions with the startups who did the ESA BIC programme at the same time as us and I still am in touch with a lot of these. It’s really valuable because as a startup, having just established the company, there are things like administrative matters that you might need help with. You can just explain what challenges you are facing to a fellow founder and share experiences. You get a quick answer. Incidentally, there were also a couple of startups in our cohort who were also working on agriculture and looking at small-scale farmers. This community and these connections really were a big plus during our incubation. Also, the financial support provided a nice cushion to be able to do the research and development. The programme gave us the real impetus to develop the platform and get it moving.

Bearing in mind your financial background, would you encourage non-space tech entrepreneurs to apply to ESA BIC?

I would go to the extent that ESA BIC is especially attractive for someone who doesn’t come from a space background. For an outsider, the space ecosystem can be daunting. Right from understanding the complexity of the technology to introductions to the various networking organisations. ESA BIC offers an excellent springboard for a founder with no space tech background.

What are the major learnings from the incubation?

It is important to be realistic because it’s always going to be slower than you anticipate. In the beginning you make a plan and then those plans change – things are going to get thrown at you in between, projects are not going to take off. We were doing a project in Sudan, for example, during the incubation period, where we were providing data and access to the platform. We were designing it to do livestock index insurance for pasturalists and then, midway, a civil war broke out. So, the entire project just got halted. We did finish it ultimately but we had to recalibrate. So, during the incubation period we learned that you need to have contingency plans. As a startup, you need to have plan B, C and D. Otherwise, you won’t move forward. You can get stuck.

Were there other major accomplishments during your time at ESA BIC?

Our plan was to initially just get live testing done but we ended up with live testing as well as paying customers for our platform. This was a major achievement. We now even have a partnership with one of the largest insurance intermediaries in Africa who is using the platform to further scale more insurance products. We exceeded our expectations with the support of ESA BIC, with many developments that were not part of the original plan. It was a very nice thing for us because it helps us scale further.

Are there any collaborators or external parties that have been particularly helpful along the way?

InnovationQuarter gave us an early boost by referring us to the SBIC team that manages the ESA BIC programme, which really accelerated our journey. NSO has supported us in scaling, while the Rabo Foundation has been instrumental in helping us commercialise our product. We’ve also formed key partnerships with financial institutions like Samunnati and Arya Collateral in India, which are critical in reaching smallholder farmers on the ground.

Agtuall has published case studies for Indian, Sudanese and Ugandan smallholders in association with various organisations – click to discover more >>

What have you been focusing on since graduating from ESA BIC in 2024?

Our focus has been on scaling the platform, onboarding more customers and improving it technically. We’ve realised that taking an ecosystem approach is critical for us to scale. During our incubation period, we were still thinking only of our customers – insurance companies – that we needed to approach. However, since then, adopting this approach has been a huge learning. We work together with the different key players, like the Rabo Foundation, to get these products out on the market – and we are scaling our platform further in several areas.

What countries have you been deploying your platform in?

We are scaling in India. Earlier this year, we had a big milestone in embedded insurance that we launched with a financial institution. Previously, we were already engaging with insurance companies. We have also started providing data through our platform to insurers in Bangladesh. And the third one is a very good partnership with one insurance intermediary in Kenya. Through them, we have been slowly expanding the number of countries that we add and the crops that we do in terms of protecting smallholder farmers.

Since becoming an ESA BIC alumnus, have there been any key moments?

The big partnership we signed with one of the key insurance intermediaries in Kenya was definitely a highlight. It gives us access to a lot of farmers. Secondly, the fact that we are providing data for Bangladesh because that is one of the countries where smallholders are really vulnerable. A third highlight was us being invited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to take part in a global panel in India at the beginning of last year, where we showcased our platform. Being asked to present and share our learnings is a big validation of the work that we are doing.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing?

Funding is always a challenge for startups, but one of the bigger hurdles we face is building an effective ecosystem. Supporting smallholders requires more than just our solution – we need to work closely with financial institutions and agribusinesses. Finding the right partners and aligning on a business model that works for everyone is tough, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Every country, crop, and context is different. The real challenge is scaling this – replicating partnerships and adapting our product to support a wide range of stakeholders.

How do you handle having a team that largely works remotely in different locations?

I am very happy with the setup we currently have with remote working. Of course, you do need regular get-togethers with the team. For example, our team is mostly in India, so we meet up every quarter to review everything and tackle challenges we are facing. I personally do not believe that you need to come to the office every day and do things physically. I think that era has passed. Although I do see some big companies shifting towards that model, I don’t believe that employers are actually waiting for that model to come back. It Working remotely gives you so much flexibility and is very efficient. With regular check-ins with the team, it works very well for us.

We do still like to engage with clients in person. For example, the first couple of times we believe a physical meeting helps, then you can get a better understanding of the situation and the context. After that, our work with clients in Asia and East Africa takes place virtually for 80 to 90 per cent of the time. So far, this has worked great.

What does the future hold for Agtuall?

Right now, fundraising is a key focus for us. We’ve been deliberate in waiting until we had real traction – clear signs that we’re solving a problem that people are willing to pay for. We believe that’s the right moment to raise. Now that we’ve reached that point, we’re planning to engage with investors over the next 6 months, gather feedback and find the right fit. We’re also looking to grow our team in the Netherlands, scale the product further and build more strategic partnerships – especially with financial institutions, insurers and agribusinesses.

Want to follow Agtuall’s journey and discover the full product portfolio? Reach out to learn more.

ABOUT: Agtuall’s mission is to provide comprehensive risk protection for smallholder farmers. Combining Earth observation data, climate modelling and professional expertise, the company’s platform enables insurance companies to create individually-tailored products for some of the most vulnerable farmers internationally. Since graduating from ESA BIC Noordwijk in 2024, Agtuall has closed contracts with relevant industry players in India, Bangladesh and East Africa. agtuall.com

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

Related:

Read Agtuall’s first ESA BIC interview (Feb 2022)

The post ESA BIC alumnus interview: Agtuall supports smallholder farmers with ecosystem approach appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Trabotyx founders Tim Kreukniet (CEO) and Mohamed Boussama (CTO) met at the Antler accelerator early in 2020 and, by the end of that year, had started incubation at ESA BIC Noordwijk. In only a matter of months, the startup managed to complete a successful investment round raising €460,000 and, the following year, graduated from ESA BIC with the first prototype. Since then, both Tim and Mohamed have continued their efforts to adjust and fine-tune their solution to ideally match farmers’ needs.

During incubation, the startup’s prototype (mechanical) weeding robot – with a design inspired by Mars rovers – used satellite data for optimal performance and accurate positioning. Things have moved on in the years since and Trabotyx’ inaugural commercial product has done away with weeding using kinetic blades and now opts for laser tech. As outlined in the Future Farming launch report, the robot’s weeding system uses laser beams that do not disturb the soil and can work very close to the crop without causing crop damage. Blue diode light is used because chlorophyll in plant tissue strongly absorbs it, enabling precise cellular damage with lower optical power – this makes it an efficient and environmentally friendly method of weed control.

After some years of collaborating with customers and improving their technology, the team members reached a milestone this summer with the launch of the Tor precision laser weeder. The new machine – the first of its type available in the Netherlands – can remove five weeds per second. It comes in three sizes and allows predictable weed management across all field layouts. Operating currently by remote control, the autonomous machine will soon navigate using GPS with RTK (real-time kinetic) for accurate positioning. By providing farmers with a chemical-free weeding solution, Trabotyx aims to help improve the profitability of farmers while simultaneously increasing biodiversity and restoring soil. We caught up with Tim to hear about his journey.

What brought Trabotyx to ESA BIC Noordwijk? 

We came to ESA BIC because we use some cool space technology, like Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to determine the robots’ location, and during our incubation we were also working on the autonomous robotic platform. That’s what motivated us.

Another thing was that the Antler accelerator, where I met my co-founder in early 2020, is very commercially driven. We were looking for a place with other deep-tech kindred spirits to bounce ideas off and to learn from each other. The ESA BIC programme, which we joined in December 2020, was perfect for that. A lot of the startups there work on difficult technology with a long time to market. It was nice to talk to startups that also have their challenges on the engineering side.

What was the focus of your time during the incubation?

We dedicated a lot of our time at ESA BIC to the robot platform, motion control and autonomy of the platform. It was around the time that ESA’s planned Rosalind Franklin Mars rover was getting a lot of attention (see mission update here), so it was also about traction control. Some of the rover’s technology we could utilise in our robot platform in the field. Then, more toward the end of incubation in the ESA BIC programme, we pivoted to really focusing on weeding and weeding automation. That’s what happens at the start: You listen to customers, you figure out the real pain points and then you double down on those things.

What were your biggest learnings from the incubation?

For me, the big learning was that difficult things take a long time. If I look at our first financial models, by now we should have had 200 robots in the field. In reality, it’s only now that we have the first commercially viable product. It takes a long time to plan and prioritise. During the participation in the incubator, we gained a lot of soft skills, like presenting our product, rather hard science skills. Part of this was also because we are not selling into or building something for the space sector, so we didn’t have to dive into that area as much.

What was the most valuable advice you got at ESA BIC?

I think that people love to work with startups because they have cool and fresh ideas, they do outrageous stuff. At the same time, one of our coaches was really within the ESA ecosystem and there you see that they also have their own processes and workflows. In our conversations with this coach, I learned more about how things work with ESA and how the processes of such a big international organisation can be very different than with startups. If you want to sell things into the space industry, you really have to understand the natural cadence of how things are going there to be effective in bringing your project forward. It’s time consuming and you have to be patient. You have to understand that, while your idea is cool and probably has merit and an impact, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still nothing yet. So, you have to figure out how to make it important enough for the person at the other side of the table. I think that’s a skill a lot of people need to develop in general, but especially founders.

What have you focused on since graduating from ESA BIC Noordwijk?

In short, we’ve been busy making an autonomous weeding machine that provides value for farmers and that we are able to sell. The position we are at right at this moment is that we have a working weeding machine – and we have great customer traction. When we look at improving our robot further, the platform and autonomy questions we were working on initially during our time at ESA BIC are coming back. Can we still do some of those things that we were originally working on now with this different version of our robot? We are trying to find ways to re-implement the things we worked on before.

What are some challenges you have faced in this time?

A big thing to always keep in mind for a farming machine is not whether it works right now but whether it works for 3–5 years of operation in the field, come rain or sunshine. How do you make it robust enough, so the farmer is willing to invest €250,000 for a machine that’s been built by a company with a limited track record? That’s a big thing. We were also recently part of an appeal for a government guarantee to support companies like ours. In this appeal, we ask that the government should guarantee that if the robot doesn’t work, the farmers can send it back minus the depreciation, in place of regular subsidies. I believe that it would make it easier for farmers to say yes to a sale if they had some financial certainty and it would help the agricultural robot industry in general to get going.

Product specifications: Tor is the first commercial Dutch laser weeder. It uses blue diode laser light to effectively remove weeds ranging between 2 and 20 mm in size. Available in three different working widths (1.5, 1.8 and 3 m), the product is applicable to different field layouts. Each laser can target up to five weeds per second, with the widest version (with six lasers) offering a capacity of up to 0.15 ha/h. A swappable battery and a solar panel provide the necessary energy, with the battery lasting up to 10 hours of weeding – day and night if needed. Read launch report

Do the farmers have concerns with investing in such tech?

It’s not necessarily the money, but the uncertainty if something is going to work for several years. Will the robot still do what it’s supposed to do? And in these years, innovation is still going fast. So, if the farmer doesn’t have to buy now, it pays to wait because the machines are going to get better. However, if everybody’s waiting, then all these agricultural robot companies will go bankrupt. It’s this chicken and egg situation that I hope to address with this guarantee from the government.

Can you share a recent highlights or key moments for your startup?

The biggest thing is that we made a switch from a mechanical robot to a laser robot, the Tor precision laser weeder. That has helped us a lot in commercial traction, in farmers willing to buy and it also just weeds better. We started working on this new version over 18 months ago and we had a successful launch in June 2025 at two different locations here in the Netherlands.

What crops can the new laser weeding robot be used for?

Our system is a computer-vision system camera that uses AI to determine whether something is a weed or a crop. Tor can do this for a selection of crops – such as carrots, onions, red beets, parsnips, lilies. However, we will likely increase this selection soon. Through the implementation of generative AI in our model training methods, we now use 70–80 per cent less data to get these models working. That’s really a big improvement. With only three data runs, we can have a functional model. This means that farmers can collaborate with us to add a new crop in just 3 weeks.

What does the future hold for Trabotyx?

With our recent launch of the Tor robot, it is a very exciting time for us. The focus for now is to sell five of our weeding machines this year in order to be ready for the next phase. What we are building is a machine that can eliminate all weeds for vegetable farmers and at the same time will also allow them to reduce cost so that their margins improve. We really want to help farmers and I think now, with the laser robot, we are doing just that. It’s hard to build, but cool to do.

Want to be part of Trabotyx’ journey? Interest for the new laser weeding robot is welcomed. Reach out to learn more.

ABOUT: Trabotyx builds automated robotic platforms for precision farming and sustainable weeding. The co-founders Tim Kreukniet (CEO) and Mohamed Boussama (CTO) aim to provide vegetable farmers with a solution that does not require herbicides or manual labour to remove weeds, resulting in lower costs and healthier soil. Since graduating from ESA BIC Noordwijk in 2022, the company has focused on perfecting the design of its inaugural and flagship product the robot’s design, resulting in the 2025 launch of the Tor precision laser weeder. trabotyx.com

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

The post ESA BIC alumnus interview: Trabotyx launches first Dutch laser weeding robot for precision farming appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Located on NL Space Campus, SBIC Noordwijk is an ideal location for such a meeting. It is the base of ESA’s business incubation programme and a number of ESA BIC incubatees offer solutions that have an agri focus. For instance, Trabotyx is a startup that graduated from the programme in 2022 and is currently rolling out its innovative weeding robot, which uses space technologies for accurate localisation, for use by five farms in the Netherlands.

When it comes to ESA’s Dutch technology broker investigating ways to support the farming industry, this event was an opportunity for selected experts to brainstorm with young farmers from the bulb-growing industry in the Duin- en Bollenstreek region. Following the green and digital transition, farmers are under constant pressure to increase sustainability. Incorporating technology to support innovation is key for the farming industry, which is also on the agenda of the Dutch government’s Topsector Agri & Food.

Satellite data, for instance, can provide detailed information about crop health, moisture levels and nutrient content, allowing farmers to optimise their resources and reduce waste and costs. Maaike Smelte, NL Space Campus community manager and organiser of the event, comments: “With the idea of taking this potential to the field, 30 young farmers from the Duin- en Bollenstreek region were invited at SBIC to connect with the space community and selected experts to discuss bottlenecks and potential solutions.”

Space2Agri event

The event began with an introduction of the broker by SBIC and NL Space campus and a panel of speakers that included representatives of the visiting bulb growers, space related entrepreneurs from Soilspect, the robotic company Pixelfarming and the FarmHack organisation, which tries to utilise the full potential of data and technology and aims to empower farmers and diversify business ideas.

During the meeting, the farmers presented several of the complex agricultural challenges they face in growing their bulbs. Of course, the disconnect between the daily practice of these well-intending farmers and the drastic and often unnuanced measures of the government came up regularly. The in-depth dialogue between the farmers and experts mainly circled around two topics: the added value of using more precise data; and the technological options available to increase the quality of the most important conditions, such as soil health, water levels, crop protection and biodiversity.

Following on from the event, one of the speakers – Anne Bruinsma, co-founder of FarmHack – highlights the need for further discussion: “It was interesting to hear about potential of satellite data in bulb cultivation. It is good to see that these young farmers understand the importance of active involvement in developing useful applications. My concern is that it often revolves around technology that is applicable and affordable for the few who scale at the expense of their neighbour, instead of collectively organised IT services that make it possible for the family business to remain a pillar of Dutch agriculture and there remains a future for all.”

Erik van der Heide, connect & development manager at SBIC, comments: “In the role of ESA Technology Broker NL, which is managed by SBIC and NL Space Campus, we used this meeting – and especially the networking that happened over drinks after the meeting – to further exchange knowledge and connect the attending farmers and experts so they can explore how to work together on the discussed topics. The seeds have been planted for a fruitful collaboration!”

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Do you want to get in contact with the ESA Technology Broker for the Netherlands or have an idea to connect space technology with societal challenges? Get in touch via the contact form and select ESA Technology Broker in the dropdown menu for the subject line.

This is an edited version of the broker event post that appears on the NL Space Campus website.

Click to get an impression of the broker booth at ZIE via the SBIC LinkedIn post

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