Data-driven decision making is essential for businesses especially during tough economic times like now. It is essential to be able to track operating costs to the penny, as well as assets, in order to find ways to keep costs low and to boost performance.
For the past 10 years, we, Upande Limited, have been perfecting our IoT sensors to ‘measure’ these key factors: water level in tanks/ponds, water consumption of different units in a premise, moisture and temperature of soil/ponds, temperature and humidity of the air, and power consumption, to name a few.
Businesses are thirsty for data. We know this because we have deployed our range of sensors in diverse sectors (manufacturing, cold chain management, schools, flower farms, aquaponic farms) and the results are tremendous.
Olootepes Aquaponics Farm in Kenya, for instance, are using the sensors to maintain optimal farm conditions. Our technology is making it easier and sexier for young people to start commercial farming. We are in talks with potential partners empowering youth, as well as ex-convicts and street children to become smart farmers.
We can predict that in Africa, smart farming is the next million-dollar business. The population is burgeoning, and food demand is increasing. Smart farmers will reap the efficiencies of technology to make more, and better quality harvests.
As we prepare to participate in the 2020 SA Innovation Summit, we are eager to meet other startups and hear the story their products tell of the needs of African consumers and how we can work together to shape the future.
In our 10-year journey, we have learned that the most important thing for a tech startup is to make tech that solves the pressing needs of customers, otherwise they will not give you any attention especially now.
*Mark de Blois is the CEO of Upande Limited.
**Get your tickets below and use the promo code ANA20 in order to receive a 20% discount on your tickets!
IOL TECH