Spero Analytics wins World Vision's food security innovation challenge

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Highlights:

Winning team employs data-focused solutions to benefit global food security and sustainable agriculture. 
All the competitors from World Vision’s Social Innovation Challenge after they pitched their ideas to a panel of Canada’s top business leaders. 
(July 16, 2018) –
MISSISSAUGA, ON - Spero Analytics, a company that works with farmers to use soil moisture information to aid water distribution that maximizes crop yield, took home first prize and $20,000 at the third annual World Vision Social Innovation Challenge.

The annual pitch challenge for Canadian students and recent graduates gives entrepreneurs the chance to compete for seed capital to fund ideas that will lead to global food security. This year eight teams competed in front of judges from Canada's top food, technology, and finance companies.

"The World Vision Social Innovation Challenge attracts the brightest of young minds who are dedicated to tackling global, humanitarian problems with innovative, market-based solutions," said Jamie McIntosh, Vice President, Vision Partners, World Vision. "The pitches were incredible, making the decision for judges very difficult indeed."  

Spero Analytics helps small holder farmers understand soil moisture content through the use of sensory nodes that measure the moisture in soil, resulting in better management and more efficient water distribution to help optimize crop yield.  

"World Vision's Social Innovation Challenge was truly challenging and was actually the first time I presented in a competition," said Kamran Mahmudov, Engineering Lead, Spero Analytics. "Our next step is to travel to Nepal where we'll allocate most of the seed funding to manufacture product, and also conduct additional research and development."

Runners up Lyofresh Technologies, NutriPulse and MustOil also received seed funding totalling $35,000.

Quick Facts:
  • The Social Innovation Challenge supports Canada's young brilliant minds in creating market-based solutions to address some of the world's most difficult development challenges.
  • This year's theme takes on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal #2: to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture worldwide.
  • Spero Analytics employs a self-powered wireless mesh network of sensory nodes that measure soil moisture, air temperature and humidity, to help provide farmers in Nepal with the knowledge to make informed decisions about planting and water management.
Event Photos: Here