Aibono’s business model is a combination of agriculture and technology, which helping the startup win top honours in the Social Enterprise category.

Aibono work Agenda

This is involved in providing farm-related intelligence, technology, expertise and gadgets to farmers, claiming the increase yields by nearly 50% for some 140 farmers who work in the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu.

Founder’s comments

Vivek Rajkumar, founder of Aibono stated “Winning the Social Enterprise award makes a huge difference to the team. We hope to stand for making agriculture cool and getting more youngsters involved”

The Obstacles overcame

The biggest challenge for his company which was first launched as Airwood Aerostructures before being named Aibono–is convincing farmers to make use of internet-shared services. “We had to initially pick up a couple of farms and work there for about six to eight months to show them the impact,” said the founder. The company helps small farmers gain from economies by sharing resources and expertise. The startup also advised farmers on the right amount of inputs to use for maximum yield. It helps maximise earning through a success-fee model, charging farmers for every kilogram of yield they harvest.

The Jury’s Opinion

Avinash Bajaj, MD of Matrix Partners India stated “What tipped it for me is that usually farmers don’t get the best prices and this startup provides that.”