Funds, Farmers, Food

• “Can you imagine the same farmer with the same land, labor and workflow, being able to produce up to 60% more food? Qarbotech’s photosynthesis multiplier does exactly that,” says Khailee Ng, Managing Partner at 500 Global.
• 500-backed agritech startup Qarbotech raised a US$1.5M Seed extension round, which will drive their expansion across Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam to serve its 100 million smallholder farmers.
• Their flagship product, Qarbogrow, helps plants capture more light to increase their photosynthesis rate, leading to increased immunity, faster growth, and higher yield.
• Qarbotech will also establish a new manufacturing facility. “This investment will allow us to ramp up production and bring our patented solutions to more farmers across the region, empowering them to produce more with less environmental impact,” shared Co-founder & COO Amirul Merican.
• Co-founder & CSO Dr. Suraya Abdul Rashid explained that their technology solves the inefficiencies of photosynthesis using a scalable and sustainable approach, adding, “This allows us to directly address challenges in crop yield and climate resilience, offering a game-changing solution for global agriculture.”
• What’s more, dependency on synthetic fertilizers that can harm the soil and pollute the planet is reduced. Co-founder & CEO Chee Hoe Chor revealed that Qarbogrow can help farmers cut fertilizer use by 10-30%.
• The team will kick start another fundraising drive next year to further their expansion goals, with South Africa being part of the plan.
• Congratulations to the Qarbotech team!
• Read the full story here.