From Bioinformatics to Agriculture: Valeria Kogan’s Journey with Fermata
When Valeria Kogan embarked on her Ph.D. in bioinformatics back in 2017, she envisioned a future deeply rooted in mathematics, medicine, or biology. However, the rise of AI in the late 2010s presented her with an unexpected opportunity in agriculture. A friend of a friend, a tomato grower, reached out to Kogan, seeking someone with AI expertise to enhance agricultural practices. Intrigued by the idea of using AI to monitor plant health, Kogan realized her skills could seamlessly transition into this new field.
Kogan noted similarities between diagnosing plant health issues and her bioinformatics work: “You want to make a diagnosis as fast as you can.” This realization led to the launch of Fermata in 2020, a Tel Aviv-based startup utilizing computer vision and AI to diagnose diseases or pests in greenhouse crops.
- Fermata’s software pairs with standard cameras
- Pictures are taken twice daily
- An AI model analyzes these images and alerts farmers via an app
“We love customers who have a lot of problems because it brings us a lot of data,” Kogan remarked with a laugh, illustrating how challenges provide valuable learning opportunities.
– Valeria Kogan
Kogan candidly shared the early missteps of Fermata’s journey. Initially, they constructed robots for greenhouses without consulting potential users. “It was very clear that no one needs that,” she admitted about their prototype now stored in her dad’s garage. This experience taught them to prioritize understanding farmers’ needs over creating unwanted solutions.
Fermata differs from others by maintaining an in-house data labeling team, enhancing the accuracy of their AI models. Initially relying on public data, they now use customers’ data and conduct R&D by infecting plants with diseases for study purposes.
The startup initially struggled to gain traction but found success as AI gained momentum in 2022. Now, Fermata partners with major agriculture enterprises like Bayer and Syngenta and has deployed over 100 cameras. They’ve raised $10 million in Series A funding from Raw Ventures, which they plan to use for scaling and achieving profitability by 2026.
Currently focused on greenhouse-grown tomatoes, Fermata is eager to expand into new crops and partnerships. Despite early challenges, their genuine curiosity and innovative approach have set them apart in the agri-tech industry.
