Vadodara: Anand Agricultural University (AAU) has sanctioned Rs 113.50 lakh in seed funding to nine agri-startups under its incubation programme, with the first instalment of Rs 59.25 lakh disbursed to boost innovation and growth in the agribusiness sector.The announcement was made during a seed fund awarding ceremony held at the AAU campus, where the startups — working across diverse agricultural domains — were formally recognized.Startups like Billioncarbon Solutions and Agriora Innovations received support for their waste-to-wealth projects that convert agricultural waste into valuable resources. Others, including Cosmo Ecosystem, Affinito, Minerv Ease Health, and Vetved Nutrition, are developing innovative products in the food and nutrition space. Vikalp Ane Ukel, an agri-tech venture, focuses on improving agricultural value and supply chains, while Freni Natural and Dabhi Agritech — founded by Gujarat-based farmers — are advancing agricultural inputs and technology.The funding was facilitated by AIC Anand Foundation, AAU’s Section 8 company and the state’s leading agribusiness incubator. To date, it has incubated over 200 agri-startups with support from the Innovation & Agri-Entrepreneurship Programme under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt of India.“We also recently launched the ASPIRE Club to cultivate entrepreneurial thinking among students from an early academic stage,” said AAU vice-chancellor KB Kathiria.The ceremony was accompanied by a student workshop organized by the university’s Agricultural Information Technology College, where 60 students participated in discussions on innovation, startup ecosystems, and agri-entrepreneurial opportunities.
