Israeli agtech startup SupPlant, which develops data-driven autonomous irrigation systems, has signed a preliminary agreement with weather prediction giant ClimaCell to bring smart irrigation systems to small-scale farmers around the world.

ClimaCell is a weather intelligence platform that utilizes sensors attached to planes, cellphone towers, high-rises, and others to provide an accurate pinpoint weather forecast prediction that is intended for industries that rely on critical weather-condition data like insurance companies, airlines, construction sites, shipping fleets, and more.

SupPlant on the other hand,  brings an autonomous AI-driven smart-irrigation system to the game. By leveraging IoT devices that continuously collect crop data to determine optimal irrigation quantity and time, the Israeli agtech company’s irrigation technology delivers a data-driven solution for better and higher volume crop yields.

The companies have struck a deal to collaborate on a farming solution focused on bringing small-scale developing world farmers into the IoT future. With an estimated 450 million small-scale farmers worldwide that are responsible for producing about 80% of the food for the developing the world, this solution brings not only technological advancement but also can lower the impact of climate change on these farmers that desperately depend on crop yields for self-perseverance and trade.

Ori Ben-Ner, SupPlant CEO explains: “SupPlant’s and ClimaCell’s capabilities to find a unique solution that for the first time is intended for the small farmers - most of the farmers in the world - has vast potential with extraordinary implications on the economies of entire communities and food and water reserves in these countries.”

The collaboration’s first stage will focus on bringing the smart irrigation systems to India’s 110 million small-scale farmers and China’s 180 million. Following the potential success, the technology then will be opened to the world over.

Dan Slagen, ClimaCell CMO said: “We are proud to be able to use our weather intelligence in the agtech world in order to change the lives for small farmers across the globe and help them grow their crops to feed their families. The cooperation with SupPlant will bring weather tech into the agricultural field”.

SupPlant was founded in 2015 by current President Zohar Ben-Ner and CTO Eran Brezner. The company is headquartered in Afula which is the capital of Israel’s northern agricultural Mecca of the Jezreel Valley.