Second Edition of Cisco and Social Alpha-led Krishi Mangal Program to support seven start-ups in Sustainable Farming solutions

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

After the success of the first edition of Krishi Mangal, a scale-up accelerator program launched in 2021, to propel agritech start-ups supporting smallholder farmers, global tech leader Cisco and Social Alpha, an innovation curation and venture development platform for science and technology start-ups, have finalized a new selection of start-ups for its second edition.

The first edition of Krishi Mangal has successfully impacted over 17,000 farmers, created more than 200 jobs, facilitated upwards of 500 micro-entrepreneurs, and onboarded nearly 25 Farmers' Producers Organizations (FPOs). The program was delivered across Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

The second edition of Krishi Mangal is an 18-month market access and scale-up accelerator program which will support seven in-revenue start-ups in agriculture & allied livelihoods. From scaling technologies for soil rejuvenation, water & crop management to efficient post-harvest management, these start-ups will work to innovate and scale solutions for specific problems and create an impact for small and marginal farmers. Social Alpha’s innovation curation approach, along with the technological expertise of Cisco, will aid these start-ups with grant funding, piloting opportunities, go-to-market assistance, fundraising guidance, technology refinement, and mentorship support from experts to work on income-enhancing climate-resilient technologies at scale.

The second edition of the cohort