Instacrops will demo its water-saving, crop-boosting AI at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

In a world where agriculture accounts for a staggering 70% of global fresh water consumption, the urgency for efficient water management has never been greater. Countries like India and Chile see this figure rise to over 90%, making water scarcity a pressing issue for farmers. For Mario Bustamante, a resident of Chile, this challenge is personal. Bustamante believes that artificial intelligence holds the key to significantly reducing water usage on farms worldwide. His startup, Instacrops, initially aimed to utilize internet-of-things (IoT) sensors to alert farmers about harmful frost conditions. However, as the market for hardware became saturated, the company shifted its focus towards software solutions that optimize water use. Currently, Instacrops is empowering 260 farms to lower their water consumption by as much as 30%, while simultaneously boosting crop yields by up to 20%. As a participant in the Startup Battlefield, the company is set to showcase its innovative approach at TechCrunch Disrupt later this month in San Francisco. The strategic pivot from hardware to AI has transformed Instacrops, allowing the company to operate with a leaner team while managing vast amounts of data. "We are processing around 15 million data points every hour, a figure that would have taken nearly a year to accumulate a decade ago," Bustamante explained. By either installing new IoT sensors or linking to existing farm networks, Instacrops gathers vital data to advise farmers on optimal irrigation practices. The startup’s large language models analyze over 80 different parameters, including soil moisture levels, humidity, temperature, and crop yield, alongside NDVI, a satellite-derived metric for plant productivity. These insights are delivered directly to farmers' mobile devices, with plans to streamline communication via WhatsApp. "I anticipate that within a year, we will be fully integrated with WhatsApp, as it serves as a universal platform for farmers," Bustamante noted. For farms equipped with advanced technology, Instacrops can even automate irrigation systems. The startup targets high-value crops in Latin America, such as apples, avocados, blueberries, almonds, and cherries, with farmers paying an annual fee based on the acreage they manage. Having participated in the Y Combinator summer 2021 batch, Instacrops has attracted investments from SVG Ventures and Genesis Ventures. To explore Instacrops and numerous other groundbreaking startups, attendees are encouraged to visit TechCrunch Disrupt from October 27 to 29 in San Francisco.