Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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Agricultural technology is becoming a key area of agricultural development. Modern solutions help more precisely monitor soil conditions, automate plant care, increase yields, and accelerate breeding efforts. What previously required manual labor and visual inspection is now being performed by sensors, neural networks, and smart cameras.
Participants in Moscow's technology business support programs—graduates of the Innovators' Academy and finalists of the Moscow Mayor's "Moscow Innovator" award—are also developing their own developments in this area. Their solutions include AI systems for plant cultivation, digital services for farmers, next-generation fertilizer production technologies, and devices for monitoring animal health.
City programs as a launching pad
One of the most effective tools for supporting technology entrepreneurs in the capital is the Moscow Government's flagship program Academy of InnovatorsThe project was created to help both newcomers with no business experience and existing companies: the former can turn a promising idea into a competitive product, while the latter can find partners, customers, and resources for scaling.
Another important support mechanism is the Moscow Mayor's Prize. Innovator of MoscowIt is focused on the commercialization of scientific research results. Finalists and winners receive prizes of up to 1.5 million rubles for project development, as well as support from the city and the opportunity to develop their research into a working startup and implement the solution.
Among the areas in which participants in these programs work, agricultural technology occupies a prominent place—from automated plant cultivation systems to farm management services and equipment for monitoring animal health.
From a laboratory project to accelerated plant breeding
Klimbiotech began as a school initiative. Daria Freimans, the project's co-founder, developed a home-based module for growing herbs—a city farm—with a classmate while still in engineering. The idea was recognized first at a school competition and then internationally. Experts then proposed developing the project as a laboratory with a fully controlled climate.
While studying at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Daria continued her experiments. As a result, she was able to increase the light intensity in the laboratory setup threefold compared to existing analogs, and also create an automated plant cultivation system. Subsequent testing with scientists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (VNIISB) demonstrated that these conditions significantly accelerate the breeding process for valuable agricultural crops.
These developments gave rise to the Klimbiotech project. Its technology reduces the time it takes to develop new plant varieties from 10-12 years to three to six years. Typically, breeders need to grow at least seven generations of seeds to ensure the genetic stability and resilience of a new crop. In open ground, this process takes about seven years. Klimbiotech's laboratories have created an environment that ensures a continuous growing cycle year-round and accelerates plant development through a complex set of controlled parameters. The equipment can be installed in rooms ranging from 15 to 200 square meters or more.
City support helped the project expand beyond the laboratory. In 2024, Klimbiotech won the Moscow Innovator award, and today it has grown into a network of 39 laboratories across the country. Of these, 20 operate in Moscow, and another five are in the Moscow region. In 2025 alone, the team launched 24 new laboratories.
The developers created eight types of climate chambers for various biotechnological applications and entered into a four-party cooperation agreement with Gazprombank, the All-Russian Research Institute of Biotechnology, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University). The project's revenue in the three years since participating in the "Innovators' Academy" has reached almost 300 million rubles.
Production of fertilizers from wastewater
As part of the eighth cohort of the Innovators' Academy, a project by Khimtekhgenesis is being developed. It implements a dual-action technology: treating agricultural wastewater and producing a valuable fertilizer in a single cycle. The team's solution removes ammonium and phosphorus ions from the water. This reduces the load on treatment facilities, and the resulting product becomes an effective complex fertilizer—struvite.
Its difference from traditional fertilizers is that struvite isn't washed out of the soil after the first rain, but rather dissolves gradually under the influence of soil microflora and the plants themselves. This ensures that crops receive nutrition at the right time and in the right amount, reducing the need for repeated fertilizing.
In 2025, two years of struvite testing in fields in the Perm Krai were completed. Scientists grew winter wheat and compared the results with those of a traditional complex fertilizer. The tests confirmed the new product's effectiveness even in risky farming zones. A parallel experiment was conducted with flower crops at the Usadba nursery. Here, struvite was compared with an imported slow-release fertilizer, demonstrating that the domestically developed product can replace it without compromising quality.
The team also tested struvite at sites in Anapa and at the State Unitary Enterprise "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg." The tests confirmed the technology's high efficiency: wastewater removal of phosphorus ions reaches 99 percent, while ammonium levels are also significantly reduced. Based on these results, the developers are currently developing new product formulations. Their immediate plans include releasing a fertilizer with a binding component for more precise regulation of dissolution rate, as well as a version based on potassium struvite.
Water savings and high yields
The "Controls" project by Siidos (the team consists of graduates of the seventh cohort of the "Academy of Innovators") is a comprehensive solution for automated irrigation. The system includes proprietary sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms that generate watering recommendations.
A distinctive feature of the solution is automatic calibration for different soil types and irrigation methods. The system analyzes sensor data, historical data, and meteorological forecasts. Tests conducted at the experimental site of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in 2024 demonstrated an 18 percent reduction in water consumption and a 16 percent increase in wheat yield.
The system is also five times cheaper than similar systems. The user interface is designed as a personal account for data analysis and system management. Neural networks predict irrigation needs seven days in advance, and algorithms ensure the soil does not dry out or become overwatered. This approach helps improve irrigation efficiency and resource management.
In 2025, the project team presented its own weather station and updated software at an industry exhibition. They also received a grant from the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE) in the amount of five million rubles and a 500,000-ruble award from the Foundation for New Entrepreneurial Initiatives (FNI) in the "Startup as a Diploma" competition.
Today, the project's main focus is integrating Control's technologies into mass-produced products. Together with the Kazan Irrigation Equipment Plant, the team is working to integrate its sensors and software into irrigation machines. Plans include installing the systems on new equipment and retrofitting existing equipment in the regions.
ECG for pets
The Karvet project team, also graduates of the seventh cohort of the Innovators' Academy, created a wearable device for 24/7 monitoring of pets and farm animals. It attaches to the animal's body and records an electrocardiogram and other vital signs in real time. The data is fed into an app, where specialized algorithms analyze it with medical precision. If any abnormalities are detected, the system sends an alert to the owner or veterinarian.
Crucially, the device can predict critical conditions at an early stage. This helps detect illnesses before obvious symptoms appear. Postoperatively, Karvet allows the veterinarian to monitor the animal remotely without leaving it at the clinic. The device is lightweight and compact, doesn't interfere with movement, and is suitable for long-term wear. The housing is impact, dust, and moisture-resistant, and the built-in battery provides up to 10 days of battery life.
The team has now created a working prototype and conducted initial tests. Their immediate plans include patenting the design and data analysis algorithms, as well as launching pilot projects at a veterinary clinic and a nursery.
Artificial intelligence at the service of farmers
The RostKh project, created by residents of the sixth cohort of the Innovators Academy, offers farmers and gardeners a personal digital assistant. This platform helps improve soil health and increase crop yields with minimal investment.
The user enters information about their plot and the crops they plan to grow. The system analyzes the information and generates a customized soil nutrition plan. Unlike general recommendations found in reference books, this approach takes into account the specific soil characteristics and plant needs.
Artificial intelligence processes data on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, analyzing the chemical composition and physical properties of the soil. As a result, farmers receive precise calculations of which fertilizers and in what quantities should be applied. This approach helps increase crop yields and avoid unnecessary costs. Furthermore, rational application of fertilizers preserves soil structure and reduces environmental impact.
Following acceleration at the Innovators' Academy, the project received one million rubles in support from the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE). The funds were used for product development. The team is currently working on a new feature—multidimensional soil analysis based on photographs. This will make site condition assessment even more accessible. The company plans to expand the platform's functionality in areas such as water management, ecology, food processing, and dairy. The official launch of sales is scheduled for May 1, 2026.
Farm in the city
The startup "Greenbar," a participant in the sixth cohort of the "Academy of Innovators," develops and produces city farms for growing greens, herbs, medicinal herbs, berries, and vegetables directly in urban spaces.
The solution is based on the "Virtual Agronomist" software. It fully automates plant care on vertical farms. Feeding and watering, controlling lighting, temperature, and humidity, maintaining the desired pH level, and mixing micronutrients—all of this occurs without human intervention. The platform allows for dynamic tracking of performance indicators using resource consumption graphs.
You can manage your farm remotely from any computer, phone, or tablet from anywhere in the world. All analytics and knowledge are gathered in a single interface. The system is also easily scalable: managing one square meter is as easy as managing thousands. There's no limit to the number of monitoring and control devices.
The project has already gone international: it has distributors in the United Arab Emirates, India, Qatar, Australia, and England. Following acceleration at the Innovators' Academy, the team successfully tested the project at a Moscow school, then at Skolkovo, and supplied equipment for an agricultural classroom in the Orenburg Region.
How to get support from the Moscow Government
All of these projects received support from the city's technology entrepreneurship development programs. Both new teams and developers of existing solutions can apply.
Applications for the ninth cohort are open until May 26. Academy of InnovatorsAnyone over 14 years of age, regardless of where they live, can participate.
Applications for the award Innovator of Moscow Applications are accepted until May 5. Russian citizens who live or work in the capital are eligible to participate—individually, starting at age 14, or in teams of up to five people.
Youth entrepreneurship support programs are overseen by the ANO "Human Capital Development," which is subordinate to the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.
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