After a few exhilarating yet financially unrewarding years in the driverless car industry, engineer and tech enthusiast Kumar Ranjan found himself at a crossroads when the pandemic hit. This unexpected pause in his career prompted Ranjan to pivot dramatically, channeling his talents into farming. It was during this transition that he noticed two significant trends: the rapid increase in smartphone usage in rural India and the economy’s shift from cash to mobile transactions. These observations laid the foundation for eFeed, a precision livestock farming startup he co-founded with Ravi Chauhan and Ankit Patel in 2021.
eFeed, which is part of the fifth cohort of the AgFunder GROW Impact Accelerator, is designed to leverage data from thousands of small farmers to drive a recommendation engine aimed at improving milk yields and quality while also reducing methane emissions. AgFunderNews recently caught up with Ranjan to delve deeper into the origins and future of eFeed.
Ranjan, who describes himself as an “accidental entrepreneur,” originally had his sights set on the automotive industry, even participating in Mahindra’s 2014 “Spark the Rise” event, which sought innovative ideas for autonomous vehicles. Despite his passion and efforts, the venture faced significant challenges, primarily due to the nascent state of venture capital in India and the impracticality of autonomous cars in the local context. After a stint in the corporate world, Ranjan returned to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, consulting on autonomous technology until the pandemic brought everything to a halt.
The origins of eFeed can be traced back to Ranjan’s hometown of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, where he observed the struggles of dairy and meat producers during the pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions. Surprisingly, raising capital for this agritech venture proved far easier than his previous endeavors in autonomous vehicles, securing half a million dollars in seed funding in 2021. Ranjan attributes this success to the significant increase in smartphone usage and the shift towards mobile transactions in rural India, which made it easier to reach farmers.
Ranjan’s co-founders, Ankit Patel and Ravi Chauhan, also hail from the automotive field. Patel, an IIT Bombay alumnus with startup experience at the unicorn company Udaan, had firsthand knowledge of farming challenges. Chauhan, who initially sought Ranjan’s mentorship, brought his own entrepreneurial spirit to the team.
eFeed’s initial focus was on creating a precision nutrition advisory platform for dairy farmers. The app collects data on animal breeds, feeding regimens, and milking data, providing highly localized dietary recommendations to optimize milk production and reduce methane emissions. Recognizing the varying levels of education among farmers, eFeed incorporated visual aids and multilingual audio recommendations to make the app more accessible.
Over the past two years, eFeed has amassed extensive data, creating a digital repository of grains, green fodder, and dry fodder available in the Indian ecosystem. This information is then used to benchmark raw materials against the ideal protein, fat, and fiber content required for optimal milk or meat production. Farmers can input the types and quantities of feed they use, and the app provides tailored recommendations to improve productivity and quality.
Ranjan acknowledges that providing personalized feed is too costly, but eFeed offers localized recommendations and a marketplace for high-quality nutrition products. This dual approach ensures that the startup generates cash flow while continuing to develop its technology.
The recent pivot for eFeed involves leveraging its extensive data to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane. By collaborating with large sustainability and carbon credit agencies, eFeed aims to build solutions that address both productivity and environmental impact.
As eFeed continues to evolve, its ability to adapt and innovate remains a testament to the potential of agritech in addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by small farmers in India.