GrassMax – the world’s first temperate climate grassland management tool – has been named as the overall winner at this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards.
The Dublin-based company and its product, GrassMax App, combines advanced modelling techniques with remote sensing data to provide a suite of easy-to-use bespoke nutrient and grass management decision-support tools, including satellite-based grassland growth yield measurement.
The aim of GrassMax is to remove the need for farmers to routinely walk their grass paddocks, optimise soil fertility and deliver verified enhancements in crop performance and resource use efficiency.
Meanwhile, Proveye won the best overall start-up award, Start-Up Innovator of the Year, and a €10,000 prize for its AI-powered digital image analysis platform.
Its innovation utilises remote sensing capability to deliver image-based insights on agricultural land, giving users the ability to make timely and informed decisions to solve a range of challenges, such as maximising yield and crop management planning.
The winners of the Innovation Arena competition, hosted by Enterprise Ireland in association with the National Ploughing Association, were announced at an awards ceremony attended by Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, at the opening day of the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois.
Among this year’s competition entries, there was a strong focus on sustainable farming, through digital technologies, data-driven solutions, and innovations to enhance efficiencies on-farm.
Full list of awards:
Innovation Arena Awards winners 2023
Overall ‘Innovator of the Year’ – Established
GrassMax, Dublin
Start-up Innovator of the Year
Proveye, Dublin
Agri-Engineering Award
Malone Farm Machinery, Mayo
Smart Farming Award
Pearson Milking Technology, Kildare
Crop Technology Award
Beotanics, Kilkenny
Agri-Safety Award
M-TEC Engineering, Cavan
Young Innovator of the Year
TrojanTrack, Dublin
IFAC Best New-Comer
Livefarm, Carlow
Ace Agritech Centre of Excellence Award
Proveye, Dublin
On Farm Innovation (Alfred Cox Founder’s Perpetual Trophy)
SpreadPoint, Down
Research Emerging from 3rd Level Award
PolyBo, Westmeath
Farm Software Award
Herdwatch, Tipperary
AgTechUCD Start Up Award
Agri Data Analytics, Offaly
Farm Automation Award
Dairymaster, Kerry
AgriTech Award
Abbey Farm Machinery, Tipperary
About the innovation arena
Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena is an exhibition platform, and the competition recognises innovative and cutting-edge products and services from agritech entrepreneurs who are delivering forward-thinking solutions to address some of the toughest global challenges.
The Innovation Arena will showcase ground-breaking agri-related products and innovations from 50 Irish agri companies over the course of the National Ploughing Championships, including the finalists of this year’s competition and previous winners from the Innovation Arena Awards.
International buyers
Companies will also have the opportunity to showcase their products to an international audience.
This year, 50 international buyers from 10 countries will visit the Innovation Arena and Irish companies supported by Enterprise Ireland will be exhibiting at the event.
A new addition for 2023 gave previous participants the chance to apply for a space in the ‘AgTech Hub’ within the arena, allowing companies to return to the Innovation Arena to showcase their progress and growth since first exhibiting.
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