AgrigateOne – Startup Spotlight

UK-based AgrigateOne was launched in 2019 with the goal of digitising the fresh produce supply chain. The company accomplishes this by aggregating data from disparate software systems into a cloud-based platform, giving fresh produce growers and buyers access to real-time data from any country around the world. The enhanced level of transparency offered by AgrigateOne allows buyers to make better and more informed procurement decisions. Growers also gain access to the platform’s workflow tools, which automate many of the time-consuming and admin-intensive export processes.

The team aims to ensure that fresh produce businesses using AgrigateOne consistently have better bottom-line results than other similar businesses not on the platform.

With a footprint in the UK, Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, UAE, Hong Kong and China, AgrigateOne manages over 15k hectares of farmland and has already processed 300M+ kg of fruit to 200+ markets.

Convenience in the Cloud

AgrigateOne offers a single, convenient platform to manage orders and track commodities from farm to pack-house, shipping to delivery. With this aggregated data, users gain greater insights, clarity, and transparency from historically disparate, siloed systems.

The company’s cloud-based platform means users are immediately alerted to shipping delays, temperature irregularities and incomplete orders, enabling them to intervene before it impacts their business.

Culture of Experience and Trust

”We’re down-to-earth people with up-to-date technology.” So says AgrigateOne co-founder and MD, Wian Potgieter, who believes his team makes all the difference. “Our people make our business unique. Almost 80% of our people come from farming families or agricultural backgrounds.”

Potgieter adds, “Good farming values and principles are deeply ingrained in our culture and business practices, which resonates well with our clients. Our mission is to put money back in the farmers’ pockets, based on the data insights we provide on our platform. I can say with sincerity that all of us here at AgrigateOne are true to our roots.”

The company is also always keen to point out that all buyers and growers are verified to ensure they are fully accredited and compliant with industry standards, as AgrigateOne prides itself on cultivating a culture of mutual trust.

Integrity is Instrumental in Conquering Challenges

Like any SaaS business, getting clients before one has developed a fully robust product is challenging. Potgieter outlines AgrigateOne’s beginnings, “In the first few years of operation, we were very honest about what we could and couldn’t do. We knew that if we kept delivering on what we said we could do, we would continue to build trust and deliver value to our customers.”

Potgieter elaborates, “Our mission is to ensure transparency for growers and buyers. When you cultivate a landscape of trust, you reap the rewards. We offer our customers the chance to discover new ways to grow with AgrigateOne. I’m glad to say this approach has helped us navigate through the tricky startup phase of our business.”

Planning is Key

AgrigateOne’s team continues to be hungry and ambitious – they have even bigger plans for the future success of the company. Potgieter discusses the company’s future development, “In a year’s time, if all goes to plan, we will be working with fresh produce growers right across the world. Our vision is to automate the commercial fresh produce trade from start to finish.”

Fruitful Fellowship for Floww and AgrigateOne

Potgieter is excited to have AgrigateOne profiled on Floww. He discusses the rationale for joining and becoming an active user:

Potgieter then went onto to say, “Interestingly, there are clear synergies between the Floww platform and what we are building at AgrigateOne. Floww has created a network of startups, VCs and investors using data and transparency. We are trying to do the same thing at AgrigateOne, but in the fruit industry.”

Swings and Roundabouts

When asked what sage advice he could impart to fellow entrepreneurs, Potgieter had this to share: “As an entrepreneur, you go through incredible highs and equally incredible lows. Knowing that this is all part of an entrepreneur’s journey will give you some much-needed perspective in the tough times.”