IIT Bombay Grads Turn Barren Land into Soil-Less Farming Haven, achieve three times more yield and save 80% water

In a country where more than 194 million people suffer from malnutrition, Eeki has set out to revolutionize the farming industry. The vision of the agritech startup is simple – to make the world free from malnutrition and provide affordable and accessible nutritious vegetables to everyone.

Founded in December 2018, Eeki was started by two visionary individuals, Abhay Singh and Amit Kumar, who have been friends since their first week at IIT-Bombay in 2009. 

Their aim was to address the issue of the lack of economical methods to grow Indian vegetables, which has far-reaching consequences for the health and socio-economic development of communities. 

The absence of a diversified food system results in malnutrition, stunted growth, chronic illnesses, reduced productivity and decreased quality of life. Eeki believes that every individual should have access to high-quality, nutritious vegetables, regardless of their socio-economic status.

Eeki’s growing chambers are unique and advantageous compared to their competitors as they produce year-round Indian fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies, and bell peppers, as well as seasonal ones. 

Additionally, the growing technology has enabled Eeki to reduce the cost of growing by 50% while producing 3 times more yield per unit area as compared to other hydroponic systems. This has allowed them to grow nutritious Indian staple vegetables at affordable prices for the general public.

Eeki’s business model involves two key solutions to the farming industry – 

1. Farm setup 
2. Vegetable sales

They partner with individuals who provide the land and initial capital for the farm setup and, in return, receive regular fixed returns on their investment. For vegetable sales, Eeki partners with wholesale distributors and provides them with year-long deliveries of pesticide-free vegetables.

With a multi-disciplinary team of over 100 like-minded people, including agriculture research experts, IoT and automation experts, and marketing and finance professionals, Eeki is working day and night to make their vision a reality. 

Eeki has established strong partnerships with mandi wholesalers and cold storage providers. Their commitment to providing high-quality and pesticide-free vegetables has earned them prerequisite orders for thousands of tons of produce from distributors in metro areas. To meet this growing demand, they have secured over 40 acres of farmland through partnerships with several farm partners.

One of the biggest challenges Eeki faces is the lack of awareness among the general public about the nutritional value of vegetables and how it impacts their health. To address this issue, they have made a conscious effort to keep the prices of their pesticide-free vegetables in line with market trends. They also work with wholesale distributors to ensure that their vegetables reach as many end consumers as possible in the hopes of improving overall nutritional awareness and addressing the negative effects of poor dietary choices.

Eeki's most optimistic plans for the future involve building thousands of acres of large-scale farm clusters across India, providing high-quality, pesticide-free vegetables to people across the country, and eventually expanding internationally. Their technology has the potential to grow all types of Indian staple vegetables without any seasonal interference, which will have a profound impact on the Indian farming community. Eeki also aims to generate mass-scale employment in rural areas, leading to their overall development.

Currently, operational farms of Eeki cover 7 acres of land across the country, with an additional 35 acres under construction. Eeki is also aiming to reclaim and cultivate 100 acres of barren land by the end of 2023.

Their dedicated team consists of over 150 like-minded individuals, including agriculture research experts, IoT and automation specialists, and marketing and finance professionals who work tirelessly day and night to establish Eeki as a renowned global company.

Eeki has received financial support from esteemed investors in the industry, such as Avaana Capital, Better Capital, General Catalyst, and GSF Accelerator, among others. The total funding they have received to date exceeds $8 Million, which has been instrumental in driving growth and enabling the expansion of operations to new heights.

Eeki's vision of a world free from malnutrition, where nutritious and pesticide-free vegetables are affordable and accessible to everyone, is truly inspiring. Their commitment to improving the health and socio-economic development of communities in India is admirable. With its innovative, growing technology and business model, Eeki is well on its way to achieving its vision and bringing a positive impact to the lives of millions of people.