Enfarm wins the World Cup of agricultural technology

Enfarm, a company applying artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to measure and advise farmers on crop nutrition, has been awarded the Market Readiness Award, one of the top 10 awards at the Agri-food Tech World Championship 2024 recently held in Singapore. As the only Vietnamese company to make it to the semifinals and to win a prestigious award after competing against participants from 60 countries and territories, Enfarm has demonstrated the capability of Vietnamese engineers in developing breakthrough technologies with global impact.

Enfarm has addressed one of the biggest challenges in global agriculture: 60% of fertilizers are not absorbed by crops, causing billions of dollars in losses annually, contributing to soil degradation, and accounting for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

By combining soil sensor data with smartphone application inputs, Enfarm uses machine learning to enhance the accuracy of low-cost sensors and provide precise recommendations for farmers. This breakthrough makes Enfarm a perfect virtual assistant for agriculture, helping increase crop yields with less fertilizer.

Trials in coffee farms in Đắk Lắk, Vietnam, showed that Enfarm’s technology can boost productivity by up to 30% while reducing fertilizer use by 30% compared to traditional farming methods. Enfarm offers an accurate, low-cost, and farmer-friendly smart agriculture solution, especially suitable for Vietnam’s coffee production, contributing to cost reduction, productivity gains, emission reductions, and environmental protection — the core objectives of Vietnam’s sustainable coffee development strategy.

Developed by Dr. Ho Long Phi, former member of Vietnam’s National Advisory Council on Climate Change, Enfarm represents a potential solution to transform global agriculture toward low-emission farming while still increasing yields to meet the 70% higher food demand by 2050 forecasted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Launched in mid-2024, Enfarm has been embraced by farmers across 14 provinces, particularly coffee and durian growers, and has continuously been recognized at prestigious awards in Vietnam. Highlights include:

• Runner-up at the Techfest Vietnam 2024 National Innovative Startup Talent Competition
• Top 5 Outstanding AI Applications awarded by the Ministry of Science and Technology
• Top 10 Social and Environmental Impact Startups in Southeast Asia
• Top 15 Outstanding Innovation Solutions 2024 recognized by the National Innovation Center (NIC) and the Ministry of Planning and Investment

These accolades affirm Enfarm’s breakthrough technology and growth potential in Vietnam’s and Southeast Asia’s innovation ecosystems.

“Climate change has made traditional farming methods more prone to failure, with low fruit-setting rates in the Mekong Delta and durian fruit defects in the Central Highlands being prime examples. This is Enfarm’s opportunity to stand side by side with hardworking farmers in our mission to help them prosper while building sustainable agriculture. With the vast and unique dataset on soil, fertilizers, and crops that we are collecting, we are heading toward new breakthroughs in 2025 that will completely change the way we farm,” said Nguyen Do Dung, Co-founder and CEO of Enfarm.

The adoption of the right technology in agriculture can significantly reduce production costs at scale. Enfarm’s solution delivers real-time soil data, enabling farmers to optimize fertilizer use and minimize waste. This not only boosts yields but also makes farming more sustainable, helping farmers lower costs and improve livelihoods. The technology has the potential to create a long-term impact on agriculture in Vietnam and the wider region.

With strong investment and breakthrough technology, Enfarm is now aiming to expand into ASEAN markets in the near future, seizing opportunities as rising crop prices, climate change challenges, and food security policies reshape farming across the region.