Innovation

iGrow is one of several company of the StartUp Centre.

iGrow was founded by Jim Oklahoma, Muhaimin Iqbal, and Andreas Senjaya in 2014. The platform allows investors to connect with farmers directly, allowing them to choose for crops they wish to invest in based on budget and expected return.

The farmers then plants the crops while iGrow team monitors and uploads the process through the platform. Once the crops are harvested, it will be sold to iGrow’s partner merchants and both the investors and the farmers share their profits.

In other words, it allows users to play Facebook popular game “Farmville” for real.

With the innovation, iGrow has employed more than 2,200 farmers in a 1,200 hectares of land. It has also harvested more than 350 tons of high-quality crops. Going forward, the startup has already allocated US$1.4 million for planting in the Buleleng, Blitar, Garut, Jonggol, and Banten regions.

Inspiration

Since it was launch in 2014, iGrow currently has more than 1,300 sponsors, and the plantation of 1,200 farmers, 800 ha of planting and harvest of 300 tons of peanuts. In the competition itself iGrow has been able to win a few champions such as champion of the Asian StartUp competition in 2014 and Startup Asia Payment Dragons Den competition iGrow Asia in 2015, second prize in the Startup competition at Istanbul 2015. And in 2016 iGrow team selected to be the one and only representative of Southeast Asia in business accelerator program held in the United States.

Overall impact

1. Profitable investment: Investors planting can benefit from revenue sharing between 13-24% of the investment per year.

2. Farmers Empowerment: 2,200 Farmers can have a job and optimizing land thereby increasing revenue.

3. Environmentally friendly: People feel the effects of greening (1,197 ha land) and increased food production.

4. Strengthening Food security of supply: Investors planting participate in the improvement of domestic food production, farmers' jobs and greening of unproductive lands.

Business benefit

iGrow received funding from two venture capitalists, namely East Ventures and 500 Startups, with a value not disclosed

Social and environmental benefit

1. 10,479,137 tree Planted

2. 359,231 kg CO2Absorbed

3. Greening of 1,197 Hectares unproductive Lands

Interview

Muhaimin Iqbal, Founder of StartUp Centre, Founder of iGrow