Name: Valeria Kogan
Company: Fermata
Position: CEO and Founder
Website: https://www.fermata.tech/
About Valeria Kogan
Dr. Valeria Kogan (Ph.D. in bioinformatics), is the founder and CEO of Fermata, a data science company using computer vision and AI to solve challenges faced by commercial agriculture. Valeria’s journey to agriculture tech is quite unique, having pivoted to the industry from her previous startup which helped develop tools for better cancer diagnostics with AI. A chance encounter with a greenhouse management company led to a eureka moment: The same screening technology used for human health can be used for plant health and can answer farmers’ struggle to monitor and diagnose their crops efficiently. Manual checks are exhausting and error-prone, and even with tech solutions, many are overwhelmed by complex data they can’t easily turn into action, and this is what Fermata’s Croptimus solution endeavors to address.
Fermata’s Croptimus suite uses off-the-shelf cameras to provide 24/7 crop monitoring while searching for potential threats. The platform uses AI to compare crop images over time to find and alert of any plant health issues in real time. This approach has already demonstrated the potential to generate 30 percent savings on lost crops, while minimising the use of harmful pesticides thanks to precise detection. Initially focusing on identifying pests and diseases, Fermata is now expanding its system into a command center for crop health, following its latest $10M round A. Fermata plans to further develop its suite of AI-driven solutions to address a range of agricultural challenges.
Fermata’s Croptimus platform provides decision support for growers through advanced data analysis, creating an ever-evolving system that continuously learns from available data. This allows growers to reliably mitigate plant health issues before crop loss becomes inevitable, while further reducing the amount of time and money spent on traditional scouting.
When creating Fermata, Valeria’s approach was and still is to stay humble and driven by the willingness to apply her company’s knowledge to help people, not to tell them what they are doing wrong. In the early days of the company, Valeria faced extensive pushback from her colleagues and potential investors saying that reducing crop losses and pesticide use was not possible. However, her approach helped her achieve great support from the early adopters and feedback from the broader audience.
Valeria’s leadership and innovative approach earned her a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists in both Europe and Israel.
