Cross-border trade in the food and agriculture sector is still largely reliant on old methods – phone calls and brokers rather than predictive software and logistics.
“The farmers who feed the world still capture the smallest share of the value they create,” said Illias Sousis of Wikifarmer.
The Athens, Greece-based startup aims to give farmers greater leverage by eliminating some of the middlemen between them and buyers.
“We are not just matching buyers and sellers – we are using AI to restructure the supply chain and unlock value that is currently lost to inefficiency, opacity and outdated processes,” said Sousis.
The startup raised $7.7 million in a funding round led by Luxembourg-based Brighteye Ventures and Greek lender Piraeus Bank. Climate tech investors Satgana and Climate Club, as well as Point Nine Capital, Metavallon VC and Inveready, participated.
Sousis and his business partner Petros Sagos founded Wikifarmer in 2017 as a free agricultural knowledge library available in more than a dozen languages.
“Over time, the ones who trusted us started asking: ‘Can you also help me sell?’” said Sousis.
The platform facilitates transactions in 45 countries, covering olive oil, dried fruits, nuts, table olives, spices and fresh and frozen produce. Wikifarmer and Piraeus Bank are launching FarmClick, an online marketplace for seeds, fertilizers, crop protection and equipment in Greece.
