Agro-industry piece: Exploring agtech failures... and presenting the Minimum Viable Ecosystem (MVE) as a potential solution
Rob Ward, an entrepreneur in the agrifoodtech industry, is currently advising businesses and investors worldwide on market strategy, adoption, and growth. His expertise stems from a successful career in the agtech sector, having held leadership roles in It's Fresh Ltd and Agaricus Robotics Ltd, and from his experience as a commercial strawberry farmer in the UK.
Ward's insights highlight the importance of the Minimum Viable Ecosystem (MVE) for successful agtech adoption. The MVE is a foundational set of interconnected technologies, stakeholders, and processes that create a functional ecosystem sufficient to enable the adoption and scaling of agricultural technologies.
According to Ward, the key reason for many agtech solutions failing to scale is accidental "challenger brand" thinking and the absence of a Minimum Viable Ecosystem (MVE). Agtech's adoption issues are not due to rejection by farmers or poor investor fit, but rather because new technologies are often introduced to the market without the necessary support of an MVE.
The MVE includes pivotal partners such as input suppliers, distributors, large-scale farms, cooperatives, and key influencers. Value chain mapping is the first step in building an MVE. By understanding the supply chain and engaging pivotal partners, startups can ensure a clear path to value alignment and reduce the risk of technology rejection or underuse.
A champion partner with credibility can help reduce risk for other partners. Co-sponsored pilots or workshops with pivotal partners can be used to focus on shared key performance indicators and co-created value. Publicizing early wins can attract more followers to the MVE.
Business models should be aligned to share benefits such as revenue share, cost savings, and expanded market access. A pre-competitive consortium can be built to share both risks and learnings openly.
The MVE approach in agtech ensures that innovations are not deployed in isolation but within a supportive environment that includes compatible tools, infrastructure, user engagement, data sharing, and sometimes financial or regulatory mechanisms. This fosters faster real-world validation, increases value for end users, and creates conditions to scale innovations sustainably and efficiently.
Success in agrifoodtech adoption depends on this MVE approach, which designs for adoption, collaboration, and mutual benefit, not just technological superiority. This is evident in the success of healthtech, whose most impactful innovations are launched as part of an ecosystem, not in isolation.
In the case of Ward's own innovation, he pioneered the universal use of coir in strawberry farming, a significant contribution to the agtech sector. The MVE approach, with its emphasis on collaboration and mutual benefit, has proven instrumental in the successful adoption and scaling of this technology.
In conclusion, the MVE approach in agtech is a strategic framework to build a minimal but integrated, collaborative environment that enables new agricultural technologies to be effectively tested, adopted, and scaled. Adopting an MVE approach reduces risk, enhances value delivery, and accelerates the transition towards resilient, sustainable agriculture systems.
- rob Ward, recognizing the significance of technology in business, advocatesfor the application of the Minimum Viable Ecosystem (MVE) in the agtech sector, emphasizing its role in enhancing agtech adoption and scalability.
- To ensure the successful adoption and growth of innovations, entrepreneurs should strategically align their business models with the MVE approach, which fosters collaboration, mutual benefit, and resilience in the agrifoodtech industry.
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