‍SMARTKAS

This interview details SMARTKAS, an Agrotech Solutions Provider based in the Netherlands. The interview is with David Meszaros, Founder & CEO of SMARTKAS.

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What is the origin story of SMARTKAS?

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SMARTKAS was founded in 2020 by Dr. David Meszaros. After working on many projects involving the integration and management of technologies and innovative solutions, he decided to integrate the knowledge and technology he got to work with and founded SMARTKAS.

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While David does not come from an agricultural background, he always felt that access to food and water should be a basic human right, and decided to align his company and his future to accelerate this mission. 'KAS' in SMARTKAS stands for glasshouse in Dutch, because David has been living in the Netherlands for many years, but it also means beehive in Hungary where he was born and raised. He sees beehives as the system integrator of bees' ecosystem.

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What are some of the biggest challenges facing SMARTKAS in the future?

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It is crucial for SMARTKAS to work with partners who see the bigger picture of our process and have the same values as us instead of pushing for short-term gain. Whether these partners mean suppliers, governments, investors or offtakers, finding the right people to work with and share our knowledge with is meticulous. Careful evaluation and selection of partners and team members turned out to be crucial.

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Never trust a well-written CV or a turnkey solution provider who says they know and offer everything, which is what we learned in the past 3 years. A proven track record, reputation, and good references must be the first step in the negotiation process that is followed by the “walk the talk” period before long-term cooperation is agreed upon. 

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What is unique about SMARTKAS compared to competitors? 

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SMARTKAS is not a vertical farming company, and does not base its revenue and income solely on the sale of fruits and vegetables. 

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It is an agrotech solution provider with young top management who think in a very long-term vision to change and revolutionize agriculture in a sustainable and reasonable way before Earth runs out of land to grow food for humans and animals. Climate change is damaging the world and it is irreversible. We all have to think of the fastest and most economical response in order to have a livable future for our children.

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It's a race where SMARTKAS is trying to be the fastest to come up with the secret formula that will work for all. No wasting time and no wasting investors’ money. We are not just a potential solution provider for an urging problem but a handful of motivated young people believing in a mission.

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What are some of the trends you are seeing in the market, and predictions for the future, based on your conversations with your partners and customers?

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As demand rapidly grows for locally produced food, more and more people and companies see the added value of partnering with startups who see things with a young and fresh mind that combines agriculture with technology. Exploiting animals and agricultural land is the past in modern society. In this educated and connected world people want to know and understand where their food is coming from. They prefer fresh and tasteful flavors compared to soggy and tasteless ingredients and are willing to pay for them. 

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The amount saved on increasingly expensive logistics, fertilizers, pesticides, water…etc draws people to having garage farms, rooftop farms, container farms, and vertical farms close to our homes or supermarkets. 

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We expect smart farming to become the new norm, hopefully, sooner rather than later, and as always see determined, non-compromising entrepreneurs in the private sector leading the movement.

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How can people connect with you or learn more about SMARTKAS?

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You can follow us on social media: Instagram @smartkastech, Youtube, and LinkedIn. On these platforms, we also share if our team is attending a conference, or giving a presentation somewhere.

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