Kristof Nagy Is Putting AI to Work to Benefit Livestock Farmers

Name: Kristof Nagy

Company: Serket

What are you building, and who benefits most from it?

We are building a livestock health management platform and artificial intelligence using computer vision to detect anomalies in animal behaviors. In addition, the models will be able to make predictions using farm data and reporting to help farmers and livestock production organizations make more informed decisions about their operations, support animal welfare, attain sustainability goals, and ultimately become more profitable.

What is one of your startup’s most impressive accomplishments?

We have been extremely fortunate to have a staff of bright, enthusiastic, and innovative business leaders with a background in agriculture, AI and tech experts, and animal scientists to help us achieve our goals as an organization.

What has been the biggest challenge so far, and how did you overcome it?

An early challenge we faced was the accumulation of data and one of the techniques used for our AI models. We re-engineered our approach and decided to work more closely with some partner farms at our own cost to address this. We now see improved results in terms of accuracy and reliability.

What tool or app could you not live without and why?

We are a diverse global team, therefore Slack has been a tool that keeps us connected and collaborative.

What marketing strategies have worked for you?

We employ a direct sales and marketing approach, utilizing social media, specifically LinkedIn and Facebook. When used correctly to connect with the right target audience, they have been excellent resources. Partner marketing has also been very effective. We have many partners we collaborate with to deploy our solution, and capitalizing on their networks, sales teams, and events has worked in our favor.

Can you share any financial data about your startup?

We currently operate in six countries: Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Thailand. We have entered into a strategic partnership with Datamars, one of the largest livestock management systems manufacturers in the world. (Reported on June 09, 2023.)

What has been your biggest business failure to date? What did you learn from it?

We stretched ourselves too thin by going after many different market segments at once. Although they were and still are relevant, the use cases differ, so we were a little challenged at times. We made simple adjustments and turned our focus to what matters most and whom we intend to serve first and foremost.

What’s the best specific piece of advice you have for other entrepreneurs?

My example of business failure underpins the advice I would offer to any entrepreneurial venture: Stay focused and don’t get lost in the noise. You started your business because you know there is an unmet need, and, more importantly, you have a passion for solving specific challenges and driving change. Even though you may want to tackle every issue, you have to remain committed to the cause and those you intended to support.

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