Brad Technology, a French startup in agritech, is at the AI Summit looking for an Indian partner to open its own venture in agricultural advisory, an area which the company believes has immense potential despite small land holdings being considered a hindrance for farmers to spend on technology.
talking to business LineOliver Lepine, CEO of Brad Technology, said it is developing an IoT solution to collect data in the soil and air of plots, a very low-cost one, dedicated to the global south.
Lepine also said that his startup is trying to address agricultural concerns with technology, especially trying to get the best technology for small farmers. “We want to help them figure out how to produce in extremely difficult and uncertain times with climate change and uncertain outcomes,” he said.
As to whether AI will replace agronomists, he said, “With this data, we trigger a vocal AI, so an agent, an agronomist, who is able to help farmers figure out what’s going on in their field and make the right decisions.”
Asked why some agri-tech companies have already started this in India but rising costs are a hurdle, he said there is room for everyone. He said, “We have a different approach about it. Our motto is ground truth, global approach. We want to help farmers finance this part of the use of IoT and AI because it is very expensive for small farmers now.”
Lepine said this data is not only helpful for farmers in improving their resiliency, but it is also useful for the government and the food industry to track what is happening on the ground.
When asked if there is any solution to reduce costs, he said “massification” is the best solution and to propose the right solution one needs to focus on the farmer’s revenue, which is what braid technology does.
Currently, the French startup has covered an area of 10,000 hectares in France and has launched a pilot project in 50 acres of land in Morocco.
“We work from a jugaad approach, very low cost (subscription model around $100 per year), very low technology, but it needs to work. So we welcome any collaboration with Indian agritech startups,” Lepine said, adding that adding partners in India will be helpful in providing proven solutions.
Published on February 16, 2026
