The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK) recently brought together startups, public institutions, market actors and development partners in Dhaka for the Innovatech Bangladesh Demo Day, marking the end of the programme's first cycle in Asia.
Funded by IFAD and the European Union and implemented by Sparkassenstiftung, Innovatech helps startups adapt, test and strengthen digital solutions for small-scale farmers.
In Bangladesh, two agritech startups, Agronochain and Krishi Shwapno, tested their solutions in the field alongside projects funded by IFAD and the government. The startups worked with the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
At the Demo Day, the startups presented their implementation experiences, results and lessons. An accompanying panel discussion examined how institutions, market actors and financing mechanisms could work together to help solutions succeed in rural Bangladesh, move beyond pilot projects and reach more farmers.
“Transforming rural Bangladesh at the scale needed demands strong partnerships between government, innovators and the private sector,” said Valantine Achancho, IFAD country director for Bangladesh.
“Programmes like Innovatech complement public investment by bringing practical, market-driven solutions to rural communities. By testing new ideas and reducing investment risks, they help promising innovations grow into solutions that deliver lasting benefits for smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs,” he added.
“Rural areas do not need technology for technology’s sake. They need solutions that address a specific problem, work under the real conditions faced by producers and remain relevant after the project ends,” said Christina Olsen, director of Innovatech.
“At Innovatech, we start with demand and then bring startups and producers together so that solutions are adapted to the people who will actually use them,” she added.
The panel discussions highlighted that technology alone is rarely the main obstacle to expanding digital solutions in rural areas.
Moving from pilot projects to wider adoption requires genuine demand from rural communities, institutions willing to adopt the solutions, viable business models, market access and clear arrangements for financing and ownership after project support ends. The discussions also emphasised the need to engage the private sector as a full partner.
Bangladesh is part of Innovatech 2.0, which, between 2024 and 2026, helped more than 32,000 rural households in Bangladesh, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru access digital solutions developed by 15 technology startups.
The solutions help rural households connect with markets and financial services, manage crops, improve traceability and adopt more sustainable practices.
The programme connected the startups with 811 rural organisations, with nearly 17,000 women and more than 11,300 young people participating. Two out of every three participating producer organisations adopted agroecological practices.
Across its two editions, Innovatech has supported around 30 startups whose solutions have benefited more than 50,000 rural households.