Orbiba Robotics is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with ilker Bektas, Founder and CEO of Orbiba Robotics, to learn more about the how this Turkish startup is planning to combine deep tech and traditional farming techniques to revolutionise the agricultural sector globally, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
Hi ilker! Tell us about Orbiba Robotics, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
We founded our venture in 2022 with a clear aim: to provide the easiest regenerative farming experience in the world by enabling farmers to work with innovative, small and smart robots. We want to establish an organic bond between deep technology and farmers.
Our basic philosophy is the idea that “People become what they eat”. We believe that the cleaner the basic foods that sustain a person’s life, the cleaner their body, spiritual and intellectual development will be. In order to contribute to the field of clean agriculture, Orbiba Robotics uses agricultural technology to produce affordable robot platforms.
We want to support organic agriculture practitioners who take the initiative to solve the issue of access to safe food, which is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, by designing and building small robots that have a minimal carbon footprint, utilize renewable energy, and are affordable and high-return on investment.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
We have participated in various accelerator programs before, but we noticed the S3E Charge accelerator program is different because it focused on deep tech startups.
Even still now, deep tech startups are really very new to the innovation system, so we see this accelerator as was a good medium to introduce our startup into new networks and gain a better understanding about the deep tech landscape in Europe.
What are the key ambitions for Orbiba Robotics? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
We want to become a very strong partner for organic farmers. As a society, we are very dependent on agriculture and the people in the sector, so we believe it’s our duty to support them with our technology. In 5 years, we envision Orbiba Robotics will be the major stakeholder in robotic field for organic regenerative farming globally.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
From my point of view, the most important thing to remember is that, whatever you do, make sure that your startup’s solution will help people in a good way. Before thinking about generating a revenue, focus on the impact first.
If you want to run your own startup, be prepared for a very amazing adventure!