AgriNext Conference 2025: Transforming Agriculture Through Innovation, Technology, and Global Collaboration
AgriNext Conference 2025: Transforming Agriculture Through Innovation, Technology, and Global Collaboration
Dubai, November 5-6, 2025 – Next Business Media successfully concluded the second edition of the AgriNext Conference 2025 in Dubai, bringing together over 100 international industry leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and sustainability advocates for two days of transformative dialogue and knowledge exchange. The conference featured 30+ distinguished speakers, multiple panel discussions, a competitive startup pitch competition, and recognition of excellence across the agricultural technology and sustainability sectors.
Message from CEO Anas Jawed, Next Business Media
The global agriculture industry stands at a critical inflection point. As we face unprecedented challenges in food security, climate change, and sustainability, the need for platforms like AgriNext Conference has never been more urgent. Agriculture is not just about farming—it's about feeding the future, protecting our planet, and creating economic opportunities for millions worldwide.
The second edition of AgriNext Conference 2025 exceeded our expectations in every way. Bringing together 30+ world-class speakers, 100+ industry leaders, and innovative startups from across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas created a unique ecosystem for knowledge exchange and collaboration. This conference proved that the global agriculture sector is ready and eager to embrace transformation through technology, innovation, and sustainable practices.
What made this event truly special was witnessing entrepreneurs and established companies come together to share their breakthroughs—from AI-powered solutions and biotechnology innovations to digital transformation and circular economy models. The diverse perspectives, the passion of the speakers, and the engagement of the attendees demonstrated that we are building a community united around a shared vision: shaping a more sustainable, productive, and inclusive future for agriculture.
The startup pitch competition, in particular, showcased the incredible potential of emerging agritech solutions. These young innovators are addressing real problems with real solutions that will transform how we farm, harvest, and distribute food globally.
AgriNext Conference is more than just an event—it's become a necessity for the industry. It's a platform where ideas become innovation, where collaboration becomes action, and where we collectively work toward solving agriculture's greatest challenges. The success of this year's conference reaffirms our commitment to hosting this event annually, bringing the brightest minds together to shape the future of agriculture.
I am grateful to all our speakers, sponsors, partners, attendees, and most importantly, to the innovation-driven companies and entrepreneurs who are leading this agricultural revolution. Together, we will continue to advance the industry and create a positive impact for generations to come.
Anas Jawed
CEO, Next Business Media
Day One: Innovation and Transformation in Agriculture
The conference opened with a powerful welcome addressing the critical intersection between agriculture's traditional roots and its technological transformation. As global challenges in food security, climate change, and sustainability intensify, the AgriNext platform convened stakeholders from around the world to collaborate on solutions shaping farming's future.
Opening Sessions: Technology and Sustainability
The morning sessions showcased cutting-edge innovations across diverse agricultural domains.
Carl Henriksson, Managing Director and Founder of Henriksson Automation Ltd., opened proceedings with his session on "Agriculture on Mars," drawing on his decade-plus of automation engineering experience across automotive and biopharmaceutical sectors. His vision extended earthbound agricultural automation into speculative frontiers, inspiring attendees to think beyond conventional boundaries.
The "Sustainable Farming Practices for a Climate-Resilient Future" panel brought together four distinguished voices, moderated by
Ami Herman, CEO of Coffeesai. Søren Kannik-Marquardsen, Minister Counsellor for Food, Agriculture & Fisheries at the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, shared Denmark's regional leadership in sustainable agriculture across the MENA region. Dr. Reji Kurien Thomas, a Stephen Hawking Award 2024 recipient and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, contributed over 34 years of cross-sectoral expertise in quantum innovation and green technologies.
Samira Alam, addressing the microinsurance gap in agriculture, brought her Goldman Sachs and Nomura International experience to discuss financial inclusion in farming across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Innovation
Daniel Podmirseg, Founder and CEO of the Vertical Farm Institute, presented "The Vertical Farm – Towards a New Building Typology for the 21st Century," discussing how controlled environment agriculture integrates into urban architecture. His doctoral research on energy-efficient cities informed an approach combining innovation in sustainable urban food systems with circular design principles.
Dr. Azhr Al Haboby, Executive Manager of Hail Agricultural Feasibility Studies and Consultancies and former leader at AAAID and ICARDA, addressed food security enhancement in ISDB member states through his consultancy expertise.
Transforming Africa's Agricultural Future
Susan Payne, Co-Founder and CEO of Holistic Planet, presented "Feeding the Future in Africa: Plant-Based Bio-Fertiliser Transforming Soil Health and Food Security." Drawing on her 30-year career spanning JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and major investment funds, Payne highlighted her company's UN World Food Forum Innovation Prize and inclusion among the Top 500 Global Agri-Tech Companies. Her work in plant-based protein production and female-led SME support across Africa exemplifies innovation rooted in sustainability and gender inclusion.
Regional Agricultural Excellence and Entrepreneurship
Hamayun Shabir, Founder and CEO of Kashmir Agriventures Pvt. Ltd, presented "Global Roots, Local Fruits: Building the Future of Horticulture from Kashmir to the World." His pioneering work developing the region's first model orchard for apples and cherries, in partnership with Italy's Mazzoni Nursery, demonstrates how local agricultural heritage combines with international innovation to create sustainable, scalable solutions.
AI-Driven Agricultural Transformation
The afternoon's flagship panel, "AI in Agriculture: Transforming Farming Through Smart Decisions and Predictive Analytics," moderated by Sophia Moulin, CEO of Epicon Capital Club, featured five agricultural technology leaders.
Deepak Pareek, Founder of HnyB and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, brought 24 years of experience across 34 countries in advancing agricultural innovation.
Srinivas Veeranki, Managing Director of AgReveal Crop Science Services, contributed 27 years of agrochemical leadership and R&D expertise.
Dov Fettman, CFO of Tevel Aerobotics Technologies, brought financial leadership experience from his previous role overseeing a $345 million Israel Aerospace Industries division.
Felipe Isaí Barreto Velarde from Heliopas.ai discussed RiverFox, his AI and satellite-driven irrigation optimization platform.
Bibi Haghdan, Co-Founder and CEO of Haghdan International LLC, shared over 20 years of Agritech expertise and Controlled Environment Agriculture innovation from Oman.
Global Agricultural Trade and Policy
The "Global Trade and Policy Challenges in the Agricultural Sector" panel, moderated by Noorhan Abusamra (Markets & Macro Reporter at MONIIFY), brought together policy expertise and business leadership.
Sandra Viviana Quesada Romero, CEO of QR Agri & Food Consulting, addressed food safety compliance across the Americas with over 20 years of industry experience and BRCGS auditor certification.
Talal Akeil, Director of Direct Investment at AAAID, brought 30+ years of MENA finance and investment expertise to discussions on advancing food security across 22 Arab nations.
Sheikh Muhammad Noman, with 20+ years of investment experience across the GCC, addressed financial engineering and portfolio structuring for family offices.
Biotech and Regenerative Solutions
Dr. Estácio Ferreira Ramos, CEO of NanoBiome®, presented "Rainforest Microbiome Life Power: The Key to Healthy, Productive, Climate-Smart Agriculture," showcasing his 38-year career in medicine and research and groundbreaking work leveraging Atlantic Rain Forest biodiversity for regenerative biosolutions. His Green Apple® Sustainability and Innovation Prizes and Green World Ambassador designation reflect global recognition of his vision bridging biotechnology and environmental regeneration.
Michael Girel, Head of AuxBridge and Israeli serial entrepreneur, discussed "Cultivating Cooperation: AgriTech Transfer for a Shared Future," highlighting successful international collaborations bridging Israeli innovation with global sustainability goals across 20+ years of cross-border technology transfer experience.
Circular Economy in Agriculture
The "Circular Economy in Agriculture: Reducing Waste and Maximizing Resources" panel, moderated by Krutarth Upadhyay, Founder and CEO of Hydro Health, featured innovators in sustainable farming systems.
Jo Sakota, Co-Founder of Bio Aqua Garden, presented the company's patented AquaSoilPonics technology merging aquaponics and soil cultivation for year-round, chemical-free production.
Thea-Isabella Otto, founder of Women in CEA, discussed her network of 200+ female professionals advancing controlled environment agriculture.
Amit Grover, Founder and Managing Partner of Grover & Company, brought 26+ years of marketing, consulting, and venture capital expertise to discussions on scaling sustainable agricultural businesses.
Startup Pitch Competition
The day's highlight featured three innovative companies presenting to a distinguished jury. Dr. Ivan Morace, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Cerryx GmbH, presented biotechnology solutions combining molecular biology expertise (Ph.D. from University of Heidelberg) with venture capital experience.
Dr. Estácio Ferreira Ramos again pitched NanoBiome®'s microbiome technologies.
Elie Rached, Business Strategy and Transformation Expert, presented digital innovation solutions for healthcare and financial sectors applicable to agricultural transformation.
The jury panel included
Dr. Ruchi Dana, Forbes Middle East-recognized businesswoman and medical doctor turned entrepreneur;
Amit Grover; and Ami Herman, CEO of Coffeesai
Awards Ceremony and Recognition – Day One
The day concluded with the Excellence in Agriculture Industry – Companies Award Ceremony, recognizing innovation across multiple categories:
QR Agri & Food Consulting Inc. received Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Food Safety Consulting, reflecting its BRCGS-approved training and compliance expertise.
Bio Aqua Garden won Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Aquaponics Innovation, celebrating its AquaSoilPonics technology and commitment to sustainable, chemical-free farming.
Coffeesai received Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Best Innovation in Sustainable Food Production, recognized for its cellular agriculture technology transforming coffee production without traditional farming.
Wandusoa Organic Cameroon won Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Organic Agriculture Excellence, driving regenerative practices across Cameroon's agricultural sector.
Hydro Health received Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Most Promising Agri Startup, advancing premium-quality, chemical-free produce through advanced hydroponic technology.
Farmia IoT Limited won multiple awards: Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Agri-Fintech Innovation of the Year, Digital Agriculture Transformation Award, and Climate-Smart Agriculture Solutions Award, recognized for IoT-enabled empowerment of smallholder farmers across Bangladesh and Kenya.
AgReveal Crop Science Services received Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Research & Bio-Efficacy Solutions. AgReveal is a contract research organization (CRO) conducting field and greenhouse bioefficacy studies across a wide range of crops in India. With more than 25 years of experience, the company specializes in testing agricultural chemicals, biopesticides, biostimulants, traits, and fertilizers for pest control, plant growth enhancement, and agronomic performance improvement. AgReveal operates through an experienced team located across multiple states in India, working on staple food crops, commercial crops, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, plantations, and more.
Karyosoft Inc. received Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Agri-Biotech Solutions, celebrated for its no-code agrigenomics platform simplifying NGS data analysis for crop improvement.
Nuffield Ireland won Excellence in Agriculture Leadership Award for Youth Empowerment, supporting agricultural leaders through its global scholarship network established in 1996.
Holistic Planet received Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Global Regenerative Agriculture – Trailblazer Award, recognized for producing sustainable plant protein from water lentils with minimal environmental impact.
Lykyn won Excellence in Agriculture – Companies Award for Urban & Smart Farming Innovation, transforming sustainable farming through AI-powered Smart Mushroom & Microgreen Grow Kits.
Day Two: Advanced Solutions and Leadership Recognition
Day Two opened with Alex Sakota, Internet Profitability Specialist and inventor with 20+ years of digital marketing experience, presenting "Farming the Future: How Process Automation Can Feed Business Growth." His expertise managing multi-million-dollar marketing budgets and consulting for the OECD brought strategic perspective to agricultural business scaling.
The "Smart Systems Uniting Land and Water" panel, moderated by Amit Grover, featured Alex Sakota and Anita Nouri, CEO and Founder of Green Growth Planning & Consultancy. Anita's pioneering work on the Middle East's first landfill gas-to-energy project and leadership in waste-to-resource transformation informed discussions on sustainable aquaculture-agriculture integration.
Digital Twin and Industry 4.0 Innovation
Steinar Gulaker, Founder and General Manager of Innovate Future AS, presented "From Off-Grid to Industrial Supply: Digital-Twin Agritech That Scales," discussing his 20+ year career advancing Industry 4.0, automation, and circular production through projects like Smartfab, Circulær, and Digifab.
Startup Scaling and Impact
The "Agri-Tech Startups: Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Scale" panel, moderated by Adrian M. Odgers (COO at DE3PBIO), brought together emerging and scaling companies.
Muhammad Umer Rabbani, Senior Agricultural Engineer at Al Ghurair Facility Management with M.Sc in Horticulture, addressed controlled environment agriculture expertise.
Fares Bassam, Managing Director and Founder of Spark Institute for Language Learning, discussed AI integration into modern education for agricultural innovation.
Jo Sakota returned with Bio Aqua Garden's sustainable farming approach.
Dr. Rajesh Perianayagam, Founder and CEO of Karyosoft Inc., discussed bridging 30+ years of R&D and commercialization experience with genomics accessibility.
Dr. Sami Carouba contributed additional perspectives on scaling agricultural solutions.
Mergers and Acquisition Strategy
Clayton Michael-Butler, Founder and CEO of Upper Echelon Consulting, presented "Harvesting Value: How to Use Strategic M&A to Accelerate Your Agri-Business Growth," bringing his U.S. Marine background and Purdue AgriBusiness degree to discussions on achieving average client growth of 176%.
Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers
Samira Alam, Founder and CEO of Farmia IoT, presented "Unlocking Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers through IoT-Linked Credit Scoring and Carbon Rewards," leveraging her engineering and satellite communication expertise from King's College London and investment banking experience at Goldman Sachs and Nomura to address agricultural finance accessibility.
Crop Resilience Through Biotechnology
Anne Lakmanaarachchi, COO and Co-Founder of PhytoAR Biotechnologie GmbH, presented "The Evolution of Survival: Translating Seedling mRNA into Crop Resilience," discussing her decade-plus at Bayer Technology Services and current work merging plant biotechnology with synthetic biology for enhanced crop resilience through mRNA-based technologies.
Biotech's Role in Crop Innovation
The "Role of Biotech in Shaping the Future of Crops" panel, moderated by
Gaurav Sharma, Global Agribusiness Research Lead at Accenture, featured three biotech innovation leaders.
Dr. Tom Adams, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of
Pairwise, brought 25+ years of biotechnology leadership, including his previous role as Vice President of Global Biotechnology at Monsanto, to discussions on CRISPR and gene editing for agricultural transformation.
Deepak Pareek returned with HnyB Tech-Incubations, honored as World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.
Sepehr Achard, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of AgTech Media Group, shared insights from 5,000+ articles published through iGrow News and the iGrow Network.
Regional Agricultural Development
Abdul-Rahaman Yahaya, Executive Director of
Puzuri Group of Companies, presented "Feeding the Future: Puzuri Agro's Commitment to Sustainable Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods," highlighting his Global Well-Respected CEOs Award 2024 and Africa's Most Respected CEO in Agriculture recognition for driving innovation across agriculture, logistics, and sustainable infrastructure.
Mfon Uwa, Founder and CTO of Yiieldy Technologies, presented "Digital Transformation in Agriculture: Driving Efficiency and Precision in Farming," bringing 18+ years of software engineering experience to empowering Nigerian farmers through technology-driven solutions.
Innovative Product Excellence
Mashood Mohammad Mohsan, Research Associate at
Khalifa University, received Excellence in Agriculture – Best Agri-Product Innovation Award for his groundbreaking wearable thumb-mounted device using vision-based tactile sensing to non-destructively estimate fruit firmness directly on the tree. This innovation addresses a critical gap in agriculture, where destructive penetrometers or costly optical systems have limited real-time, in-field quality assessment capabilities..
Awards Ceremony and Recognition – Day Two
The conference concluded with the Excellence in Agriculture Industry – Leaders Award Ceremony, recognizing visionary leadership:
Mr. Don Lakmanaarachchi and Anne Lakmanaarachchi (PhytoAR Biotechnologie GmbH) received Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Individual Sustainability & Climate Champion, recognized for 20+ years of agroeconomics and biotechnology expertise combined with patented technologies addressing climate challenges.
Dr. Franco da Silveira (Embrapa's Digital Agriculture Unit) won Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Digital Agriculture Transformation, celebrated for his research leadership on Agriculture 4.0 and digital agrifood ecosystem transformation.
Clayton Michael-Butler (Upper Echelon Consulting) received Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Outstanding Passion in Agricultural Consulting, recognized for achieving 176% average client growth and co-founding Legacy Meat Co.
Hamayun Shabir (Kashmir Agriventures Pvt. Ltd) won Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Outstanding Young Agri-Entrepreneur, celebrated for pioneering Kashmir's first model orchard and advancing biostimulant use across India and the Middle East.
Mfon Uwa, (Yiieldy Technologies) received Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Digital Agriculture Transformation, recognized for empowering Nigerian farmers through 18+ years of software engineering innovation.
Dr. Estácio Ferreira Ramos (NanoBiome®) won Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Genomic Science & Innovation, celebrated for 38 years in medicine and research bridging biotechnology, sustainability, and ecosystem restoration.
Dr. Rajesh Perianayagam(Karyosoft Inc.) received Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for Digital Transformation in Agrigenomics, recognized for 30+ years bridging R&D and commercialization in genomics accessibility.
Excellence in Agriculture – Leaders Award for AgriTech Innovation & Smart Farming: Dr. Radhakrishnan M (Blockchain Legal Institute) received this award in recognition of his visionary leadership in applying cutting-edge technology solutions to agricultural innovation, his consistent recognition as a global innovation leader, and his commitment to developing sustainable and intelligent farming methodologies that advance the industry's future.
Startup Pitch Competition Winner:
Dr. Ivan Morace (Cerryx GmbH) won the Excellence in Agriculture Startup Pitch Competition award, recognized for his molecular biology expertise (Ph.D. from University of Heidelberg) and venture capital experience combining scientific innovation with strategic biotechnology development.
Conclusion
The AgriNext Conference 2025 successfully delivered on its mission to foster dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration across agriculture's diverse ecosystem. With participation from 30+ international speakers, recognition of 14 companies and 8 leaders across innovation categories, and a startup competition highlighting emerging solutions, the conference demonstrated agriculture's transformation toward sustainability, technology integration, and inclusive growth. The diverse geographic representation—speakers and companies from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas—reflected agriculture's truly global challenges and opportunities, while the recognition of women leaders, young entrepreneurs, and climate innovators signaled the sector's commitment to inclusive, sustainable future growth.
The AgriNext Conference 2025 was not merely an event; it was a gathering of change-makers and innovators proving that agriculture's future lies in collaboration, technology, and sustainability. As we move forward, Next Business Media remains committed to serving as a platform for the global agriculture community to connect, learn, and innovate together.
For more information about AgriNext Conference 2025 and future events, visit
About Next Business Media
Next Business Media is a global conference organization specializing in international business events across agriculture, energy, AI, data science, pharma, and sustainability sectors. Founded by Anas Jawed, the company is committed to bringing together industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from around the world to create transformative events that drive innovation, knowledge exchange, and business growth. Through its flagship conferences including AgriNext, AINext, PolyNext, ESGNext, Energy Evolution, DSCNext, FiNext, and PharmaXNext, Next Business Media has established itself as a leading platform for industry collaboration and advancement.
For media inquiries or sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Next Business Media team.
This press release has been prepared on behalf of Next Business Media for the AgriNext Conference 2025.