Our Story

Big Data in a Box (BDiB), a rising new agtech startup based in Ames, Iowa, aims to help small and midsize organic farmers simplify the process of achieving compliance and acquiring certification with the help of innovative technologies. 

BDiB is in Phase II of development with funding from USDA/NIFA. It has three founding members. See Our Team for more information.

      The idea for BDiB came about by chance. It originated from an interview with an organic farmer on National Public Radio (NPR) that BDiB’s CEO and President Dr. Sree Nilakanta happened to listen. He could sense the farmer’s frustration with the daily logs required for compliance and certification. This meticulous tracking, from seed to sale, was not only time-consuming but also reduced the farmer's productivity.

      Dr. Nilakanta, a serial entrepreneur, recognized an opportunity to assist organic farmers in streamlining data collection for certification by leveraging the latest artificial technology. He capitalized on the I-Corps program provided by the ISU Pappajohn Entrepreneurship Center  to explore potential solutions.

      Initially, Dr. Nilakanta envisioned a hardware-based system that would utilize Raspberry Pi computers and tablets. However, further research and interactions with farmers revealed that this approach had limitations. Farmers frequently encountered difficulties using tablets in the field and were reluctant to adopt a closed system. This valuable feedback prompted Dr. Nilakanta to shift his focus towards a cloud-based software platform. 

      As this initiative gained ground and interest, two additional founders joined, each bringing unique expertise to the table. The team focused on building a two-sided platform to link farmers to certifiers and other players of the organic food supply chain.

      BDiB's  Minimum Viable Product (MVP) utilizes Generative and Agentic Artificial Intelligence (GenAl) to streamline the entire seed-to-sale compliance process. This innovative approach makes it easier for farmers to concentrate on their core competency: growing healthy food profitably. The MVP also enables the certifier to connect and access their farmer clients' compliance records and forms.