Degas Skyrockets Development of AI Technology Using Planet High Frequency and High Resolution Satellite Images

November 1, 2023

Degas Invited to Participate in the Planet Ecosystem to Use Satellite Imaging Technology to Innovate Agricultural Solutions in Africa

Accra, Ghana – Degas, a tech startup promoting sustainable farming practices and a leading figure in agri-fintech, is thrilled to be selected to leverage data from Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of daily data and insights about Earth. Degas, known for its commitment to sustainability and carbon impact, aims to harness the power of space technology to further its mission of increasing the incomes of over 600 million smallholder farmers and to sequester carbon from Africa, the continent most impacted by climate change.

Planet’s mission is to image the Earth every day and make change visible, accessible, and actionable. With access to valuable Planet data, Degas can explore and develop novel applications that can drive global change. Degas is thrilled to leverage Planet’s satellite imaging technology to propel innovation. Degas has the opportunity to build, prototype, and experiment, unlocking the full potential of Planet’s data for research and product development.

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*Image displays Degas’ proprietary farm polygon technology that uses satellite imaging to map out African farmland*

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“The opportunity to use Planet data is a significant milestone for Degas. It not only reinforces our commitment to implementing ‘Degas Regenerative Agriculture’’ but also provides us with the tools to bring positive change to smallholder farmers,” said Yohei Nakayama, CTO of Degas. “By leveraging Planet satellite imagery and data, we aim to use remote sensing to improve our proprietary technologies and propel Degas’ digital initiatives further.”

Degas is renowned for its efforts in supporting smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, implementing regenerative agriculture practices, coined as “Degas RA”, and being at the forefront of sustainability. With Planet high-resolution observation data, Degas intends to further enhance its robust digital infrastructure and innovate new methods of agricultural monitoring such as training a machine learning algorithm to detect plant disease. Degas will also harness remote sensing capabilities to assist in further implementing Degas RA and to verify the carbon impact of its sustainable farming practices.

This partnership is poised to be a game-changer in the world of regenerative agriculture, empowering smallholder farmers and bolstering global climate action. The collaboration between Degas and Planet is a testament to the power of innovative startups and the global impact that they can achieve.

About Degas Ltd. / Degas Ghana Ltd.:

‍Degas is a leading tech startup with a vision of “Changing people’s lives, dramatically.” Focused on maximizing impact, Degas drives a core farmer financing business, leveraging data-driven operations and AI-based credit decisions. With 46,000 smallholder farmers financed, 20,000 hectares managed, and a remarkable 95% loan recovery rate, Degas is focusing on regenerative agriculture to promote soil regeneration and CO2 sequestration. As Degas manages one of Africa’s largest regenerative agricultural farms, spanning 400 hectares, they empower farmers while contributing to global decarbonization, despite Africa having the lowest contribution to climate change.