Mobile innovations to support centuries-old industries have become quite standard in emerging markets. Take eFisheries. The Indonesian startup, backed by SoftBank and Sequoia Capital India, is enabling fishers with end-to-end digital tools to grow a sustainable aquaculture business, from seedlings to product distribution.
eFisheries Platform for Mobile-Based Emerging Markets
The solution is, of course, mobile-based emerging markets: among its many features, the eFisheries platform offers several apps; one to help fish and shrimp farmers monitor their operations, and another one to grant them funding, with a pay-later program offering large and quick loans. The apps were built taking the farmers’ digital limitations: the software is nimble enough so it doesn’t take up too much space in the low-cost, Android devices these fishers most commonly use.
Fishing the Market Around the World
Indonesia is the world’s second-largest fish producer after China. It has 7 million tons of catch annually, and its fishing industry contributed 2.8% to the Indonesian GDP in 2020. However, many of the country’s fish and shrimp stocks are already overexploited, which has forced the government to commit to reaching sustainability in this industry by 2025. By helping farmers with monitoring tools, supplies, and fair prices for their catch, companies like eFisheries are becoming strong aids to achieve this goal.
(Sources: eFisheries, Statista, EMQQ reporting).