Anastasia Volkova
{{short description|Ukrainian agricultural innovator (born c. 1991)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1991}}
| birth_place = Ukraine
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| nationality = Ukrainian
| education = Universities in Kyiv, Warsaw and Sydney
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| known_for = agricultural innovator
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Anastasia Volkova (born c.1991) is a Ukrainian agricultural innovator using satellite and autonomous drone technology to give an early indication of disease in crops. She studied in Ukraine, Poland and Australia. In 2020 she was living in Australia with business links to her company Flurosat in Ukraine. Her work has been recognised by the BBC and the MIT Technology Review and it had attracted substantial funding as of 2020.
Life
She began her university studies in Kyiv before she went to Poland to obtain a master's degree. Her doctorate was obtained from the University of Sydney in 2018 after she had been in Australia for three years.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-25|title=Ukrainian woman is among the top 100 influential and inspiring women from around the world for 2020|url=https://ain.ua/en/2020/11/25/ukrainian-among-bbc-100-women-2020/|access-date=2020-11-26|website=AIN.UA|language=en-US}} She founded a company named Flurosat which analyses satellite pictures to provide advice to farmers about their crops. In 2017 her initial bid for funding attracted A1m$. By 2019 the company had raised $8.6m including 3.2m from a group led by Microsoft M12.{{Cite web|date=2019-07-22|title=FluroSat Scores $3.2m Seed Funding Co-Led by Microsoft’s M12|url=https://agfundernews.com/breaking-exclusive-flurosat-scores-3-2m-seed-funding-led-by-microsofts-m12.html|access-date=2020-11-26|website=AgFunderNews|language=en-US}} In 2018 her company bought an Australian company called Production Wise that had ten years experience in the sector.{{Cite web|date=2018-11-06|title=FluroSat Acquires ProductionWise from Australia's GrainGrowers|url=https://agfundernews.com/flurosat-acquires-productionwise-from-australias-graingrowers.html|access-date=2020-11-26|website=AgFunderNews|language=en-US}}
Volkova whose godparent was a farmer realised that she could use her skills to improve crop yields. Crops that are infected with a disease concentrate their efforts in fighting the disease and this is at the expense of normal development. Volkova's software spots these changes by comparing the satellite pictures of a particular field with a reference set of readings. Her PhD concerned the use of autonomous drones and she was asked how this technology could help rural areas. Her answer to this challenge was a recipe for creating the Flurosat company.{{Cite web|date=2018-12-31|title=Engineer Anastasia Volkova is getting the agtech industry airborne|url=https://www.createdigital.org.au/engineer-anastasia-volkova-agtech-airborne/|access-date=2020-11-27|website=Create|language=en-US}} Volkova presented her ideas at a TEDx event in Sydney.{{Cite web|title=The Drones that Grow Our Food {{!}} Anastasia Volkova|url=https://tedxsydney.com/talk/the-drones-that-grow-our-food-anastasia-volkova/|access-date=2020-12-14|website=TEDxSydney|language=en-AU}}
Volkova was recognised by MIT Technology Review magazine in its under 35 section.{{Cite web|title=Anastasia Volkova|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/innovator/anastasia-volkova/|access-date=2020-11-26|website=MIT Technology Review|language=en}} In November 2020, the BBC announced that Volkova was to be included in their 100 women{{Cite news|date=2020-11-23|title=BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-55042935|access-date=2020-11-26}} - a list of inspiring women from around the world. Volkova was then living in Australia in 2020 but her company included a Ukrainian development team.{{Cite web |title=Gro’s CEO Discusses the Global Food Crisis at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum |url=https://www.gro-intelligence.com/blog/gro-s-ceo-discusses-the-global-food-crisis-at-the-bloomberg-new-economy-forum |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Gro Intelligence |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-23 |title=Aussie founder raises $50m while rescuing her mum from Ukraine |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/aussie-founder-raises-50m-while-rescuing-her-mum-from-ukraine-20220520-p5an1z |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Volkova |first=Anastasia |title=Council Post: Data's Role In Helping The Agricultural Industry Adapt To A Warming Climate |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/11/09/datas-role-in-helping-the-agricultural-industry-adapt-to-a-warming-climate/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=The Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst List |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-new-economy-catalyst-list/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Volkova, Anastasia}}
Category:Ukrainian chief executives