FAQ
Everything you need to know about investing with AgUnity
Company Operations & Strategy
What exactly is this investment opportunity?
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no maturity date -
no interest rates -
automatic conversion on any priced share issue -
a valuation cap.
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If the company pays dividends -
If the company is acquired -
If the company goes on to list on the ASX
What is AgUnity?
AgUnity is banking the unbanked.
An integrated User Experience (UX) that is intuitive and easy for them to use.
Why does AgUnity need capital?
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Continue to develop our v3 Application, Axsari OS, management dashboard and third-party integrations; which will enable the fast onboarding of many more partners into our platform. -
Support business development activities to secure new partners in target markets. -
Support increased operational activity due to expansion of current partner base and farmers. -
Pursue further IP protection for current assets. -
Undertake Research & Development activities including Internet of Things (IoT) testing and tracking in pilot locations.
How many partners do you have and how will you grow your farmer users over time?
With each new partner we integrate into AgUnity’s ecosystem, we have access to more farmers and an ability to rapidly scale our user base. We currently have six fee-paying partners (supply-side) such as Agriterra, Expo Live 2020, CTA and the World Food Program, who have an estimated total user base of over three million farmers (demand-side). The majority of initial partner projects include several hundred users during the piloting phase, however some opportunities include the immediate goal of reaching up to 400,000 farmers and beneficiaries per project.
Who is your current competition, how do you differentiate from them?
We have no known direct competitors. However, there are a number of companies using technology and mobile application to create solutions in developing nations, including CommCare, SimPrints and Agri-Wallet. Our Unique Selling Point (USP) is that not only does AgUnity provide immediately relevant features for smallholder farmers, our technology is designed exclusively to operate effectively in remote and rural areas, and for first-time por inexperienced technology users.
What stage/phase is the company at and what has it achieved so far?
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Partnered with Expo Live 2020 and a local organisation (non-disclosed) in Papua New Guinea, we are supplying the AgUnity smartphone device to 100 farmers and 20 program officers before rollout, with potential impact on approx. 60,000 smallholder farmers. -
Partner with CTA, Bioversity International and CDCTTL (The Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad & Tobago Limited) in Trinidad and Tobago working with 100 supply chain actors including farmers, processors, logistics companies and buyers before rollout, with potential impact on approx. 2,000 smallholder farmers. -
Partner with CTA and Bioversity International and the produce monitoring board (Directorate Of Science, Technology, and Innovation) in Sierra Leone working with 100 supply chain actors including farmers, processors, logistics companies and buyers before rollout, with potential impact on approx. 65,000 smallholder farmers. -
Partnered with Agriterra and CTA a Cooperative Union in Ethiopia with a potential impact on approx. 170,000 smallholder farmers in the Tsehay union. -
Partnered with the World Food Program (WFP) country office of Ethiopia and a local organisation (non-disclosed) in the Jimma region of Ethiopia where 420,000 smallholder coffee farmers work.
Do you have any team members with a long track record in the mobile technology industry?
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David Davies, the founder, has exited previous mobile software companies, and along with other AgUnity managers, has spent decades working in technology. -
Petra Schneider has twenty plus years of experience in sustainable development program leadership and producing high-impact behavioral change solutions. -
Keith Nielson has twenty plus years in business-critical technology (mostly in Tier-1 Investment Banking IT infrastructure) with a more recent focus on startup-/scaleup companies to innovatively solve perennial life-affecting problems.
In which regions are you working now?
We have significant supply-side demand all around the world. Based on our current and projected partner integration roadmap for the next 5 years, we have estimated our direct demand-side Total Addressable Market (TAM) at 28.5 Million farmers, But we know that our real demand-side market is the worldwide 500 million smallholder farmers that to date, do not have the ability to transact and trade in a safe and traceable environment. For now, we have decided to focus on high potential regions such as Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia and once we have built a strong presence we will expand to new horizons.
What factors contribute to AgUnity’s potential success?
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500 million farmers and fisherfolk around the world lack safe and auditable transaction tools due to poor access to Digital identity and Financial inclusion. -
Digital identity is an identification that is verified and authenticated to a high degree of assurance over digital channels. -
Financial inclusion means having access to and using one or more formal financial services (Credit, Savings, Insurance, Payments) -
It is one of the major reasons why so many farmers are still living in poverty today. AgUnity will be used by millions of farmers and their communities across the globe. -
Our supply-side is engaged and ready to act. Studies show that the developing nation’s economic inclusion actors struggle to reach the poor and remote communities due to systemic problems and expensive rollout cost. AgUnity provides a new cost-effective distribution channel as well as a powerful communication and supports medium into the remote communities. -
As a scalable platform and super-app, AgUnity is extremely sticky, and the more people use AgUnity, the stickier it becomes. The more features we add to AgUnity the more relevant it is for farmers and remote communities to use it. This new super-app model has already been proven with many hyper-growth companies such as Wechat, or Grab.
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Consulting fees: AgUnity anticipates an average of between $50k-$200k AUD per consulting contract. These fees consist of software development for custom versions of the AgUnity App or discrete mobile-/web-app addressing the various agriculture, rural banking and insurance needs of the last mile users. -
Licensing Fees: We anticipate the white-labeling and licensing of the AgUnity App in new regions where AgUnity does not currently operate. Licensing fees will vary dependent on the number of users and anticipated use cases. -
Subscription fees: Service Providers or partners organisations using the AgUnity App for their farmers are charged $2 AUD per user per month. In cases of grant or NGO sponsorship, the monthly Subscription Fee may be deferred for a period of 12 months to enable a community to access the app, begin generating better incomes and subsequently have an ability to pay after the period of deferment. -
Transaction Fees: In addition to Subscription Fees, partners organisations are charged an anticipated average fee of $0.10 AUD per transaction. In some instances of a grant or NGO sponsorship, the transaction fees may be deferred for a period of time. This is considered a marketing acquisition cost as part of rapidly growing the network and ensuring positive uptake of the platform. -
Data Fees: Data fees are yet to be projected as part of our business model, as we anticipate our understanding of the value and application of this data to significantly evolve over the coming 3-5 years. We are also very mindful of ensuring that last mile community data isn’t exploited. As such, we will continue to investigate the potential for commercialisation of data, the impacts on farmer communities and how to ensure an ethical approach is guaranteed.
What is your business plan?
Put simply, our business goes through several stages of evolution over time. First, we develop and create supply-side client partnerships with service providers, banks, insurance, commodity buyers and NGOs and deploy the AgUnity smartphone to a small number of farmers or fisherfolk (demand-side) in various, high-potential locations.
How do you maintain a positive cash flow?
AgUnity providers technology consulting services that help fund our current activities while we grow our supply-side and demand-side. This includes, for example, an engineering project working with a $50B+ Australian retail chain. We have assets on our balance sheet for over half a million dollars, as well as estimated revenue for 2019 for $1.15 million AUD.
Who are your customers?
For the NGOs, numerous and successful actions are being taken, but obstacles persist as SDG focus programs and NGOs experience difficulties using technology in implementing projects and assessing the impact of their programs in rural areas. They often struggle with communication between their program leaders and the farmers or remote poor communities and oftentimes face systemic corruption and money loss on their projects.
What does it take to have AgUnity setup for a new partner? What is the process?
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Scoping: Based on the AgUnity road map, our program leaders study implementation feasibility and initiate partnerships with local institutions. They identity project needs & major pain points. -
Development: The AgUnity technology & development teams translate requirements into application design. Communication and testing by both partners and AgUnity ensure successful integration of the partner’s solutions in the AgUnity ecosystem. -
Roll out: The AgUnity smartphones and developed solution are rolled out to the farmers. Together with the partner, the AgUnity program implementation team start monitoring and measuring the impact and benefits of the new platform following defined KPIs. -
Scale: Project scales as network takes on new services and new farmers.
Isn’t it risky to give handsets to farmers?
Farmers take good care of their AgUnity smartphones, as these devices are their wallet and connection to their farming co-operative and other service providers, identity and financial services.
Why do you need to give phones to farmers?
It is cheaper and more efficient to provide plug-and-play smartphones than supporting first-time users to set up and maintain an app on their smartphones. NGOs, banks and other institutions that have worked to provide digital services to the last mile generally encounter this barrier.
How long does a typical relationship with a farmer individual last?
AgUnity demand-side are composed of farmers, fisherfolk and their communities, however, our client, the supply-side is made of the organizations looking to expand their reach and connect and engage with those very farmers.
Investment
How do I keep up with the progress of the company?
As an investor, we will proactively keep you up to date as our projects progress, you can opt in our newsletter to receive information ahead of everyone.
What do I do now that I’ve made an investment?
Congratulations on your ethical investment. Our Investor Relations team are available to assist and update you on the key movements of AgUnity.
Who can invest?
Available to investors worldwide.
What sort of return can be expected in the investment?
You will receive a return on your investment if AgUnity pays a dividend in the future.
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Firstly, as shares in an unlisted company, you can sell your shares if you find a buyer, however there is no official secondary market. -
Secondly, if the company conducts an IPO, you will be able to sell your shares on a secondary market, such as the ASX. -
Thirdly, if AgUnity is acquired, there may be an option to sell your shares.
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Continue to develop our v3 Application, Axsari OS, management dashboard and third-party integrations; which will enable the fast onboarding of many more partners into our platform. -
Support business development activities to secure new partners in target markets; -
Support increased operational activity due to expansion of current partner base and farmers; -
Pursue further IP protection for current assets; -
Undertake Research & Development activities including Internet of Things (IoT) testing and tracking in pilot locations.
How do I invest?
What are the risks involved in investing?
Therefore, please only invest what you can afford to lose.