The much talked about Pakistan Startup Cup finally got the most deserving idea worth giving USD 10,000. Cowlar gave the most convincing pitch to the jury and eventually won the prize. The event was organized by Startup Cup along with TiE and US State Department. The purpose of the event was to encourage entrepreneurs in the country to implement their innovative ideas by embracing technology.
Cowlar is a wearable monitoring system with an objective to improve dairy milk production and health of farm animals. Cowlar team included their team leader Azfar Kashif, Umar Ilyas, Usman liaquat, and Munaim Ashraf. Their presentation was extremely convincing and thorough which led them to win the award.
The CEO of Cowlar, Umer Adnan had announced earlier that the prize money would be used to provide free Cowlar gadgets to farmers and promised to establish a Cowlar Village. He stated:
“We will be spending the one million rupees to create a model Cowlar village near Islamabad”
Initially, 125 Cowlars would be provided to farmers to create awareness about the product. Additionally, this strategy will acquaint the farmers to latest technology and also give a trial run of the product. The jury thoroughly praised the idea of Pakistan’s first dairy farm start-up and appreciated the use of technology in farming.
TiE Islamabad was the pioneer of Pakistan Startup Cup in 2013. In future, their plan is to expand the reach of the program to other cities as currently it is only restricted to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. TiE in collaboration with U.S. Department of State is fully committed to bring innovate ideas and boost entrepreneurship in Pakistan.
Cowlar’s benefits for the dairy industry
Cowlar is a wearable device for dairy animals with a key objective to aid farmers in increasing milk production, reducing operation issues, and track animal health. Many farmers with minimal resources fail to earn good profits due to limited milk yield.
The device is tied around the animal’s neck which tracks temperature, activity and cow behavior. This data is then analyzed and the device gives recommendations to the farmers regarding the future course of action. As a result, these recommendations include ways to boost reproduction rates, identify diseases, improve milk yield and track locations.
The structure and working mechanism is simple and user friendly. The texture of the device is user rough and waterproof (IP-68 rated) along with a 6 month battery life with no hassle of charging. Additionally, text messages could also be sent to customers in any language. Furthermore, an automated voice call is also placed for people who are unable to read. Therefore, Cowlar is a highly pragmatic device for the underprivileged farmers and also for the future of livestock industry in Pakistan.
You can further have a crack at Cowlar’s website by clicking here.
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