Young Engineering Trio Pilot Data-Driven Farming Technology in Ethiopia’s Lowlands

A little over two years ago, three final-year students at Debremarkos University, Zelalem Endalew (electrical engineering), Tariku Wale (information technology), and Yibeltal Temesgen (civil engineering), walked past a university symposium on modernizing agriculture.

Panelists were discussing Ethiopia’s agricultural challenges when the trio found themselves wondering, if we are engineers and builders, why aren’t we applying technology to this?

Zelalem doesn’t recall the exact arguments made on stage, but he remembers the feeling that stayed with him. “There was a gap in Ethiopia’s agricultural practices that technology could meaningfully contribute to,” he told Shega.

That moment set them on a path to explore how their combined engineering skills might support smarter, data-driven farming. The result was AgroNod, a sensor-based monitoring system designed to give farmers real-time insight into their soil conditions.

The system pairs a physical device placed in the field with software that analyzes the data it collects. The sensor measures soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels. The information is transmitted wirelessly to a central gateway, then processed to generate recommendations for farmers.

“We built both the hardware and the software ourselves,” said Zelalem, now the team’s technical lead. “There was no system available locally that could gather the data we needed and link it to a usable dashboard.”

The device runs on solar power and can transmit data over distances of up to 10 kilometers, making it viable for dispersed or large-scale farms. Two units have already been deployed in partnership with the Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands, earning the team a 1.5 million Birr contract, their first commercial milestone.

Their agri-tech startup, ZTN Technology Solutions, was formally registered only six months ago despite earlier foundations. As students, the trio entered the Biruh Ethiopia Innovation Competition, co-organized by the Ministry of Labor and Skills and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute.

They emerged among the winners and joined the program’s summer boot camp, where they refined their product, formalized their team, and incorporated their company. At the end of the program, ZTN received $5,000 in seed funding, marking its first external investment.

The Agri-tech startup labels its pilot product as an IoT-based irrigation and farm management system, integrating sensor data, dashboards, and remote-control functions to help farmers use water more efficiently.

In modern agriculture, the shift toward data-driven practice known as precision agriculture has begun to transform how crops are grown and resources are used. Farmers who incorporate sensors, soil monitoring, and real-time data analysis can apply water, fertilizer, and other inputs more precisely, only where and when they are needed, resulting in higher yields, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact. The approach could prove to be especially relevant in contexts like Ethiopia, a country facing multiple crises in rising soil acidity, nutrient depletion, erosion, and water stress.

However, high upfront costs, limited availability of sensors and software, and weak rural infrastructure make it difficult for most farmers to access such tools. Knowledge gaps and the technical skills required to interpret sensor data further slow uptake, while fragmented land holdings and reliance on traditional farming practices reinforce cautious attitudes toward new technology.  Solutions tailored to Ethiopia’s agronomic and geographical realities could become highly impactful.

ZTN’s pilot, now two months old, is being tested on large farms in the Afar and Somali regions, where irrigation efficiency often determines farm survival. Early feedback, the founders say, has helped counter skepticism about whether such technology can function reliably given Ethiopia’s climate, connectivity gaps, and soil variability.

According to Zelalem, currently the startup’s technical lead, the team’s ability to design both hardware and software in-house is central to its model. ZTN designs its own printed circuit boards, sources components, assembles the devices, and integrates the firmware and analytics platform.

“The challenge was that no off-the-shelf device could do exactly what we needed,” Zelalem said. “So we built our own.”

ZTN currently operates from the compound of the Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute, which provides free workspace, a meaningful advantage in a country where lab access and prototyping facilities are limited and costly.

Despite early traction, ZTN faces familiar obstacles for Ethiopian startups. Licensing was slow. Convincing banks to lend without collateral remains difficult. Scaling hardware production requires capital, and investors in Ethiopia still tend to favor trading ventures over technology.

The team is now seeking additional financing. Last year, they estimated their capital requirement at 13.5 million Birr, though that figure is being revised as the pilot expands.

The founders also recently took home a gold medal at the BRICS Skills Competition in China, a win they hope will help attract new partners for new hires, scaling production, and expanding deployment.