AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2026 introduces international startup initiative with new Startup Day

DLG Markets Asia Pacific, organizer of AGRITECHNICA ASIA trade fair, 20-22 May, in Thailand, has launched a new feature: “Startup Day”. Debuting at this leading Asian trade fair for crop production technology, the Startup Day will not only spotlight entrepreneurial innovations but also strengthen cross-regional cooperation between Europe and Asia, responding to Asia’s growing demand for tailored agricultural technologies.

From 20 to 22 May 2026, AGRITECHNICA ASIA, co-located with HortEx, Asia’s leading trade fair for horticultural and floricultural processing technology, will once again bring together agricultural mechanization and horticulture under one roof and thus provide a focused platform for solutions that reflect the region’s most urgent production challenges. Exhibitors, including a range of startups, will present technologies ranging from automated harvesting and protected cropping systems to precision irrigation and energy‑efficient greenhouse solutions. 

The trade fair, which expects some 18,000 professional visitors, is backed by strong institutional partners. AGRITECHNICA ASIA trade fair is organized by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand (MOAC). Germany joins as official partner country, represented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Regional Identity (BMLEH).

International participation is highlighted by more than 350 exhibitors from across the world, including eight country pavilions and a technical program featuring around 100 international speakers on sustainable crop production, horticulture, climate‑resilient systems, digitalization, mechanization, and regional market insights.

A Full-Day Forum for startups and innovation ecosystem

For the first time, AGRITECHNICA ASIA will host a full-day format exclusively dedicated to startups, investors, corporations, research institutions, and policymakers. The initiative is designed as a platform to foster innovation that not only showcases technological breakthroughs, but also addresses the structural and regional challenges and opportunities that startups encounter, from access to capital and regulatory barriers to scaling strategies, digital transformation, and climate resilience in agriculture. 

“With AGRITECHNICA Asia 2026, we aim to build the startup and innovation hub for the region. Our goal is to bring together ecosystem players from around the world, spotlight local innovators and entrepreneurs, and help new technologies find a smoother path into diverse Southeast Asian markets. The Startup Day  creates space for collaboration where we hope to support practical solutions and long‑term partnerships that address the region’s most pressing agricultural challenges,” said Christopher Armstrong, Start-ups & Open Innovation, DLG Markets.

DLG Markets has established a strong and growing partner ecosystem to support the startup initiative. Confirmed partners include Bosch, SEARCA – Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture; Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA); The Technical University Munich (TUM); the German-Thai Cooperation Project (GETHAC); the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (German: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ).

Startup Day Program at AGRITECHNICA ASIA

The Startup Day program will take place on 21 May, the second day of AGRITECHNICA ASIA, offering a dynamic, interactive program. Highlights include a Bosch-led hackathon, the AgriSpark 2.0 final organized by GETHAC and SEARCA and its AgriInnovate sessions with the launch of a new agricultural innovation funding facility for Southeast Asia, rapid-fire startup pitches, a joint high-level panel with all key partners, and a dedicated networking reception for startups, corporates and investors.

With the introduction of the startup initiative program, AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2026 underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural transformation in Asia, creating a space where ideas, capital, technology, and policy converge to shape the future of farming, enriched by insights and collaborations drawn from beyond the Asian continent.

AGRITECHNICA ASIA is held annually, alternating between Thailand and Vietnam, and reflects the growing importance of Asia’s dynamic agricultural markets. Designed to address the specific needs of growers in the entire Asian region, the exhibition highlights machinery, solutions, and practical innovations tailored to Asia’s diverse cropping systems.

AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2026 takes place in parallel with HortEx, Southeast Asia’s leading exhibition for professional horticulture and floriculture. Together, the two events provide a comprehensive overview of machinery, technology, and solutions for both crop production and horticulture. HortEx is organized by Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services Co., Ltd. (VEAS), Nova Exhibitions BV and DLG.

As a spin-off of Agritechnica in Germany—the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery—AGRITECHNICA ASIA benefits from the proven quality, professional network, and global reputation of the Hannover-based flagship event. Agritechnica Hanover is held biennially and welcomed some 2,800 exhibitors and 477,000 visitors at its last edition. The next Agritechnica will take place from 14-20 November 2027 in Hanover, Germany.

Media contact:

Malene Conlong
Tel: +49 6924788237
Email: M.conlong@dlg.org

About DLG

With more than 31,000 members, DLG is a politically independent and non-profit organisation. DLG draws on an international network of some 3,000 food and agricultural experts. DLG operates with subsidiaries in 10 countries and also organizes over 30 regional agricultural and livestock exhibitions worldwide. DLG’s leading international exhibitions, EuroTier for livestock farming and Agritechnica for agricultural machinery, which are held every two years in Hanover, Germany, provide international impetus for the local trade fairs. Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, DLG conducts practical trials and tests to keep its members informed of the latest developments. DLG’s sites include DLG's International Crop Production Centre, a 600-hectare test site in Bernburg-Strenzfeld, Germany and the DLG Test Centre, Europe's largest agricultural machinery test centre for Technology and Farm Inputs, located in Gross-Umstadt, Germany. DLG bridges the gap between theory and practice, as evidenced by more than 40 working groups of farmers, academics, agricultural equipment companies and organisations that continually compare advances in knowledge in specific areas such as irrigation and precision farming.

www.dlg.org