With their innovative approach in green chemistry and sustainable agricultural production, Makabi contributes to the reduction of environmental pollution, mitigates climate change and increases the biopotential of produced food. For these reasons Makabi Agritech was chosen as the ISC3 start-up of the month for November 2023.

What is the essence of Makabi´s innovative idea and its impact? The start-up developed a 3-in-1 “smart pill” for plants as a substitute for current fertilizers, which also contributes to soil and nature protection. The idea is to cut down the use of modern agrochemicals down by 30% and to help produce functional food.

The pill is created by the simultaneous synergetic and green encapsulation technology of both, microorganisms and chemical reagents. The product is fully biodegradable, as the capsule shell is formed by nature-derived biopolymer. The components of the pill are thereby protected from outer influences such as weather or temperature and immobilised, which allows for the survival of the contained microorganisms for several month.

The smart pill also presents a solution to the problem of pollution by the common excessive use of commercial fertilizers: It has a build-in time release mechanism of its bioactive components, so the plants can absorb them when needed, making the utilization of additional fertilizer obsolete.

Makabi actively connects to other projects and start-ups in the field of but not only restricted to plant protection at Zagreb university and industry One such collaboration was formed with Raj Tanna from Schutzen Care. Here, the start-ups will join forces to produce smart pills for the textile industry. 

The whole success story of the ISC3 Start-up of the Month in November 2023 is currently told by the ISC3 on its website at https://www.isc3.org/page/start-up-makabi

Three questions for Marko Vincekovic, founder of Makabi

What led to your solution in Sustainable Chemistry?

Marko Vincekovic: Our product is the result of a six-year long research project at the faculty of agriculture of Zagreb University. This project was motivated by the current use of big amounts of chemical fertilizers in modern agriculture, which add to environmental pollution and affect human health. “If we have the smart pills for the humans, why can´t we do that for the plants?” was the original idea that led us to the creation of the Makabi’s 3-in-1 encapsulation technology.

What does being chosen as ISC3 Start-up of the Month mean to you?

M. Vincekovic: It means a lot for us, because it is visibility and the visibility is everything - people will notice you and who knows, maybe some of these people will help you to increase your business and to make new formulations. By myself I can´t do a lot, but if were working together, we can make a change and make our world better.

What’s next up at Makabi?

M. Vincekovic: We started with some new innovation projects that we should accomplish in the next 2 years. Also, we will apply for patents. We will start connecting with the industry partners to start the upscaling the production of formulations, which will be put on the market; also we would like to start new projects with those industry partners. Recently, Makabi Agritech was awarded the EU project "MAKABI - A small capsule for a healthier plant and functional food". The project is co-financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.