Company name: Eqtrade.

Company hometown? Madrid, Spain.

Leadership team: Isabella Bernal, founder and CEO; Pedro Diaz, co-founder and chief technology officer; Alejandra Diaz, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Alabama News Center: What is your company’s overall focus and mission?

Isabella Bernal: We empower farmers with no business knowledge by providing a brain system, enabling them to transform their land into successful ventures and build financial strength through local and global agricultural trade and portfolio expansion. For buyers, we inspire confidence in payments.

ANC: What inspired you to start this company? How do you want to contribute to the future of energy and tech?

Bernal: Feeding the world sustainably is one of humanity’s foremost concerns right now. We were inspired by the strong purpose of leaving our mark on the world by applying our skillset and talents to develop a disruptive solution that facilitates a clean, end-to-end supply chain in the food industry.

ANC: What attracted you to the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator?

Bernal: Firstly, agriculture is an industry with very low technology adoption; nevertheless, it holds significant potential for energy development due to the large areas of land with minimal utilization. Our business model aims to reduce capital expenditure for energy technology-focused companies and maximize farmers’ tech investment capacity by forming strategic alliances with them.

The Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator hosts a substantial number of innovative energy tech companies in their program and portfolio, presenting opportunities for potential partnerships. Additionally, Alabama is home to a significant number of nearby farms, which could enhance collaborative efforts in this sector.

ANC: What is the No. 1 thing you’d like potential investors to understand about your company?

Bernal: Our business is built from scratch with a global perspective. With global supply chain markets and local supply chains, we are targeting strong pain points. Today, the open markets are like an onion, with tons of bureaucracy and intermediaries that don’t empower the farmer to develop their potential and don’t give trust to final distributors for payments.

ANC: What takeaways do you hope to gain for your company by taking part in the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator?

Bernal: In addition to benefiting from mentorship and community support, we are eager to expand our vision and engage with local farmers. Our goal is to extend our mission across borders, fostering global union and collaboration to drive meaningful impact in the agricultural sector.

ANC: What is your opinion of Birmingham so far?

Bernal: I’m impressed by the warm welcome we have received so far and the kindness and helpfulness of the people here. It makes any company want to stay. The ecosystem here is truly interesting. Birmingham holds significant historical importance for civil rights and inspires the world to empower future generations sustainably. For us, it represents a parallel opportunity to empower a traditional industry, break paradigms and grow sustainably with vision and tools — not only to feed the world but also to optimize land use.

Contact: https://eqgrow.mydurable.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/93841639/; https://www.instagram.com/eq.trade/

Alabama News Center is posting profiles on Tuesdays and Thursdays of companies in the 2024 Class of startups taking part in the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator. Read about Edenic Energy, REN3for, Reverse Energy Solutions, Mayahueltec, TMA, dodda.ai, Nimbus Aerospace and Soraytec.