Fontys University of Applied Sciences master's student receives grant for innovative AI project in agricultural technology

Bulgarian master's student Simeon Dimov from Fontys ICT has received an MIT grant of €124,000 for his start-up Synthgen. The grant supports an innovative AI project that uses synthetic data to make agricultural robots smarter at recognizing crops and weeds. The project was developed in collaboration with the Venlo-based company Luxeed Robotics and contributes to the further development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Netherlands.

The rapid rise of AI is rapidly changing society and the economy. However, many SMEs still lack the knowledge and resources to get started with AI. The R&D Collaboration Projects scheme of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) helps companies to develop innovative AI applications and share knowledge.

The collaboration between Synthgen and Luxeed Robotics came about during a networking event, where both companies exchanged ideas. Together, they investigated how artificially generated images (synthetic data) can expand and improve agricultural datasets. These images mimic real plants and weeds, enabling AI models to better distinguish between different crops.

The result: a larger and more accurate dataset that can be used by agricultural robots. This enables these robots to better recognize what is a crop and what is not, which increases efficiency in agriculture.

From Fontys student to AI entrepreneur

During his bachelor's degree in ICT at Fontys, Simeon founded the company Synthgen together with fellow student Martin Tomov. Their fascination with synthetic data grew during their studies. In the Master's program in Applied IT, Simeon continued this research and worked on practical applications of this technology.

The award of the grant means that Simeon can focus fully on the further development of creating, validating, and labeling images and the whole technology behind it. “This is a big step forward in the Netherlands,” says Simeon Dimov. “Synthetic data is still a young technology, but it has enormous potential. In the future, we will be able to use this technique in all kinds of sectors, such as healthcare, construction, industry, and infrastructure.”

Support from Fontys

As part of his master's program, Simeon receives support from Fontys' SPARC Incubator program. This program helps students with entrepreneurship and innovation. It gives Simeon access to a workspace, a machine learning computer, and guidance from teachers and researchers. Simeon shows that research, entrepreneurship, and social impact can go hand in hand. His project proves that knowledge gained during the program can directly contribute to innovation in practice.

About Synthgen

Synthgen is a young tech start-up that focuses on generating synthetic data for AI applications. This technology enables companies to expand their datasets and train AI models faster and better. Synthgen collaborates with various organizations on projects in the fields of agriculture, industry, and computer vision.

About Fontys ICT

Fontys ICT is one of the largest ICT programs in the Netherlands. The program encourages innovation and entrepreneurship by allowing students to work on real-world assignments in collaboration with companies. Fontys helps students like Simeon Dimov to translate their research and ideas into concrete applications with social value.