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Building the companies that will define the future

I’m Dr. Valeria Kogan — a scientist turned founder, turning breakthrough innovation into bold companies that transform industries and shape what comes next

I started my career in science, completing a PhD in bioinformatics before moving into entrepreneurship. My first company, Smartomica, brought AI into precision medicine, helping physicians personalize cancer treatment and showing me what it takes to move breakthrough science beyond the lab and into the real world.

Later, I founded Fermata, an AgTech company using AI and computer vision to tackle one of the most fundamental challenges of our time: food security. By helping growers detect pests and diseases earlier, reduce crop loss, and improve sustainability, Fermata has grown into an international company and has been recognized globally as a leader in both agriculture and AI.

Along the way, I was recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, and received the Shimon Peres Heritage Initiative award for social impact.

Through this journey, I have seen how bold innovation becomes transformative only when it is matched by vision, execution, and the ability to scale in the real world. My work sits at the intersection of science, business, and long-term systems change — building companies, ideas, and platforms that can transform industries and shape what comes next.

Awards/Recognition

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Who I Work With

Start-ups

DeepTech & high-growth founders

Many founders know how to explain their product. Far fewer know how to position their company as something investors, customers, and partners see as inevitable.

I help founders move beyond the product pitch and build a company narrative grounded in real market logic, operational credibility, and long-term ambition.

Ag & Food Companies

Ag, food, and industrial innovators

Large organizations often know where they want to innovate, but struggle to get close enough to the customer and operational reality early on. As a result, promising ideas can stay too abstract for too long, or move forward on the basis of internal assumptions rather than real market pull.

I work with leadership teams and innovation groups at this critical stage: helping them sharpen the opportunity, pressure-test the assumptions, and define a product direction that is grounded in actual customer needs and field reality.

Venture Capital

VCs and funds in AgTech, biotech, climate, and DeepTech

In science- and technology-heavy sectors, a strong deck, strong science, or even early pilot traction can hide major execution risk. Some companies are technically impressive but commercially fragile. Others are directionally right, but far less scalable than they appear.

I help investors look beyond the pitch and assess how likely a company is to work in the real world.

A woman is giving a presentation at a conference, standing to the right of a large screen displaying images of surveillance cameras and mobile phones. A man in a suit sits on a pink sofa to the left of the presenter. Audience members are seated in fr

Three women seated on stools in a discussion panel, with a Greek flag and another flag in the background.

Woman giving a presentation on labor problems at a conference, with a large screen displaying images of farming and workers, and a yellow and green backdrop with farm-related slogans.

Four people sitting on stage holding microphones at a panel discussion or conference.

A woman is giving a presentation on top issues for growers, with a slide showing images of crop spraying equipment and a hand holding a plant. The slide includes sections titled 'Crop Inputs' and 'Crop Loss'.

Panel discussion at the Forbes Under 30 Summit, with four speakers on stage, three women and one man, and an audience watching. A large screen shows a woman speaking into a microphone.

A woman giving a presentation in front of a projected slide about harvest loss and plant contamination in a greenhouse setting. The slide shows two people in lab coats inside a greenhouse with plants.

Three people posing with thumbs up at the Fruit Logistics Innovation Award ceremony held on February 7, 2025, in Berlin, with a backdrop displaying event details.

Talks, Press & Publications

Get in Touch

I work selectively with founders, investors, and organizations building ambitious things. If you think there may be a fit, get in touch with a short note about your company, stage, and what kind of support you’re looking for.