In 2024, PoultrySync was among the finalists of the Startup Innovation Awards at the World Food Forum (FAO) in the category Digital Innovation in Food Processing. This global competition, organized annually by the SS4AF Innovation Hub, celebrates startups that use technology to accelerate the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. In this interview, we speak with Neamat ElTazi — 2024 finalist and founder of PoultrySync.
From Paper and Instinct to Predictive Intelligence
In many parts of the world, poultry farms are still managed with spreadsheets, basic ERP tools, or even pen and paper. Reliable connectivity and affordable monitoring systems are scarce, forcing farmers to rely on instinct rather than data.
For Neamat ElTazi, a technologist and academic with twenty years of experience in analytics and product development, this gap presented an opportunity to drive meaningful change.
Armed with a Ph.D. in Data Management and Analytics from the University of Michigan and the University of Cairo, ElTazi spent years developing business intelligence systems for large corporations. Those experiences sparked a simple yet powerful question: What if small farmers had access to the same level of digital intelligence?
That question became the foundation for PoultrySync — a comprehensive Software-as-a-Service platform that integrates AI, machine learning, blockchain, and IoT throughout the poultry value chain.
Together with Dr. Islam Khalil and Amira Islam, ElTazi launched the company and now serves as Chief Operating Officer.
PoultrySync is designed to modernize and optimize every stage of poultry production — from farm monitoring to processing. The platform automates data collection, centralizes information in the cloud, and delivers real-time dashboards and predictive analytics. It can predict chicken weight with up to 98% accuracy and integrates seamlessly with ERP and accounting systems.
Turning Research into Reality
ElTazi’s journey began with a year of research to identify where AI could make the greatest impact. Agriculture quickly emerged as the ideal sector — essential, yet one of the least digitized industries globally. Within agriculture, poultry stood out: fast-paced, data-intensive, and often lacking real-time insights.
Scaling Through Collaboration
Building trust proved just as important as building the technology. To validate the platform and enhance scalability, PoultrySync began collaborating with major poultry producers. These partnerships provided access to high-quality datasets, operational insights, and the ability to test the system at an industrial scale.
The strategy paid off. From its headquarters in Dubai, PoultrySync has expanded into Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with pilot projects in the United States underway. The platform enables producers to align production planning, reduce waste, and increase profitability across the entire value chain.
Empowering Small Farmers
Despite its growth, PoultrySync remains rooted in its founding mission: giving small and medium-sized farmers access to digital tools. A simplified version of the platform offers AI-driven forecasting and planning functions, helping smaller poultry farms optimize feed use, predict growth, and determine the ideal harvest time.
Governments also benefit. Aggregated and anonymized data from the platform provide valuable insights into national production trends — information that supports policy-making and food security strategies.
Recognition and the Road Ahead
ElTazi’s leadership has earned international recognition. In addition to PoultrySync’s success, she received the Women in Ag Award in Germany in 2024, honoring her contribution to agricultural innovation and her efforts to promote female leadership in the sector.
Beyond awards, she is an active member of the global agtech community — serving on advisory boards, mentoring entrepreneurs, and speaking at international forums about the synergy between AI, sustainability, and food systems.
Looking ahead, ElTazi remains focused on scale and inclusion.
What began as a question about giving small entrepreneurs better tools has grown into a platform with the potential to reshape one of the world’s most important industries — proving that digital intelligence may well be agriculture’s most valuable asset in the future.
The Startup Innovation Award – Digital Innovation in Food Processing category is made possible by the Smart Solutions 4 Agri-Food Innovation Hub, with support from QING Food Automation, Cargill, HIGHFIVE, and Business Factory Food.