From the hackathon to the farm of the future: Aina Mena and the startup that digitizes dairy cattle

At the Bankinter Innovation Foundation we are proud to follow the journey of those who have gone through the Akademia programme and today are driving change from sectors as diverse as health, energy or, in this case, livestock.

Our protagonist is Aina Mena, a Robotics student at the University of Santiago de Compostela and CEO of Optimuu, a startup that digitizes and automates processes on dairy farms. It does so with artificial intelligence, data and a lot of commitment to the field. A former student of Akademia, Aina tells us how her project was born, what challenges she is facing and how she imagines the farm of the future.

From a hackathon to the field

Optimuu was born in a university hackathon in which Aina faced a very specific challenge: to find a technological solution to a problem in the rural world. “Since I was a child, I knew the dairy cattle sector and its challenges closely. And on the robotics side, he knew the importance of digitizing and automating processes. At the hackathon I put those two pieces together,” he explains.

What started as an idea in an intense day has become an expanding startup. Along the way he has pivoted several times, as is often the case in any entrepreneurial project, but he has always maintained the same focus: to digitize farm management and make life easier for farmers.

The value of data

The livestock sector accumulates a lot of data: from the quality of the milk to the temperature of the barn, including the health and nutrition of each cow. However, most of that data is used only historically, stored on separate interfaces of each device vendor.

The problem is that no one has time to analyze them. “A farmer cannot sit in front of the computer to study data from 200 or 300 animals every day. Their priority is to take care of them. That’s why the information ends up underused,” says Aina.

Optimuu’s proposal is to integrate everything into a single platform and apply machine learning models to offer useful predictions: when to automate a feed order, what health indicators to monitor, how to optimize feeding… “The final decision is always up to the farmer, but we give him the processed information so that he can decide better and faster,” he sums up.

Robotics on the farm: when cows decide

One of the most striking examples that Aina mentions is that of milking robots. Traditionally, cows are milked in parlours at a fixed time and in groups. That means some have to wait until it’s their turn.

With a milking robot, on the other hand, they are the ones who decide. Aina illustrates this very clearly: “In traditional milking parlors, cows are milked in groups and always at the same time. For the former there is no problem, but the latter can spend more than an hour waiting, depending on the number of the herd. With milking robots, they are the ones who decide the moment. When they feel the need, they approach the robot, which detects if it is the right time and opens to milk them. For cows, which are creatures of habit and intelligent, it is much more comfortable and personalized.”

Robotics also extends to feeding, with food nursers, and even robot wet nurses feeding calves. “It is advanced robotics. And every year it evolves more,” says Aina.

Studying and entrepreneurship at the same time

Combining university and a startup is not easy. For Aina, the secret is in the organization: “It’s a challenge, but with good time management you can. There are weeks that are difficult to balance, but it is never impossible. In the end, the motivations and what each party brings make it possible.”

That balance allows him to nourish himself from both worlds. “What I learn in class I apply in Optimuu, and what I experience in the startup helps me make sense of the theory we see in college. So studying makes much more sense, because it doesn’t just stop at notes or exams, but I can see it applied in reality.”

Their complementary training in areas such as artificial intelligence, IT support and data analysis has also been key. “Each discipline brings something different: IT helps me solve technical problems and connect devices; data analytics and AI are the foundation of the value we deliver at Optimuu. Having explored different areas gave me a more open mind and the ability to integrate concepts into the same project,” he explains.

He admits that the hardest thing at the beginning was communicating. “Presenting the project in public imposed a lot on me. I wasn’t used to it, but I’ve turned it into a personal improvement. Today I enjoy telling what we do.”

Akademia: a turning point

From her time at Akademia, Aina is left with the experience of learning in a different way. “They taught us innovation from practice, with experts who shared real challenges. Working in multidisciplinary teams with people from other universities was also key for me. Akademia has been one of the most important training courses I have done, both personally and professionally,” he says.

Challenges of the sector and entrepreneurship

The dairy cattle sector, which from the outside may seem archaic, is much more digitized than we imagine. Aina confirms this: “The more I get to know it, the more I am surprised by the level of technology that already exists. Although there is still a lot to do.”

One of the great challenges is generational renewal. Many young people do not want to continue with the family activity. For Aina, digitalization can be part of the solution: “With technology, work is more efficient, more compatible with personal life and more attractive to new generations.”

As an entrepreneur, her biggest challenge has been adapting to the diversity of farms and connecting Optimuu to different devices and ways of working. But he also highlights the motivation to see results: “Every time we meet a roadmap objective it is a shot of energy. Knowing that what we do has a real impact on the sector is what pushes me to continue.”

The farm of the future

How does Aina imagine the farm of the future? With a high level of optimization, sustainable and with animal welfare as a priority. “There will be a much more personalized control of each cow, with early detection of diseases. Also greater energy efficiency and waste reduction. All integrated into digital management that will allow the farmer to organize himself better and live better,” he says.

However, he identifies a pending challenge: access to data. On many occasions, when farmers buy a device, the ownership of the data falls on the supplier company and not on them. “This is a problem. At the European level there is already a law, but in Spain it still needs to be adapted. Resolving it is key for digitalization to really advance,” he points out.

Tips for future entrepreneurs

For those who are thinking of entrepreneurship while studying, Aina is clear:

“You’re never going to feel 100% ready. If you have an idea, get started. Use a class project, a hackathon, whatever. But it begins. And he seeks support from programs such as Akademia or university accelerators. There are more resources than we think.”

She herself is an example of this. Optimuu is part of La Vega Innova, an accelerator that has given it a broader and more national vision. “Thanks to the training and mentors I’ve had there, I’ve learned to think about scalability from the beginning. Optimuu is not designed only to stay in one sector or one region, but to grow and apply to other types of livestock and markets,” he explains.

Optimuu landed its first business deal when Aina was 23 years old. Now, at 24, it continues to grow from Galicia with plans for national expansion.

Thank you very much, Aina! And many successes!

If you want to know the testimonies of other Akademia alumni, you can see them here.

And if you want to know more about the Akademia program, we invite you to visit the Foundation’s website.