Version: 1.0
Effective Date: 7 August 2026
Review Date: August 2027
Organisation: HarvestAi GmbH, Potsdam, Germany
Document Owner: Dr. Georg Caspary, Founder & CEO (Geschäftsführer)
1. Statement from the Founder & CEO
HarvestAi develops Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision and predictive analytics technologies that enable Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) operators to improve harvest forecasting, crop quality and resource efficiency.
As an innovation-driven technology company participating in European research and innovation programmes, we recognise that scientific excellence and responsible innovation depend upon diversity of perspectives, equal opportunity and an inclusive working environment.
Gender equality is therefore not only an employment principle but an important element of responsible corporate governance and sustainable business growth.
HarvestAi is committed to ensuring that every individual is treated fairly and respectfully regardless of gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected under applicable legislation.
This Gender Equality Plan has been formally approved by the management of HarvestAi GmbH and fulfils the Gender Equality Plan eligibility criterion established under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
Management is committed to implementing this Plan, allocating appropriate organisational resources, reviewing progress annually and continuously improving our practices as the company grows.
2. Purpose and Scope
This Gender Equality Plan establishes HarvestAi’s framework for promoting equal opportunity, preventing discrimination and fostering an inclusive organisational culture.
The Plan applies to:
It applies equally to office-based, hybrid and remote working arrangements.
This Plan complements the German General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz – AGG), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), and applicable European Union legislation.
3. Current Position
HarvestAi is a growing German AI and AgTech SME with an international and multidisciplinary team working across artificial intelligence, computer vision, software engineering, agriculture, economics and business development.
HarvestAi currently:
As HarvestAi grows, the company will continue strengthening gender equality practices through annual monitoring and continuous improvement.
4. Governance and Dedicated Resources
Overall responsibility for this Gender Equality Plan rests with the Founder & CEO.
The Founder & CEO is responsible for:
HarvestAi commits appropriate management attention, working time and organisational resources to implement this Plan, provide annual awareness training, monitor progress and continuously improve equality practices.
Every manager is responsible for applying the principles of this Plan within their teams.
Every employee shares responsibility for maintaining a respectful and inclusive workplace.
5. Publication and Transparency
This Gender Equality Plan is a formal public governance document.
It is:
New employees receive this Plan during onboarding.
6. Data Collection, Monitoring and Annual Review
HarvestAi will collect, review and monitor sex-disaggregated organisational data at least once every calendar year covering, where applicable:
The results will be documented in an annual management review and used to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Monitoring is intended to identify structural barriers and opportunities for improvement rather than to establish quotas.
Given the size of HarvestAi’s team, monitoring data is compiled and reported only in aggregate form, and never in a way that identifies an individual. Where a breakdown by gender would make a person identifiable, the trend is described in words rather than reported as a figure. No monitoring activity requires any person to disclose their gender identity.
All monitoring activities will comply with GDPR, the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and applicable data protection legislation.
7. Training and Awareness
HarvestAi will provide annual gender equality and inclusion awareness training for all employees and managers.
Training will include:
All new employees will receive this training as part of their onboarding.
Participation in training forms part of HarvestAi’s continuous organisational development.
8. Strategic Areas of Action
HarvestAi recruits solely on the basis of competence, qualifications, experience and potential.
The company commits to:
8.2 Equal Pay
HarvestAi is committed to equal pay for equal work and work of equal value.
Compensation decisions are based on:
Gender shall never influence remuneration.
Salary structures will be reviewed periodically to identify and address any unjustified disparities.
8.3 Leadership and Decision-Making
HarvestAi believes leadership opportunities should be determined by merit and capability.
The company will:
8.4 Work-Life Balance
HarvestAi supports flexible working arrangements wherever operationally feasible.
These include:
Employees using flexible working arrangements will not be disadvantaged regarding career progression or professional development.
8.5 Responsible Research and Innovation
As a developer of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision technologies for agriculture, HarvestAi recognises that equality and inclusion extend beyond workplace practices into research and innovation.
Where relevant, HarvestAi will consider diversity and inclusion during:
For Horizon Europe and other collaborative research projects, HarvestAi will assess whether the gender dimension is relevant to the scientific content of the project and incorporate such considerations where appropriate.
8.6 Collaboration with Partners
HarvestAi collaborates with universities, research organisations, public institutions and commercial partners throughout Europe.
The company expects long-term collaborators to uphold equivalent principles of:
These principles support successful collaboration within European research and innovation programmes.
8.7 Prevention of Harassment, Discrimination and Gender-Based Violence
HarvestAi maintains zero tolerance towards:
These standards apply equally to offices, remote working, online communication, conferences, customer sites, business travel and work-related events.
All concerns will be handled promptly, fairly and confidentially.
9. Raising Concerns
Anyone who experiences or witnesses behaviour inconsistent with this Plan is encouraged to report it without fear of retaliation.
Concerns may be raised confidentially with either of the following, at the choice of the person raising them:
If the concern involves the Founder & CEO, or if the individual would prefer not to report internally at all, it may be raised confidentially with HarvestAi’s appointed independent external adviser:
Clemens Möller, Cascade AI Solutions — cascadeaisolutions@icloud.com
The external adviser acts independently of HarvestAi management and reports on a matter only as far as is necessary to resolve it.
All reports will be investigated promptly, fairly and confidentially. No one who raises a concern in good faith will suffer any disadvantage as a result, whether or not the concern is ultimately upheld.
10. Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
This Gender Equality Plan will be reviewed at least once every twelve months.
The annual review will consider:
Where improvements are identified, management will update this Plan accordingly.
HarvestAi views gender equality as an ongoing organisational commitment rather than a one-time compliance exercise. As the company grows, this Plan will continue to evolve alongside our workforce, our research activities and our participation in European research and innovation programmes.
11. Approval
This Gender Equality Plan has been formally approved by the management of HarvestAi GmbH.
Dr. Georg Caspary
Founder & CEO (Geschäftsführer), HarvestAi GmbH
Version 1.0 | Effective from 7 August 2026 | Potsdam, Germany