To tackle biodiversity issues, there will be an increasing demand for biodiversity data and insights to help beekeepers, farmers, property owners, municipal and national planners, and land managers to assess the health of ecosystems and make timely decisions.
One such global crisis is the diminishing bee populations. It has been threatened by habitat loss, intensive farming practices, changes in weather patterns, excessive use of agrochemicals and invasive species. To create sustainable food systems that value biodiversity, we need a diverse and balanced mix of pollinators.
Oslo-based Beefutures has developed a novel technology called Onibi Watch, which uses honey bees as biosensors to evaluate how resilient or susceptible environments are to climate incidents and human activities. By monitoring bee behaviour, the technology generates data that is transformed into actionable insights called Onibi Insights using AI-powered visual and audio monitoring.
Closes seed funding
Now, Nordic impact investment VC Norselab’s Meaningful Equity II fund has led a $1.7 million (18 million NOK) seed round investment in Beefutures. The funds will be used to harness the power of bees as the custodians of biodiversity.
“We’re excited to team up with Norselab, an investor that cares about making a positive impact, just like us,” said Christophe Brod, Founder and CEO of Beefutures. “This investment will help us scale our innovative technology and further explore how bee data can help with biodiversity preservation and restoration.”
“We’re impressed by how advanced the solution is that Christophe and his team built given the early stage of the company. Beefutures’ technology has enormous potential to contribute to solving the biodiversity challenge we are facing,” said Jean-Guillaume Marquaire, Investment Partner at Norselab. “We look forward to working with Beefutures to support the growth of their innovative technology and build out an early-mover solution that actively safeguards our planet’s biodiversity.
AI-based sustainable beekeeping
Founded by Christophe Brod in 2019 in Oslo, Norway, Beefutures is a digital beekeeping platform intended to boost the bee’s immunity and metabolism. The company combines healing and defense solutions with robotics, automation and AI-powered digital monitoring, helping optimise beekeeping operations and economics with digital tools.
Its technology called Onibi Watch uses honey bees as biosensors to evaluate how resilient or susceptible environments are to climate incidents and human activities. By monitoring bee behaviour, the technology generates data that is transformed into actionable insights called Onibi Insights using AI-powered visual and audio monitoring.
In addition to monitoring and analysing the behaviour of bees and their living conditions, it also protects honey bees from diseases and parasites like the varroa mite, which is currently decimating beehive colonies across Europe and North America. Beefutures has developed a non-chemical thermal treatment.
