July 24, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

BeeHero’s groundbreaking hive monitoring technology is officially entering the Australian market through a newly announced partnership with Monson’s Honey and Pollination, a leader in the country’s beekeeping and pollination industry. 

BeeHero’s mission as explained by company CEO Omer Davidi is “…to deliver pollination accountability for commercial crop growers, by leveraging big data analytics and machine learning to help them mitigate pollination risk. Thus allowing them to focus on producing more food, securely, and sustainably.”

On November 15, 2022 the world population surpassed 8 billion on its way to breaching 10 billion by 2050. Connected with the expectation is the need to produce more food than has been produced in the past 10,000 years combined (staggering!). 

To accomplish this, it would require a 70 percent increase to today’s global food output. But we are approaching our limit of arable land, and between now and 2030, forecasts are that we will see a meager 4 percent increase in acreage. Therefore, this increase in production must come from improved yields rather than greater acres.

However, even if we do everything right, our best efforts would be for naught if not for bees and pollination.

Bees are our critical partners, safeguarding human well-being and the success of our agricultural production systems. They are a key component to food security, with one out of every three bites of food we eat being dependent on the work they do as pollinators. They ensure biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and human nutrition, with 75 percent of the world’s fruit and seed crops dependent, at some level, on natural pollination for continued production.

In Australia alone, commercial pollination services from honeybees contribute $4-$6 billion to the country’s economy each year, with crops from almonds to avocados, to blueberries, and many more being reliant on the insect for pollination and production. 

Within this ecosystem, Monson’s plays a critical and historic role serving as a hive broker and auditor for crop pollination, facilitating hive rentals and ensuring that hives are thriving as they are transported from one agricultural site to the next. 

Aligned with this intention, BeeHero’s data-driven, unobtrusive, and low-cost technology uses advanced analytics, AI, and low-cost IoT sensors to bring transparency and efficiency to the complexities of commercial crop pollination.

The company’s Precision Pollination as a Service platform enables commercial beekeepers to remotely and precisely track and monitor each colony collecting unprecedented audio and biological data that is then analyzed utilizing AI-powered algorithms. The results provide beekeepers the ability to better manage their hives and to take proactive and preventative actions, removing ambiguity, guesswork, and inaccuracy from the pollination process while lowering colony mortality in the process. 

The importance of the work that BeeHero is doing was reflected in December 2022 when the company closed on a $42 million Series B led by Convent Capital, who was joined by General Mills, Cibus Capital (formerly ADM Capital), Rabobank, MS&AD, Firstime, J-Ventures, Plug&Play, iAngels, Gaingels, UpWest, and others. 

“We are delighted to join forces with BeeHero, a true innovator in the field of pollination technology. This partnership represents a powerful fusion of traditional expertise and advanced digital solutions, unlocking unprecedented possibilities for the future of sustainable agriculture,” said Trevor Monson, director, Monson’s Honey and Pollination. 

“By combining Monson’s extensive experience in pollination in Australia with BeeHero’s innovative technology, we aim to revolutionize the way we approach pollination services. Together, we will not only increase agricultural productivity but also play a vital role in preserving and protecting the delicate balance of our ecosystem.”

This new partnership will empower Monson’s pollination services with BeeHero’s data-driven solution. With insights accessible 24/7 through the BeeHero app, beekeepers can virtually manage their day-to-day apiary operation, streamlining their workload and yard maintenance on a year-round basis.

For growers, the BeeHero ensures accuracy of deployment and insights for improved outcomes, and enables them to easily manage and report their sustainability-focused activity and practices in order to comply with ESG benchmarks and requirements. 

“We are excited to combine our bee monitoring technology and precision pollination experience with Monson’s unparalleled expertise in honey production and pollination services to lower the mortality rate and enhance the productivity of honeybee populations across Australia,” said Itai Kanot, COO and co-founder, BeeHero. 

“By joining forces, we are providing the Australian beekeeping and agricultural communities with more transparency into their hives and yards than ever before, with actionable insights in the palms of their hands. With Varroa mites now severely affecting Australian bees, this 24/7 visibility is more important than ever, and we look forward to helping pollinators thrive and ensuring a bountiful future for our food systems together.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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