AGROTEV

Agrotev is a deep-tech startup founded in Italy with a goal that is as ambitious as it is necessary: to combat the rapid decline of pollinating insects, one of the most serious yet still underestimated ecological crises. This threat directly impacts global food security and agricultural productivity, with an estimated economic value of $235 billion worldwide (FAOSTAT data, 2020–2024) for crops that depend on entomophilous pollination.

Over the past decade, bee colonies have seen a 25% decline in productivity, exacerbated by pesticides, diseases, climate change, and habitat loss. At the same time, farmers and beekeepers are facing increasing difficulty in finding healthy, available, and productive pollinators during critical stages of production.
An integrated model that combines advanced biology, patented hardware, and AI.

Agrotev addresses this systemic vulnerability with a radically innovative approach. The startup has developed an integrated and highly resilient model that combines vertical farming, IoT technologies, artificial intelligence, and patented solutions. The proposal is built on three pillars:

1. Advanced organic production: bumblebee and honeybee colonies in vertical farms
   In its climate-controlled containers, Agrotev raises Bombus terrestris and Apis mellifera using next-generation vertical farming systems, producing colonies that are available year-round, carefully selected, and in excellent health, with consistent productivity and full traceability, all while achieving operational cost savings of up to 40%.
   Globally, only five companies are capable of producing bumblebees on an industrial scale: Agrotev is among them.
2. Patented hardware: the BNidus hive (HiveKube)
   BNidus – or HiveKube – represents a new generation of beehives designed for sustainability and performance: completely plastic-free, made of compostable technical cardboard, assembled without glue, featuring natural ventilation, a raised brood chamber to prevent waste buildup, and a vertical feeding system that prevents contamination.
   The results are significant:
   • 95% reduction in disposal costs
   • drastic reduction in disease burden
   • lower thermal stress thanks to increased ventilation
   • colony lifespan increased by up to 30% compared to plastic hives
3. Software and AI for Smart Monitoring: HiveHub and Apiglass
   Agrotev has gone beyond the limitations of internal sensors with two proprietary digital tools:
   • HiveHub, which digitizes the entire management of bee colonies by integrating health, production, and logistics data
   • Apiglass, a system based on smart glasses and computer vision that enables real-time inspections without touching the hive and without altering the insects’ behavior

The adoption of AI enables early diagnosis, reduces operating costs, optimizes productivity, and offers beekeepers a simple and non-invasive solution.
An inefficient sector, with losses of up to 25%

The pollination market suffers from structural inefficiencies: slow and imprecise manual checks, difficulties in finding reliable pollinators, declining crop yields due to insect scarcity, and outdated technologies.
Beekeepers can lose up to €50,000 per apiary per year, while farmers risk yield losses of up to 25%.
Plastic hives—which are now the norm—contribute to the problem: they promote moisture, pathogens, and heat stress, and also have a significant environmental impact at the end of their life cycle.

Agrotev’s solution: industrializing pollination in a sustainable way
The company offers an integrated “colony monitoring and inspection as a service” model, which combines:

• specialized colonies produced in vertical farms
• ready-to-use BNidus hives
• AI-driven digital tools
• technical support and data-driven management protocols

The benefits for farmers and beekeepers:

• increased productivity
• improved colony health
• significant reduction in mortality and disease
• adoption of sustainable solutions aligned with ESG goals

A rapidly expanding market with high barriers to entry
The global pollination market shows:

• Over 40 million beehives sold each year
• Over 6 million bumblebee colonies in demand annually (CAGR 6.2%)
• A combined U.S.–EU market value exceeding $5 billion

It is an industry where demand far outstrips supply, organic expertise is scarce, and technical complexity creates barriers that are difficult to replicate.
Agrotev’s pre-launch campaign garnered tens of thousands of requests in just a few weeks, far exceeding initial capacity and confirming an exceptional product-market fit.

Team: rare and highly specialized skills

Leading the project is a team of specialists with a diverse range of expertise:

• Giada Papucci – Head of Production
  10 years of experience in production and camp management; former founder of Clesia.

• Gaetano De Felice – CEO & Head of Innovation
  Management engineer, expert in IT, AI, and product development.

• Manar Hassouni – CTO Tech Development
  Full-stack developer with advanced skills in IoT and AI.

• Saja Aiuossoui – Operations Specialist
  Specialist in operational processes and the implementation of innovative technologies.

The team is also supported by a network of over 40 experts in AI, software, and biology.