BeeHero launches pollination research stations to give growers and stakeholders real-time visibility into bees & pollination

Date:02-29-2024

BeeHero, the pioneer of data-driven precision pollination, announced the launch of its groundbreaking Pollination Research Stations (PRS). With three Pollination Research Stations situated in California's Central Valley, BeeHero's innovative data platform now provides unprecedented ability to track and monitor bloom progress and bee activity in the world's most important almond-producing region.

Approximately 75% of crops grown for human consumption rely on pollination, underscoring the process's critical role in global food security. Understanding pollination progress is essential for effective pollination, as it allows growers to optimize their timing and allocate resources efficiently to best sustain their agricultural operations and maximize yield potential. However, most growers lack visibility into these processes, often requiring them to rely on their best guesses and approximations, all while managing unpredictable weather and the ongoing challenges of day-to-day operations.

BeeHero's Pollination Research Stations deliver real-time, accurate, and extensive data on bloom progression and bee activity, providing unprecedented visibility for growers who previously operated with minimal data. Harnessing advanced scientific monitoring techniques and AI analysis, the stations collect data that is analyzed to provide invaluable insights via a public dashboard, enabling any local grower or other agricultural stakeholder to refine their practices, mitigate risks, and boost pollination. By making this information available at no cost, BeeHero is helping agriculture industry players make informed decisions, adapt to changing environmental conditions, foster more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices, and improve yield potential.

Each Pollination Research Station is fully equipped with precision instrumentation tailored to deliver comprehensive and accurate real-time data, including:

• Weather Monitoring Equipment: Alerts growers to potential frost advisories, ensuring proactive measures can be taken to safeguard crops.

• Bee Counters: Provide highly accurate bee flight times, enabling the precise tracking of pollination activity to the single bee level.

• Scales: Offer insights into colony weight gain, a key indicator of foraging and pollination effectiveness.

• Cameras: Deliver visual confirmation of bloom progression throughout California's orchards, enhancing monitoring capabilities.

"We're not just measuring massive amounts of data, we're transforming pollination practices. Our innovative platform is a unique source of this type of live information for growers, essentially providing a 'bee livestream' that grants unprecedented access to the heartbeat of pollination," said Omer Davidi, CEO and Co-Founder of BeeHero. "We look forward to continuing to arm agriculture stakeholders and growers with new data and tools to make more informed decisions and maximize yields."

"From the outset, our research project set out to uncover new insights into the intricate world of bees, but we quickly realized its greater potential to help transform local growers' practices. Opening growers' eyes to this real-time data they've never had before is like bringing science fiction to life," said Dr. Doreet Avni, Head of Bio-Research at BeeHero. "We are proud to be gathering and translating nature's data into tangible solutions – empowering growers with invaluable insights previously beyond their reach."

In the past year, BeeHero released its Pollination Insight Platform in-field sensing solution to measure pollinator activity and improve yields in seed, row, and specialty crops, to complement the company's proprietary in-hive sensors. BeeHero was recognized by CNBC on its 2023 Disruptor 50 list and, most recently, was listed on Cleantech Group's 2024 Global Cleantech 100 for sustainable innovation and won the top prize at the 2024 Founder's Games for social impact.