SoilBeat is a digital platformfor farmers and agricultural advisors that helps facilitate the transition toregenerative farming. And the incentive is clear, “If we keep going in thedirection we’re headed, soon enough we’ll reach the point where the soil hasbeen depleted altogether and it will no longer provide our food. The threat offood security is real and ultimately threatens our existence,” Debra Aurichunderscores their effort’s urgency.
Debra: “Once farming starts to beregenerative, the advantages are manifold. When the soil becomes healthier, wecan reduce the use of chemicals on crops, our food becomes healthier, and more CO2 emissions are being stored aswell. This isn’t just good for the planet, it’s great for business, too.”
Both public andplanetary
But transitioning is notnecessarily easy. “Regenerative farming requires a far more holistic point ofview that takes into account the interaction between soil and crop,” says Debra.“This requires more data than usual. An adequate platform to collect this typeof data and translate it into actionable strategies was lacking. That’s why wedecided to build it.”
Farmers tend to lack nitty-grittyinsight into their crop’s wellbeing as well as the technological expertise tocater to their crop’s very precise needs. As a result, they are generallyinclined to over-fertilize and under-nurture. To alleviate this, SoilBeatoffers sap analysis on crops. This provides real-time insight into thenutrients that are actually available for the plant’s growth and development.By analyzing the sap, farmers can detect nutrient deficiencies or excessesearly on, allowing for timely and very precise fertilizer adjustments toimprove both plant and soil health. This increases yield, enhances quality, andboosts natural disease resistance.
“Our platform now allows farmersan altogether new and accessible way to translate their long-term visions intoconcrete, manageable steps that can be implemented easily to drive measurableprogress towards the kind of farming that ultimately benefits both public andplanetary health,” according to Debra.
Tailormade support
SoilBeat participated in theBeStart program in 2023. Debra: “We had just surpassed our proof of conceptphase and were looking for investors to turn our idea into an actual company.Hence, we were in need of fundraising. But, how to find suitable investors, howto interact with them, how to negotiate the terms of your agreement? BeStart’s guidancehas been invaluable in this regard. It has allowed us to lay our financialfoundations.”
Finding investment is never a onesize fits all, she says: “At the moment we came into the program, we had veryspecific questions based on our development stage at that point. BeStart wasready to give us the tailormade support we needed to move forward.”
A kind ofqualifier
“Also, the exposure to andinteractions with the other participating startups gave us so many newinsights. Being in touch with other cutting edge startup companies required usto be flexible and perceive things from different perspectives,” she adds, “andwhat’s more, it feels good to feel part of a greater ecosystem of likemindedcompanies that are trying to make a difference.”
“Our participation in the BeStartprogram surely helped us to find funding. It breeds trust with potentialfunders. Our participation in the program turned out to function as a kind ofqualifier, because this respected external party had already reviewed andendorsed our work and ideas,” according to Debra.
