Let's entrap the water
Agricultural drought problems that are afflicting farmers in food production was the origin of BeadRoots, a startup that aims to find a solution that helps the plants survive in the form of hydrogels.
When Angela Bonato saw first-hand drought problems faced by farmers in a rural area in North-East Italy, where she is originally from, she came up with the idea: using natural hydrogels, composed of superabsorbent polymers, to keep water available for plants once periods of drought hit crops, or when water is unavailable due to a shortage of rainfall.
The product is only 10% of what the startup is
The idea was accepted to join the EIT Food TeamUp program, which matches entrepreneurs with ideas to ones that have a strong business background. In the following months the team performed other field tests with the help of local farmers and developed a strategy to further develop the product and market strategy.
“The TeamUp program was a wonderful journey that permitted us to know interesting future and present entrepreneurs, insightful coaches, and dedicated program coordinators, apart from giving us a solid structure for our idea.”
At the end of the program, the team was awarded with the first prize, that will boost the BeadRoots idea even further. The novel-constituted startup are working hard to further test and refine the product based on farmers’ needs. They are now working on a series of parallel projects doing RnD, setting up collaborations, depositing IP, planning the pilot plant, discussing with potential investors and evaluating different funding sources.
“When they say that having the product is only 10% of what a startup is, they are right; we are now getting experience in so many new different fields! But we think the motivation and the competences we have are truly what makes the difference, and we are fully committed to this project and to make an impact.”
The journey begins
Bonato is a biotechnologist and worked extensively with hydrogels during her PhD at ETH Zürich for tissue regenerative purposes. So, she set up a small home laboratory (with the joy of her husband who hates mess) to produce the hydrogels and try them on salad plants, achieving good results when plants were not watered.
She also started looking for collaborators and found Paolo Pezzola, an enthusiastic agronomist that is now responsible for the field tests, sensors, and data analysis of plant growth under water stress. Valerio de Luca, the entrepreneurial and strategic mind was the third who completed the core of the Italian startup.
“We, at BeadRoots, want to be directly involved in the innovation processes that can contribute to a more sustainable and fair world. Food is at the heart of everyday life. The main source of food for the world's population is agriculture. Hence, our mission is to help farmers to potentially have a big impact.”
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