“When you think about apimany think of the miele. We think about pollination and connection that bees create inside ecosystems “. Niccolò e Riccardo they come from the province of As, Marta from Gruaro (Venice), Nicky from Venafro (Isernia): together the four guys who created an innovative startup that develops intelligent monitoring systems for the health of bees and ecosystems. How? Revolutionizing the ancient art ofbeekeepingthanks to the application of technologies innovative come artificial intelligence and the machine learning.
Niccolò Calandra33 years old, originally from fallopian (Co), boasts a PhD in electronics at the Politecnico di Milano, with research experiences in Boston al Withat the Nasa it’s at Sydney: it has decided to make a “substantial” contribution to the environment and today it is Ceo from 3Bee. Riccardo Balzaretti, 34, also from Faloppio, has a PhD in biologywith research experience in Irelandis a professional beekeeper, with over one hundred managed hives. Marta Toppan29, graduated from Sapienza in Organization and Marketing for business communication, has experience in the advertising sector. Nicky Silvestri33, develops partnership with other companies on projects related to corporate social responsibility.
It all started five years ago. “We were on the train – recalls Niccolò al fatto.it -. I was commuting between As e Milano while I was finishing my doctorate in quantum electronics. I had always been fascinated by the world of bees: so, when Riccardo came back from Ireland and he told us that he wanted to become beekeeper we took the opportunity to join forces ”.
Why precisely the api? “Leaving aside the charm personal that we can have, bees are the ring basic of the food chain – he explains Niccolò -. The bee, be it mellifera o wildhas the crucial task of pollinating and generating value for ecosystems“. First a small office, a room without windows, dark: “There were 4 of us in less than three meters by three”, remember the boys. Then the first lunches with the team members. Growth. “We are all still here, despite the difficulties, after four years of hard work”.
In two years a network of 10 thousand beekeepers has developed Italia that follow and use Niccolò’s technology, not only for the mere production of mielebut with the aim of “regenerating the biodiversity that surrounds ours sensors: nectar planting, agricultural regeneration, apivoltaic projects “. Today there are 60 million bees and a thousand monitored hives, with another 1,500 adopted hives. In the 2022 the team is made up of 20 people: “In September we became 32. In December we will be 40. Thanks to the network of beekeepers we have created unique ecosystems. Thus we have accumulated value and potential that we are now exploiting ”, smiles Niccolò.
The difficulty greatest in recent years has been to keep the goal clear in mind, not to be disheartened and to continue building. The most difficult moment? “When we refused 6 million euros of international funds because the body was not aligned with our intentions. We lost a few weeks of sleep, but we decided to keep control and rely on the companies we collaborated with ”.
Niccolò and his startup have also joined the movement of www workersa network of over one hundred companies that focus on a circular future, sustainability and digital technology. “Many declare themselves green by simply changing the color of the logo. They are needed instruments and precise definitions. We too have often found ourselves refusing collaborations absurd with intensive breeding of livestockintensive grain farming ”, they add.
The goal in the coming years is to redevelop at least 50 thousand hectares of land in Italy presiding over i motorway sections, railwaythe viability lateral and above all the world of photovoltaics and wind power. “We have already started, giving value to the land stolen from the panels, with projects of apivoltaic (name invented by 3Bee), to accelerate the activation of theclean energy”.
Per Niccolò Italy is a kind of comfort zone. “I am proud to have built a company that has an Italian user base and that pays taxes in Italy. In the future I would like to explore other markets, such asAustralia or the United Statesand spend years abroad to bring the technology even in foreign markets “.
“We are fortunate to be used to writing others – smiles -. For this we have been helped a lot in the last three years by the state and theEuropa“. Our country continues the engineer, already has many measures for startuppers. The real problem of Italy is the market: “Small and closed”. The challenge of one startup Italian is “sell in Europa and in Usa. Measures of support to position itself abroad, a market many times larger than the Italian one “. A challenge that goes hand in hand with that of sustainability. 2021 and 2022 marked “the biggest ever die-off of bees caused by change climatic”, Conclude from the team. First the frosts, then the thirst for nectar. “They are the first alarm bells for our environment. Perhaps, this time, it is appropriate to listen to them ”.