Skåne startup Sensefarm is the second generation of temperature sensors, which are connected to GSM devices to measure, for instance, temperature and humidity levels in different substances.
“We use sensors connected to our own GSM device that transfers the signals up from the field, data is then stored in the cloud and you can view it on the mobile phone“, co-founder Anders Hedberg explains.
The company was launched by Anders Hedberg, a former engineer at Ericsson, jointly with Johnny Nilsson, who had produced web sites for sugar producers.
While they were doing a mobile app for Nordic Sugar, Anders was asked if he could make sure sugar beets that wouldn’t freeze during winter storage. Then the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) asked him for assistance in measuring data.
“First it was just making sure things wouldn’t freeze. Then it was having the correct moisture in the soil. Then it was humidity measurements”, Anders added.
Sensefarm is currently based in Lund. It lets farmers monitor various factors through their mobile phones, giving them the future potential to avoid over-fertilization, disease, and dehydration, and making sure that circumstances are ideal for their crops.
The technology is even suited for other sectors as well, and the company is in the middle of discussions with Stockholm city council about how Sensefarm can be used to monitor and maintain the city’s flora.
“By measuring all of these factors, you can eliminate unnecessary chemicals and environmental damage. If you measure the humidity outdoors, you can predict when certain diseases will appear, and only use pesticides at those times. It’s not only beneficial for farmers and cities, but also for the environment”, says Anders.
Source: Invest i Skåne
