In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Adrian Ferrero, CEO of Biome Makers, an agriculture technology startup that’s raised over $24 Million in funding, about why it’s time we let data drive decisions about our relationship with the natural world, in ways that can be both beneficial to the environment, and also make great business sense. Biome Makers was founded with a mission to bridge this digital-ecological divide, providing critical insights to farmers about one of their most important natural assets - the soil in which they grow their crops. By understanding its critical microbial and chemical composition farmers can understand how to make the most of what they’ve got to work with, both today and for years to come.
We also spoke about the rapid transformation of the agricultural sector in recent decades, why farmers are hungry to adopt new innovations, and why the old-fashioned approach of ‘resetting’ soil biology for cultivation just isn’t sustainable anymore. Improving the way we work with our land is Biome Makers’ clear and determined mission, making a genuine impact that helps them attract not only investment, but also bring together the right kind of team.
Topics Discussed:
- How the story of an agricultural landscape in the North of Spain seeded the idea for a disruptive tech startup in California
- Why the agricultural sector might not be the way you think, and why so many farmers are hungry for new innovation in almost every aspect of their operation
- How monoculture and a lack of data caused the degradation of precious soil ecology, and how Biome Makers intends to restore balance
- Why doing something that ‘makes sense,’ and working to create real impact, keeps Adrian motivated every day
- How being a mission-oriented company helps attract and retain some of the industry’s top talent
- The future of the ag-tech space, from drones to data and autonomous assistance