‘Define the problem before solving it’ is often cited in business strategy. It could apply to Plense Technologies, which has sadly announced it will wind down operations.
The Dutch start-up was founded in February 2023 and quickly garnered recognition, including winning start-up competitions and securing €400K in seed funding.
Its technology aimed to provide growers with actionable data by “listening” to plants using ultrasound sensors and advanced algorithms to quantify plant water content and stress.
These sensors were tested in collaboration with research institutions and commercial partners, focusing on monitoring plant stress, irrigation strategies, and substrate transitions. The company highlighted successful proof-of-concept trials and partnerships, such as with Wageningen University & Research and the horticulture innovation hub Delphy.
But despite some minor breakthroughs, Plense said it found “no large demand” for its tech. “For the past 2,5 years, we’ve done everything within our scope to bridge this gap,” it revealed. “We now recognize that we’re far from commercialization and what we were aiming for is not within reach.”
Plense was “a well-performed experiment and an example of technology looking for a big problem”, according to Loet Rummenie, the recently appointed director at the Netherlands-based Hortiscience Innovation Center, a partner of StartLife, the start-up accelerator that supported Plense.
“We see it all the time,” he told AgTechNavigator, “especially with spin-offs from universities working on technologies at relatively low technology readiness levels.”
Market validation often begins while the technology still needs time to mature, he explained. “Sometimes, the technology simply doesn’t mature fast enough for investors to stay interested, and momentum is lost before it ever really gets going.”
Innovational tech is never wasted
Wind downs like this are regrettable, but the industry wouldn’t be where it is or where it is going without their contributions, Rummenie pointed out.
“You could easily argue that these technologies should therefore remain in an academic or research environment until they’re fully proven and ready to enter the market,” he said. “However – if we do that – the innovative growers, breeders, and crop researchers would likely never engage with the technology or idea in the first place. And a lot of learnings would be lost.”
How to avoid future collapses
What’s key to getting this groundbreaking type of tech more ready to enter the market? “The facilities and expertise are already there – field labs such as WUR Greenhouse Horticulture, Delphy, Botany, and Vertify offer crucial opportunities for experimentation throughout the start-up journey,” Rummenie said.
“What’s missing is the funding to actually get start-ups and scale-ups through the door. Providing easy access is important, but without financial support to make use of these labs, much potential remains untapped. This is exactly the gap we’re aiming to bridge at the HortiScience Innovation Center.”
What’s gone wrong at Naïo Technologies?
Aggressive scaling can damage start-ups too, as illustrated by Naïo Technologies, which makes autonomous vehicles for weed control. Despite raising significant funds in recent years and expanding its product range, the French company entered receivership at the beginning of June and is seeking a buyer to continue its operations.
It has been hit on two counts. One, it is betting on the reduced use of pest and fungicides for its models to scale, which is not necessarily a given.
Second, it has a large customer base in the wine sector, which is currently experiencing its own crisis (production has fallen to its lowest point in 60 years, mainly due to climate change-linked weather extremes), proving that sustaining profitable growth can be a challenge in a market sensitive to sectoral shocks.