When Mario Edoardo Simmaco co-founded GreenAnt.ai in 2020, the company’s original mission was to farm a species of ant as a natural alternative to chemical pesticides. But a pilot project in Thailand revealed a deeper opportunity: using satellite data to monitor the health of trees hosting ant colonies. That insight sparked a pivot – and the birth of Desidera, a precision agriculture and climate risk management platform powered by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and proprietary AI.
“We realized satellite data was a climate action gold mine,” says Simmaco. “So we built an accessible, affordable interface that turns it into resilience-boosting analytics.”
The initial focus was on forecasting disasters before they strike and enabling anticipatory protective solutions to save lives and reduce climate-related losses.
It has since explored additional capabilities. “Desidera is a comprehensive technology stack that imports SAR satellite data and then processes that data with proprietary AI models to produce a range of key climate analytics,” Simmaco explains. Among these analytics are crop monitoring (height, health, growth stage, and forecasted yield), deforestation monitoring, and flood monitoring.
Seeing through the storm
Unlike traditional satellite imagery, which often relies on optical data and is easily obstructed by clouds, darkness, or dense vegetation, SAR technology uses radar signals that penetrate these barriers. This makes Desidera capable of delivering high-accuracy insights in adverse weather conditions, a critical advantage in regions like Southeast Asia, where cloud cover can exceed 300 days per year.
Desidera can detect the exact millimetre volume of rainfall that will trigger a flood in a given area. It then scans weather forecasts for those thresholds and sends automated early warnings.
This predictive capability can help farmers to take anticipatory action. “Desidera can enable farmers to reduce disaster-related losses by harvesting crops early, relocating livestock, protecting stored yields, or implementing emergency drainage measures before disaster strikes,” says Simmaco.
Democratizing data
Desidera is designed to “democratize” access to sophisticated analytics, Simmaco claims. By eliminating the need for specialist interpretation, it enables smallholder farmers and non-experts to independently assess climate risks and make informed decisions. “This approach addresses a critical skills gap and helps bolster wholesale resilience,” he says.
In trials, Desidera has helped farmers increase productivity by up to 20%, thanks to real-time insights and predictive analytics.
Pilots and humanitarian impact
GreenAnt is currently running a pilot in Myanmar with an international humanitarian NGO, using Desidera to protect flood-prone communities. The same framework is being adapted for agricultural use, demonstrating how anticipatory analytics can reduce losses and safeguard livelihoods.
Scaling with FoodSeed and CDP Venture Capital
Netherlands-based GreenAnt was recently selected to join FoodSeed, the agri-food-tech accelerator backed by CDP Venture Capital and Eatable Adventures. The programme provides funding, mentorship, and strategic support to help startups scale.
Thanks to FoodSeed it received substantial investments and invaluable connections. Programmes like this are often “make-or-break” for young companies, says Simmaco. “It is very validating for startup founders to be accepted.”
GreenAnt plans to launch new pilots in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, focusing on flood protection, while expanding operations in Italy, one of Europe’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
Looking ahead: Droughts, wildfires, and the future of farming
Over the next 2-3 years, GreenAnt aims to develop anticipatory models for droughts and wildfires, mirroring its flood forecasting capabilities. The vision is clear: to make platforms like Desidera essential infrastructure for European agriculture’s climate adaptation and food security resilience.
As climate impacts intensify, agricultural productivity is already down more than 21% since 1961 globally, Simmaco claims.
“Europe faces cascading threats from extreme weather, shifting growing seasons, and supply chain disruptions,” he warns. “Desidera can help farmers to maintain productivity, reduce losses, and ensure stable food supplies and prices despite accelerating environmental disruption.”
