Scanorhize: Soil Life for Sustainable Agriculture
This scanner, buried in the ground, can track the evolution of root systems to better understand the impact of fertilizers, irrigation, or drought. An innovative project developed using the resources of the Montpellier University Innovation Hub , it is particularly promising at a time when the agricultural sector is facing a major crisis.
Analyze the impact of fertilizers on soils in real time
A sensor buried in the soil could help " accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture" . This, in a nutshell, is the ambition of Scanorhize, conceived within the Joint Research Unit Eco&Sols , and whose first prototypes were produced in 2017 at the initiative of researcher Christophe Jourdan, CIRAD Montpellier .
In practical terms, “ Scanorhize is a kind of camera buried in the ground, capable of capturing images of the root system by creating two-dimensional slices ,” explains William Arditi, the future president of the startup that is expected to begin using the sensor in the coming months. “The idea is to dynamically capture images to observe soil evolution and understand the impact of fertilizers, as well as drought or irrigation.” The device is connected to a control unit that directly transfers the images to the cloud, before handing them off to artificial intelligence capable of recognizing roots, soil biodiversity, and analyzing the evolution of the root system. This innovative technology could soon be patented.
Initially dedicated to research, this tool quickly sparked the curiosity of other stakeholders who approached the laboratory. “Seed companies and producers of plant protection products showed great interest,” adds William Arditi . “For them, soil represents a growing challenge,” particularly in terms of adapting their products to climate change, while respecting sustainable agriculture.
A start-up supported by the PUI programs in Montpellier
In 2023, Christophe Jourdan and SATT AxLR (Technology Transfer Acceleration Company) began searching for a project leader to develop a startup based on this innovation. William Arditi responded promptly to the proposal via the Les Deeptech platform managed by Bpifrance . An engineer by training, the young man had already worked on a technology transfer project involving a portable artificial lung. “But this time, I wanted to participate in something that would have a short-term impact on society,” he explains. After initial market research, William Arditi was officially hired in February 2024.
As part of the maturation program, Satt AxLR is supporting William's salary, the services necessary for the industrialization of the sensors, and the software development for one year. In parallel, William Arditi benefited from the French Tech Lab (BFT Lab) grant from Bpifrance, which enabled him to finance sales training, a market study, and an update on regulatory aspects. The engineer also participated in the Première Marche program at the BIC (Business & Innovation Centre) in Montpellier . “ It was quite short and intense. It allowed me to test all aspects of creating a startup.”
From February to June 2024, the future entrepreneur participated in the Pépite Deeptech program, offered by Initium , the University of Montpellier's incubator. The program's goal is to support project leaders in the areas of "Nourishing," "Caring," and "Protecting," providing them with numerous training courses, expert advice, and coaching sessions to refine the structure of their future startups. "This allows us to work on intellectual property, business strategy, entrepreneurial mindset, and even pitching," he explains. "It's always valuable to get feedback from experts in each field when starting a project like this." This was the first step in the support offered by the University of Montpellier's incubator, which will extend over three years, including the startup's pre-incubation and co-incubation phases.
With his new partner Louis Marot, William Arditi has just applied to Bpifrance's i-Lab competition to develop a research and development program aimed at overcoming the last technological hurdles and transforming Scanorhize " into a decision-making tool for the agricultural sector," explains the engineer. " After scanning the root system, it could tell us when to fertilize, when to irrigate, which variety to choose..." This is a further step towards putting this ingenious tool at the service of the ecological transition.
Incubated at AgroVallée , and supported by the Initium incubator and the Montpellier BIC, the start-up is expected to launch at the end of the SATT AxLR maturation program in June 2025. A great collective success for the Montpellier PUI, which sees a new Montpellier start-up marking a turning point in sustainable agriculture!