Scanorhize: Soil Life for Sustainable Agriculture
This scanner, buried underground, is capable of tracking changes in root systems to better understand the impact of fertilizers, irrigation, or drought. An innovative project developed using the facilities of the University Innovation Cluster in Montpellier, which is particularly promising at a time when the agricultural sector is in the throes of a major crisis.
Analyze the impact of fertilizers on soil in real time
A sensor buried in the soil could help“accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture.” That, in a nutshell, is the goal of Scanorhize, a project developed atthe Research Joint Research Unit, whose first prototypes were built in 2017 at the initiative of researcher Christophe Jourdan of CIRAD Montpellier.
“In practical terms,‘Scanorhize’ is a type of camera buried in the ground that can capture images of the root system by creating two-dimensional cross-sections,”explains William Arditi, the future president of the startup, which plans to begin using the sensor in the coming months. “The idea is to dynamically capture images to observe changes in the soil and understand the impact of fertilizers, as well as drought or irrigation.” The device is connected to a unit that transfers images directly to the cloud, before passing them on to artificial intelligence capable of recognizing roots and soil biodiversity, and analyzing the evolution of the root system. This innovative technology may soon be patented.
Initially designed for research purposes, this tool quickly piqued the interest of other stakeholders, who reached out to the laboratory. “Seed companies and manufacturers of plant protection products have shown great interest,” adds William Arditi. “For them, soil is an increasingly important issue,” particularly when it comes to adapting their products to climate change while upholding sustainable agricultural practices.
A startup supported by the Montpellier University Innovation Park (PUI)
In 2023, Christophe Jourdan and SATT AxLR (a technology transfer acceleration company) set out to find a project leader to develop a startup based on this innovation. William Arditi responded immediately to the call via the Les Deeptech platform managed by Bpifrance. An engineer by training, the young man had already worked on a technology transfer related to a portable artificial lung project. “But this time, I wanted to be part of something that would have an impact on society in the short term,” he explains. Following an initial market study, William Arditi was officially hired in February 2024.
As part of the incubation program, Satt AxLR is covering William’s salary, the costs associated with the industrialization of the sensors, and the development of the software component for one year. At the same time, William Arditi received the French Tech Lab (BFT Lab) grant from Bpifrance, which enabled him to fund sales training, market research, 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 fairly short and intense. It allowed me to explore every aspect of starting 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 working on the themes of “Feeding,” “Healing,” and “Protecting,” and to provide them with a wide range of training, expert advice, and coaching sessions to refine the structure of their future startup. “This allows us to work on intellectual property, business strategy, entrepreneurial mindset, and even the pitch…, ” he explains. “It’s always valuable to get feedback from experts in each field when launching a project like this.” This marks the first step in the support offered by the UM incubator, which will span three years, encompassing the startup’s pre-incubation and co-incubation phases.
Together with his new partner, Louis Marot, William Arditi has just applied to Bpifrance’s i-Lab competition in order to develop a research and development program aimed at overcoming the final technological hurdles to transform Scanorhize“into a decision-making tool for the agricultural sector,” the engineerexplains .“After scanning the root system, it could tell us when to fertilize, when to irrigate, which variety to choose…” This marks another step toward putting this ingenious tool to work in support of the ecological transition.
Incubated at AgroVallée and supported by the Initium incubator and the Montpellier BIC, the startup is expected to launch upon completion of the SATT AxLR maturation program in June 2025. This marks a significant collective achievement for the Montpellier University Research Institute (PUI), as yet another Montpellier-based startup helps usher in a new era in sustainable agriculture!