Gamaya taking it to new heights through satellite based analytics
- Fabio Silva
- Dec 29, 2021
- 4 min read
Gamaya's drones take to the skies thanks to satellites
To increase the efficiency of agriculture, the EPFL-born start-up has widened its field of vision by going into space.
Gamaya was built on the development of hyperspectral cameras carried by drones to monitor crops.
Gamaya reached a milestone this year. The company born out of a research project at EPFL in 2015 now monitors over 1 million hectares of crops worldwide. This is a significant leap for the start-up. Very much in the spotlight two years ago,
when it raised some 12 million francs, it has evolved during this transition from research to the commercial phase. The drones of the early days, which promised to monitor the condition of crops using a hyperspectral mini-camera, have seen their activity supplemented by the use of satellites.
Why take to such heights to monitor fields? Gamaya's original ambition was to optimize agriculture. Its founder, Yosef Akhtman, had developed a small camera covering a wide spectrum of waves. Fitted aboard a drone, the camera can be used to analyze a plot of land: crop or weed growth, diseases or other anomalies... Everything seems to leave a trace, even if invisible to the naked eye.
The analysis of images provided by various satellites now plays a major role in crop monitoring.
The work then falls to software programs, which interpret these images for farmers. Farmers benefit in terms of reduced use of plant protection products and improved yields. The precision of this technology also enables crops to be automated.
“Over the past two years, we've sharpened our focus and taken the time to develop two major product families.”
Thomas Peyrachon, Gamaya Sales Director
As each plant has its own specific characteristics, Gamaya has specialized in sugarcane and soy. And it's Brazil's major producers that have been the small company's first market. Gamaya has around twenty such growers, some of whom cultivate more than 100,000 hectares. In India, it was the giant Mahindra that enabled Gamaya to establish itself. Finally, the company celebrates its first customer in the United States.
“Three years ago, we had many ideas and projects at the development stage on different crops and agronomic issues,” recalls sales manager Thomas Peyrachon. Over the last two years, we've become more focused and taken the time to develop two major product families.” This phase of change has resulted in a clear reduction in the proportion of staff dedicated to drones. From 35 employees, the company now has just 25.
On crops stretching as far as the eye can see, as is the case in Brazil, the deployment of a drone has found its limits. The hyperspectral cameras Gamaya has developed have enabled us to get a head start in image analysis,” says Thomas Peyrachon. We've been able to develop analysis capabilities that now apply not only to drone images, but also to satellite images. This enables us to provide complete solutions for agriculture, both at the macro level of a farm and at the micro level of a plot or group of plants.” The share of satellite images now represents “a major place” within the company.
While Covid has had an impact on Gamaya's business, the crisis has also raised awareness among growers and customers. Digitization is also flourishing in agriculture. “Using our image analysis and agronomic models, we can provide a first level of diagnosis without having to travel,” says the director.
Now, Gamaya's commercial phase continues to develop. “In January, we'll be launching a new flowering detection solution,” announces the sales manager. Sugarcane growers want to avoid the appearance of these flowers to boost sugar production. Thanks to our service, they will be able to detect them before they are visible to the eye."
Good practices to certifier
Restates that the company's medium-term future has yet to be written. Admittedly, the results of the analyses seem satisfactory. But even in Brazil, where large-scale agriculture is well developed, the digital revolution takes time to take hold throughout the industry. That's why Gamaya's directors are enthusiastic: “We want to go much further to provide solutions that can be applied to other crops, in particular for monitoring and certifying good agricultural practices on a large scale, which will improve production while optimizing the use of resources and limiting the environmental impact of these activities.”
Certification, via satellite images, seems to be a serious avenue for Gamaya. Consumers increasingly want to be sure of what's on their plates. With such a global objective, Gamaya is looking for new investors. According to Thomas Peyrachon, a new turning point is on the horizon: “Next year, we'll undoubtedly be at a turning point. We have two scenarios that suggest either a new round of fund-raising, or our integration into a larger structure. Which would make sense, since giants such as Microsoft or Google have also invested in this sector.”
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