ToBe is an agri‑tech startup that builds an IoT hardware + software platform (HiveMaster) for precision beekeeping to monitor hive health and deliver automated, low‑toxicity treatments that reduce chemical use and labor while improving colony survival and pollination reliability.[4][1]
High‑Level Overview
- ToBe builds a precision beekeeping system combining an in‑hive sensing device, consumable treatment cartridges, and cloud analytics to monitor bee health, environmental conditions, and automatically deliver targeted treatments (miticides and other compounds) in a gas phase with far lower medicine usage than traditional methods.[4][1]
- The product serves commercial and hobby beekeepers, pollination service providers and agri‑food supply chain actors who rely on healthy colonies for crop pollination and honey production.[4][1]
- It solves the problems of colony collapse and labor‑intensive, toxic pest treatments by providing continuous monitoring, automated dosing (one year per cartridge, claimed 90% less medicine), and data to forecast yields and benchmark hive performance, supporting scalable pollination resilience.[4][1]
- Growth momentum: ToBe emerged from R&D beginning in 2018, secured regulatory approval in Israel, completed product stabilization, launched HiveMaster publicly in 2025, and is in Series A fundraising to expand globally and pursue partnerships with large food producers and agri‑tech firms.[1][4]
Origin Story
- Founding & roots: ToBe began concept work around 2018 with a multidisciplinary team of biologists, chemists, electrical and mechanical engineers, and data scientists focused on a safer, more scalable alternative to current miticide delivery methods.[1][4]
- How the idea emerged: Years of R&D aimed to replicate effective miticide delivery without high labor or toxicity; the team iterated toward an electromechanical, gas‑phase delivery device coupled with sensing and IoT connectivity.[1][4]
- Early traction / pivotal moments: After more than five years of R&D the company stabilized the technology, gained regulatory approval in Israel, made the device market‑ready, publicly launched HiveMaster in 2025 and opened a Series A round to accelerate international deployment.[1]
Core Differentiators
- In‑hive precision delivery: Releases treatment compounds in a controlled gas phase and uses consumable cartridges designed to last one year, reducing medicine use compared with conventional treatments.[4][1]
- Integrated sensing + automation: On‑site sensors monitor hive conditions and bee health while the device can automatically administer treatments and connect to cloud analytics for benchmarking and forecasting.[4]
- Plug‑and‑play compatibility: Device is marketed as compatible with all hive types and self‑sufficient with IoT connectivity, easing adoption across diverse beekeeping operations.[4]
- Resource efficiency & safety: Claims up to ~90% less medicine per year per hive versus traditional methods, aiming to lower environmental toxicity and labor demands.[4][1]
- Ecosystem expansion potential: Roadmap includes pest control extensions, hive performance benchmarking, yield forecasting and strategic partnerships with large food producers and ag‑tech players to integrate hives into supply chain management.[1]
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
- Trend alignment: ToBe rides intersecting trends in precision agriculture, IoT enablement of legacy food systems, and sustainability‑driven ag‑tech aimed at securing pollination services under climate and biodiversity stress.[4][1]
- Timing: Global concern about declining pollinator populations and the economic reliance of agriculture on managed hives makes automated monitoring and low‑impact treatment timely for growers, suppliers and regulators seeking resilient food systems.[1][4]
- Market forces in their favor: Demand from commercial pollination customers, increasing emphasis on traceability and sustainability in food supply chains, and appetite from strategic ag‑tech partners create channels for scale and integration.[1]
- Influence: If widely adopted, ToBe’s platform could shift industry practice from episodic, labor‑intensive treatments to continuous, data‑driven hive health management and enable tighter integration between beekeepers and downstream agricultural buyers.[1][4]
Quick Take & Future Outlook
- What’s next: Near‑term priorities are Series A fundraising, global regulatory and market roll‑out, and expanding the product into a broader smart hive ecosystem (more pests, benchmarking, yield forecasting, partnerships with large food producers).[1]
- Trends to watch: Adoption will depend on demonstrated ROI for commercial beekeepers and pollination customers, regulatory acceptance in target markets, and the strength of partnerships that embed hive data into agricultural supply chains.[1][4]
- How influence may evolve: With successful scaling, ToBe could become a standard infrastructure layer for managed pollination—reducing chemical use, improving colony survival rates, and creating new data flows that optimize pollination services and crop yields.[1][4]
Core claim sources: ToBe’s corporate site and product pages (ToBe.green) describe the platform, device features and positioning[4], and the company’s May 2025 public launch and Series A fundraising plans are detailed in a Newsfile release summarizing product launch, R&D history, regulatory approvals and growth strategy[1].
