Ecorobotix has been awarded the 2024 Avantgarde Award by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce (Swiss AmCham) Southern California. This honor celebrates our dedication to advancing Swiss-American business relations through forward-looking innovation and impactful contributions to sustainable agriculture. After placing as a finalist last year, we are incredibly proud to have achieved first place in 2024.
The Avantgarde Award acknowledges the achievements of businesses, non-profits, and individuals who foster strong, innovative, and mutually beneficial connections between Switzerland and the United States. Ecorobotix was recognized for its contributions to cutting-edge agricultural technology, our commitment to environmental stewardship, and the positive impact we’ve generated within the industry.
The rigorous selection process for this award includes evaluations by a distinguished jury composed of experts from Switzerland and the U.S., representing industry, academia, and government. This year, the jury included representatives from institutions such as the University of Southern California (USC) and ETH Zurich, who assessed submissions based on criteria like technological innovation, economic performance, job creation, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The three finalists included Ecorobotix, HILTI, and Georg Fischer (GF).
Our CBO, Claude Juriens, was honored to represent Ecorobotix at the Avantgarde Gala on November 8 at the California Club in Los Angeles, where our achievements in sustainability and circular economy practices were celebrated among distinguished peers and business leaders.
This recognition reinforces our commitment to fostering sustainable, impactful innovation that benefits both our customers and the broader Swiss-American business community. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, the jury, and all those who continue to support our journey.
Ecorobotix’s ARA ultra-high precision sprayer addresses this problem head-on, reducing drift by up to 95%, as shown in recent studies in Germany and the Netherlands. While both certifications apply only to the current ARA model and are nationally recognized, these results demonstrate ARA’s strong potential for global drift reduction, making it a valuable solution to this widespread challenge.
The ARA sprayer has earned recognition on the Dutch DRT-list (Drift Reducing Technique), achieving a class 95% drift reduction, following a thorough assessment by the Technical Committee for Technology Assessment (TCT). This listing helps Dutch farmers comply with plant protection product regulations and environmental conservation efforts, provided the technique is used according to the prescribed settings.
In Germany, ARA has similarly been recognized by the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) and included in the "Verzeichnis Verlustmindernde Geräte" (Directory of Loss-Reducing Devices). The system achieved certification of 95% drift reduction, demonstrating that, when operated under specified conditions—including specific nozzle spacing and shielding—ARA can significantly reduce chemical drift. These certifications allow German farmers to comply with regulatory standards while minimizing environmental impact.
One of ARA’s key strengths is its ability to reduce drift even in difficult weather conditions. In areas prone to strong winds, ARA’s precise spray technology and protective covers help keep drift to a minimum, providing farmers greater flexibility in their operations. Ecorobotix’s ARA sprayer reduces the use of plant protection products by 60-95% compared to traditional broadcast sprayers, thanks to its ultra-high precision 6x6cm spraying footprint. This allows farmers to significantly lower both input usage and manual labor costs.
About the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label
The Solar Impulse Foundation, founded by environmental pioneer Bertrand Piccard, is dedicated to addressing sustainability challenges while enabling economic growth. Bertrand dedicates his life to demonstrating the opportunities lying in sustainable development and to raising interest in profitable solutions to protect the environment. The Foundation has identified over 1000 clean and profitable solutions, organizing them into the Solutions Explorer—a search engine designed to accelerate climate action by helping political and economic decision-makers adopt ambitious energy and environmental policies.
The Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label is awarded to products, services, and processes that combine environmental and economic performance, outperforming conventional alternatives. Solutions must pass a rigorous evaluation by three independent experts, meeting stringent criteria that ensure both sustainability and economic viability. This process makes the label an internationally recognized mark of quality and innovation.
Why ARA?
The ARA Ultra-High Precision Sprayer was recognized for its transformative impact on sustainable farming and met the stringent criteria set by the Solar Impulse Foundation, demonstrating significant environmental and economic benefits.
Environmental Benefits:
- Our product allows farmers to use up to 90% less chemical products such as fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides.
- Our product is extremely precise, it is able to detect and spray a plant within square of 6x6cm, leaving a plant outside of this surface untouched.
- ARA works at a speed of 7km/h, treating 4 hectares per hour day or night even in windy conditions with no drift.
- By significantly reducing chemical spraying, and therefore the drift cause by wind, soil and neighboring ecosystems are preserved and allow fields for higher regeneration rates. Increase in crop yields has however not been quantified precisely yet.
Financial Benefits:
- Due to drastic cost cuts for treatment products our solution already is profitable after a few years of use.
- Our solution leads to improved yields and crop quality therefore increasing their potential value once on market, consequently bringing more revenue to the customer.
For more information about the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label and see Ecorobotix on the company website please visit the Solar Impulse website.
For more details, read the full press release in French on Eureden’s website
Key Highlights from Eureden's Press Release:
Innovative Technology: The ARA tool, developed by Ecorobotix, utilizes real-time image analysis for ultra-localized weed control. This innovative approach targets weeds precisely, minimizing the treated surface area and maintaining effective weed management.
Proven Results: In the 2023 bean campaign lead by Eureden, over 100 hectares were cultivated using the ARA tool, resulting in an average reduction of 85% in treatments, with consistent quality and yield outcomes.
Expanded Implementation: In 2024, the partnership will scale up its efforts, offering ARA services for bean and flageolet crops to a broader range of Eureden members. Additionally, trials are underway for carrots and spinach.
Financial Support: A support scheme has been established to aid farmers in adopting ARA’s technology through commitment contracts. These contracts are 80% financed by the Morbihan department and 20% by Blavet terres & eaux from its own funds. It is therefore possible to obtain aid of €75/ha, up to a limit of 5 ha, i.e. €375 for each farm.
Who is Eureden and Blavet Terres & Eaux?
Eureden is a major Breton cooperative agri-food group, Eureden comprises 18,500 farmer-operators and 8,500 employees. It includes the Vegetable Producers' Organization, which supports nearly 1,200 farmers in sustainable practices, and markets produce under brands such as d'aucy and Paysan Breton.
Blavet Terres & Eaux is a public organization that manages water resources and aquatic environments. They also diffuse pollution, soil erosion, and runoff, manage rainwater in rural and peri-urban areas, and provide technical support for urban projects related to water. It oversees the Morbihan watershed territorial contract and conducts awareness campaigns for various groups, including farmers, local authorities, schools, and the general public.
To enhance our societal and environmental influence, we have enrolled in the STI initiative, which was launched by B Lab Switzerland. By utilizing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a foundational framework, the STI program provides Swiss enterprises with the means to assess their contributions to the SDGs, thus advancing their sustainability performance.
Building upon this foundation, we identified the most critical SDGs aligned with our company's mission and formulated a practical strategy for implementation. Subsequently, these objectives underwent a thorough evaluation process, overseen by B Lab Switzerland, which scrutinized the significance and impact of each sustainability commitment, alongside the comprehensive action plan.
As a result of these concerted efforts, we have proudly secured a position in the esteemed STI Directory!
Our Commitments
As members of the STI Directory, we pledge to take tangible actions for a desirable and sustainable future. Here are our commitments:
- Commitment 1: By 2025, we will double the carbon saved per year via our ARA sprayer fleet, from an estimated 220 tCO2eq in 2022. [SDG 2, 3, 6, 13]
- Commitment 2: By 2028, 80% of our suppliers meet our responsible purchasing criteria and adopt our Charter, compared with none in 2022. [SDG 12, 8]
- Commitment 3: By 2025, we maintain our employee satisfaction rate at over 80% and obtain Great Place to Work® certification or equivalent. [SDG 3, 8]
If you would like to learn more about our commitments, you can find more information by visiting:
https://www.swisstripleimpact.ch/copy-of-companies/ecorobotix-sa
The TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award, now in its 13th edition, is an annual celebration of Switzerland's most promising startups. Organized by Venturelab, this event has gained global recognition for its role in spotlighting the country's burgeoning startup ecosystem. However, due to the stipulation that startups cannot appear in the Top 100 Swiss Startup Awards for more than five years following their inception, a new category was introduced to recognize the burgeoning scale-ups.
Ecorobotix, with our innovative approach to precision agriculture, secured our spot in the Top 25 Swiss Scale-ups through our remarkable growth trajectory. Founded more than five years ago, we have continuously demonstrated our potential to be a future Swiss unicorn in the agriculture technology (AgTech) sector.
Key Player in FoodTech:
Ecorobotix's nomination as a Top 25 Swiss Scale-up is not just a recognition of our innovation but also a testament to our pivotal role in the FoodTech industry. With a commendable funding and a dedicated team of more than 90 employees, Ecorobotix is well-positioned to revolutionize the way agriculture is practiced.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the organizing committee and the esteemed members of the growth jury for this incredible honor and nomination. Being recognized as one of the Top 25 Swiss Scale-ups in the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award is a testament to our team's dedication and the support of our partners. We are truly humbled and appreciative of this recognition.
In loving memory of our CEO, Simon Aspinall, we pause to reflect on the most recent moments we shared with him, like this last unforgettable afternoon together in Lucerne. As a team, we embarked on a journey of exploration, visiting The Swiss Museum of Transport where we were proud to see our first prototype machine prominently standing on display in the “Future Farm” exposition. The day concluded with a lovely dinner along the lake, as we joyously spent time together: discussing, making plans, joking and laughing.
Simon brought a lot of positivity and joy to the workplace. With his energy and optimism, he motivated all of us and he played an invaluable role in our business's success over the past year. His contributions will forever be marked in our hearts and his legacy will endure as a lantern, guiding us forward in the future.
It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved CEO, Simon Aspinall, who passed away on Thursday, June 22, 2023, following a road accident.
Simon was an exceptional leader, mentor, and friend who will be missed deeply. His infectious positivity and joyful demeanor were appreciated by all who knew him.
His legacy as CEO will remain etched in the foundations of our company. Simon left an indelible mark by fostering a strong team culture, inspiring creativity and encouraging each and every one of us to push the boundaries. His willingness to take on impossible challenges and overcome obstacles has been an inspiration to all who have had the chance to work with him. Always wearing a smile, he brought a unique energy and optimism to the workplace, inspiring and motivating all of us to achieve our best.
Beyond his professional role, Simon was also an exceptionally generous and loving human being. He always took the time to listen, advise and support our team members, and his caring presence will be missed by all of us.
As we mourn the loss of Simon, we are equally determined to carry on his legacy. We will continue to work with determination to realize the vision he had for Ecorobotix. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Simon’s family, friends, and all our employees during this difficult time. His loss is deeply felt by the entire Ecorobotix community, and we will forever cherish his memory and the invaluable contributions he made to our organization's growth and success over this past year.
We send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.
Andrea, Aurélien, Claude, Cyril, Steve (Ecorobotix Management Team)
Hans-Peter (Chairman) and all the Board MembersAnd all of the Ecorobotix Team
In June 2019, we proudly announced that we got certified as a B Corp. This certification is delivered to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
In March 2023, we achieved the re-evaluation of our certification, which is carried out every three years. Because obtaining this certification is above all demonstrating a continuous improvement journey.
In fact, we have improved our score from 80.3 in 2019 to 112. in 2023, which positions Ecorobotix in the "outstanding" category!
We think it's fantastic to remain part of a community of companies that use business as a force for good, and we are keen to continue to contribute to this cause.
A thorough assessment
B Corp certification is delivered by B Lab, a global non-profit organisation. B Corp Certification means that we have been verified as meeting B Lab’s high standards.
The process is based on the B Impact Assessment (BIA), an international standard developed by B Lab. An online tool allows companies to assess their impacts and good practices through over 200 checkpoints in 5 impact areas:
- environment
- employees
- clients
- community
- governance
Our team is proud to meet these criteria and to join more than 6,000 other companies that have been certified B Corp in nearly 90 countries, such as Patagonia, Too Good To Go and Rituals Cosmetics. This certification is a recognition of our commitment to sustainability and our social and environmental responsibility. It encourages us to continue improving our practices to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Sustainability is at the heart of our story. Ecorobotix was founded to revolutionize agriculture for the benefit of the environment, producers, and consumers. The B Corp certification is a recognition of our commitment, but also a motivation to go further and further in our efforts.
Simon Aspinall, CEO Ecorobotix
We believe that a commitment to sustainability is essential for today's businesses, and being part of the B Corp community that shares this belief means a lot to us. We will continue to work hard to earn this certification in the future and, most importantly, to ensure that we make a positive impact on the environment and society.
Our CEO Simon Aspinall has been selected to join Venturelab's Venture Leaders Technology 2023 programme, along with 9 other Swiss entrepreneurs.
The Venture Leaders Technology 2023 programme is supported by the cantons of Vaud and Zurich, the EPFL and ETHZ, the law firm Kellerhals Carrard and the bank Rothschild & Co.
→ Read the presentation of Ecorobotix by Venturelab
Ecorobotix will also take part in the Tech Tour Growth50, an exclusive roadshow where the 50 European startups with the greatest potential will meet investors from Silicon Valley. It's a great opportunity to create awareness around our technology, with other companies, US investors, or the media.
The roadshow is organised by Tech Tour, a community connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and business partners from around the world.
Being part of these exclusive programmes is not only a recognition of our work but also of the huge potential of our technology to change the world of agriculture.