SoilHive.ag: Revolutionizing Soil Data Accessibility

The Challenge

SoilHive needed to balance complex technical requirements with simplicity and usability. The platform had to handle diverse soil data models while remaining visual and intuitive for a wide spectrum of users. It also needed to support cross-border data formats and encourage open contributions without overwhelming the user.

Our Approach

We began with targeted user research to identify what mattered most across user types. We then developed a proof of concept to de-risk the most technically challenging elements.

From there, we focused the MVP on three foundational capabilities: accessing, comparing, and sharing soil data across systems. The roadmap emphasized fast iteration with early adopters, continuous feedback, and readiness for international scaling and monetized features.

The fully remote team brought together domain experts in product, engineering, UX, data infrastructure, and soil science.

The Outcome

SoilHive launched in December 2023 and quickly gained global traction. It now hosts over 418,000 open soil data points and serves as a trusted data hub for NGOs, government, and universities.

The platform was recognized as a breakthrough in collaborative data access, and Varda AG secured multiple international grants and partnerships across the agritech ecosystem.