Startup Story #20 - BeeHelpful

The global beekeeping industry faces significant challenges, from declining bee populations due to the Varroa mite, a devastating parasite, to outdated hive technology that contributes to colony losses. Beehelpful has leveraged extensive expertise in thermodynamics and mechanical design working closely with beekeepers worldwide to create Primal Bee®, an innovative honeybee hive. In this interview, Alessandro Gamberoni, CTO and co-founder, shares the story behind their journey and the obstacles they have faced.

How did the BeeHelpful project start?
Back in 2006, my childhood friend Gianmario Riganti, now my co-founder, and I started beekeeping. What began as a simple hobby soon turned into a deep passion, even as we faced significant setbacks, losing all our colonies for three years in a row. Rather than giving up, we became determined to understand what bees need to thrive, realising that the traditional wooden hive, widely used since 1850s, had fundamental flaws that could be improved. But our entrepreneurial journey truly began when we took part in StartCup Ticino (now Boldbrain Startup Challenge), allowing us to access crucial funding opportunities and develop our first industrial prototypes. In these early stages, we also approached the local startup ecosystem, receiving support from Centro Promozione Start-Up (now USI Startup Centre). Since then, we’ve been through different ups and downs, redesigned our hive multiple times, and learned a lot from our failures, but we always knew that we were working on something that could create a huge impact.

What does BeeHelpful do, and how do your professional backgrounds contribute to its success?
Over more than a decade of research and development, our work has focused on understanding the complex interactions between honeybees, parasites, hive environments, and their collective impact on colony dynamics. This research led to key discoveries, from how hive design plays a critical role in colony development and health, to the essential role of thermal regulation, which is often overlooked in conventional hives. These insights formed the foundation of our patented solution, Primal Bee®, a hive that optimises thermal stability, significantly improving colony productivity and survival rates, turning what was once considered unfeasible into an effective and scalable solution. Gianmario’s background as a mechanical engineer, combined with years of experience as a lecturer at SUPSI, and my expertise in machine tool design allowed us to approach beekeeping from an entirely new perspective, applying thermodynamic principles and designing, testing, and refining various hive prototypes across diverse geographies and climates.

What is BeeHelpful’s vision?
Our vision is both straightforward and ambitious - to transform global beekeeping by making Primal Bee® the new industry standard. Within the next 10 years, we aim to see our hives in use worldwide, from New Zealand and Australia to Chile and Argentina. The challenges beekeepers are facing are universal, and we believe our product is the right technology to provide a lasting solution.

Bringing new people into the team is always a great opportunity but also a challenge for startups. How was this experience for you?
In our case, integrating new team members was natural. We were fortunate to welcome two highly motivated individuals from Israel who share a similar relationship to the one Gianmario and I have. Their enthusiasm and drive have been crucial in pushing us forward up to this point. Our team now spans from Switzerland to Israel and the United States, with each member contributing their expertise while sharing our vision. 

What advice would you give to other Swiss startups based on your international experience?
Ticino is too small. Way too small. That doesn’t mean you have to leave Ticino entirely, but at some point, you need to expand beyond it. My advice is to travel extensively, connect with the international startup ecosystem, and never be afraid to challenge the status quo. Growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing new markets and perspectives.

3 quick questions to wrap it up:

• What do you do when you are not working on BeeHelpful? - I love ski mountaineering, white-water kayaking, and, more recently, thanks to my son Matteo, I’ve discovered surfing.
• What keeps you going? - Our vision, but also having someone to talk to, someone who allows you to release the pressure when things become overwhelming.
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years? - Still involved with Beehelpful, ensuring our technology is adopted worldwide, transforming beekeeping practices, and making a lasting positive impact.