Listen to this articleBelow is our recent interview with Christian Mittermaier, CFO & Co-Founder of ConstellR:
Q: For those who have never heard of it, how would you describe ConstellR?
A: ConstellR provides precision and global “Land Surface Temperature Data” for a growing planet with the help of our own CubeSats from space. Eventhough, the usage of the data is manifold ConstellR is developing the system and the following data output customized for the agricultural sector. This enables new ways of monitoring and analyzing crop land – more precise, more accurate and more affordable than ever before.
Recommended: Acumen Has Recently Raised $7 Million In Seed Funding
Q: How did the idea behind ConstellR come about? Why create ConstellR now?
A: In 2017, Max and Marius, together with colleagues, were developing a cooperative TIR mission concept to expand the Copernicus program, winning third place in the Copernicus Masters 2017 ESA S^3 Challenge. We became part of the Copernicus Accelerator and registered a patent. Together with Christian Mittermaier as the third starting member we evaluated the usage of Thermal Infrared Data on the globe and identified potential use case in particular this massive potential for the agricultural sector. After dozens of conversations with people familiar in this field we did not only see the benefits the data can provide for the people in field but also realized more and more in times of climate change with more extreme weather conditions, reduced farmable land but also in parallel a growing global population that the need, for not only privileged people, but rather for all people on the planet is higher than ever before.
Q: You’ve recently raised $1 Million in Pre Seed funding; can you tell us something more?
A: We are working with a consortium of investors which covers the full spectrum. Together with a strategic partner who helps us to develop the system and two VC partners we have a healthy mix of both worlds.
All parties really believe in the core purpose of this undertaking and shows a strong fundament for now and the future.
Q: What’s the best thing about your technology that people might not know about?
A: Crops or plants are like us, very sensitive when it comes to changes in their environment and you need precise aperture to identify it. Furthermore, the consequences do usually not follow immediately after the cause occurs but rather appear temporarily delayed. However, the current landscape of the data availability is usually only able to see the consequences but cannot grasp the “root cause” right away when the problem e.g. water stress occurs.
Here the ConstellR technology kicks in. Thereby, we are able to see through temperature changes of the crop almost immediately crop stress before physiological changes of the crop appear. This is possible with our patent-pending architecture which allows extreme high accurate temperature data which are comparable with high-end systems of NASA but for a fraction of the cost.
Recommended: Fantasy Football Startup Sorare Raises Over $40 Million In Series A Funding, Announces A New Game With Ubisoft
Q: What is next on the roadmap for ConstellR?
A: The next big milestone is to launch the first system in orbit and therefore not only demonstrate that our technology works but also to provide the first real “Thermal Infrared Data” in the beginning of 2022 which can already be integrated in existing models.
Last Updated on May 7, 2021
