We are building the go-to operating system for migratory beekeepers.
We founded Nectar on the premise that better technology could help solve one of the big environmental issues of our time: supporting the crucial role that honey bees play in the food system. We believe that to reverse the accelerating cycle of downward pressure on beekeepers, beekeepers must undergo a digital transformation, augmenting their intelligence with the power of data.
Why Beekeeping matters
An increasing amount of our diet relies upon honey bee pollination. Meanwhile, various forces are making it more challenging to raise healthy honey bees.
A third of our crops depends on bee pollination
A global yield of $200B of crops such as almonds, blueberries, and canola seed depend on the pollination services provided by managed bees.
Beekeeping is becoming less economically sustainable
In response to industry pressures, beekeepers have intensified their practices, from splitting hives to buying more queens. These actions strengthen hives temporarily but introduce unknowns.
The demand for honey bee pollination is rising
Research shows that 40% of insect species could go extinct in the next few decades. As wild pollinators vanish, demand for managed honey bees will continue to surge.
Beekeeping needs to move forward
Beekeepers have always known that collecting data matters, but current systems don’t go far enough. From weather to crop patterns, there are thousands of forces acting upon a hive at a given time. And while intuition can help, it’s powerless in the context of systemic issues.
Milestones
For over seven years, Nectar has been working toward the mission of securing the world's pollinated food supply. Here are a few key moments we've experienced along the way.
2017
Nectar funded
Supported by initial funding from Real Ventures, Nectar’s founding team of product strategists, agricultural engineers, and beekeeping hobbyists began working together in Montreal, inspired by the mission of securing the world’s pollinated food supply.
2019
Hive Sensors Hit the Field
Netar’s first product was an in-hive sensor designed to collect temperature, humidity and sound data to help beekeepers identify problems in real-time. Building and testing this product in the field helped us develop a deeper understanding of the reality of commercial beekeeping.
2020
Pivot to BeeTrack
Months of conversations with beekeepers led to our decision to start working on BeeTrack—a traceability system generating data-driven, operation-specific best management practices. Nectar ran a team-wide hackathon in August 2020, in collaboration with beekeepers and researchers, to build the foundation of the product.
2021
BeeTrack Launches
After receiving verbal commitments from multiple forward-thinking beekeepers in late 2020, our team deployed a rudimentary, field-ready prototype with the goal to co-develop it with our clients. Nectar continued speaking to beekeepers daily to expand the app’s capabilities and make it a useful management tool.
2024
Nectar Installed on over 300,000 Hives
After three years in the market, Nectar has been installed on over 300,000 hives across North America, producing the largest volume of beekeeping data ever collected. We continue working closely with beekeepers to build for their needs and leverage this unprecedented dataset to benefit the industry.
What Nectar stands for
We see Nectar as part of a wider shift toward sustainable business practices. We are on the lookout for partners & stakeholders who want to build this world together.
Directness & Humility
Beekeeping is a complex, nuanced practice, often passed down through multiple generations of family farms. Listening to beekeepers is central to how we build our tech.
Positivity & Constructiveness
As a baseline, we bring a positive attitude to all of our interactions. We don’t dwell on things that aren’t working. We leverage our creativity to develop constructive solutions.
Care & Honor
We believe in the value of our products and we care deeply whether they work. We bring an intense focus to designing good solutions. We respect our stakeholders and we’re committing to doing right by them.
Ambition
We want Nectar to be part of a wider shift in agriculture toward more sustainable practices that are good for people and the planet. We are on the lookout for partners & stakeholders who want to help build this world together.
Collaborative Spirit
Our best product insights come from our customers. So to improve, and ensure we meet our mission, we need to work together. We are constantly learning from beekeepers, and iterating on what we build.
Meet the team
Aurore Jaballah
Accounting & Finance
Claudia Onorato
Software Developer
Grégory Reiser
Mobile App Developer
Shahpur Ahmed
Quality Assurance Specialist
Maximilian Cherney
COO
Nico Coallier
Principal Data Scientist
Marc-André Roberge
Co-Founder, CEO
Bastien Laurent
Chief Technology Officer
Maxime Fraser Franco
Data Scientist
Aaron Toma
Senior Customer Success Specialist
Felipe Pinho
Senior Software Developer
Be part of the future
We're always looking to expand the team with smart, dedicated people. If you think that might be you, get in touch.
Discover open roles“Working at Nectar puts you in a daily conversation with the future of beekeeping, agriculture, and food systems generally. It's a real opportunity to build technology that does good in the world.”
Maximilian Cherney
COO