AI comes for the beekeeper with robotic hives that cut colony deaths by 70%

California-based startup Beewise has developed the BeeHome, an AI-powered robotic beehive system that can manage up to 10 traditional hives simultaneously while providing automated care for bee colonies. The technology addresses a critical agricultural crisis, as 40% of bee colonies are collapsing annually due to climate change impacts like stronger hurricanes, wildfires, and increased pesticide use—threatening the pollination of over one-third of crops humans consume.

How it works: The BeeHome uses cameras and AI software to monitor individual bees and automatically respond to their needs through robotic interventions.

• “A robotic beehive is essentially like a traditional beehive. It’s completely backwards compatible, so it uses the same frame, same bees,” explained Saar Safra, CEO and founder of Beewise.
• The AI system identifies when colonies need food, medicine, or temperature regulation, then deploys robotic systems to address these requirements automatically.
• “So if there’s not enough food in the hive, there’s a food container inside this robotic beehive and the robot will take some food supply to the bees. Same thing with medicine, thermoregulation, too cold, too warm, there’s a storm. We can keep the bees comfortable in their home without them being harmed by external weather patterns,” Safra said.

Why this matters: Traditional wooden beehives invented around 1850 offer minimal protection against increasingly severe climate threats that are decimating bee populations.

• Last year, hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged or destroyed thousands of commercial beehives across Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina alone.
• More than one-third of the crops humans eat depend on bee pollination, making colony health critical for food security.

The business case: The BeeHome costs roughly the same as traditional wooden beehives while delivering significant operational advantages and healthier outcomes.

• Safra reports the system achieves 70% lower bee colony loss rates compared to conventional hives.
• The technology saves growers on labor costs while maintaining compatibility with existing beekeeping practices.
• Thousands of BeeHome units are already operating in the field, with the company reporting 40% gross margins.

Scaling potential: Future iterations could dramatically expand management capabilities, making the technology even more attractive to large-scale agricultural operations.

• “You’ll be looking at a BeeHome in a few years that can not only manage 10, but go up to 40 or more. And that’s where you get a lot of operating margin and operating profit off of the same investment,” said John Caddedu, co-founder and general partner at Corner Ventures, an investment firm.

Funding landscape: Beewise has secured $170 million in total funding from prominent investors including Corner Ventures, Insight Partners, Fortissimo, Lool Ventures, and APG.

• Safra noted that revenue, device sales, and customer growth have been “enormous,” indicating strong market traction for the AI-powered beekeeping solution.