Article in Swedish by AGFO: https://www.agfo.se/medlemsintervjuer/ecobloom
EcoSense is aimed at both vertical growers and greenhouse growers. With the help of cameras and sensors, they keep track of whether the crops are doing well and contribute to reduced wastage and better profitability.
Ecobloom has been a member of AGFO since June 2022 and this autumn was joined by the Englishman Darren Whitehurst, Head of Sales & Marketing. AGFO had a telephone meeting with Darren as he sat in his car on a sunny February day on his way from one meeting to another.
Hi Darren, congratulations on a fantastic new job as Head of Sales & Marketing at Ecobloom. Who are you?
I moved to Sweden for love 16 years ago and most of my years in Sweden I have lived in Östergötland. I’ve been living in Stockholm for six months now and I already love it! In recent years, I have worked in several different leading positions within retail, hospitality and facility management. I really enjoy working with leadership, both my own and that of others, and building organizations.
After several years at large companies, I felt it was time for something new, preferably a slightly smaller startup company. It is therefore really exciting to now work in the AgriTech sector, where I see many opportunities to make a difference! I’m sold on making a difference and what could be more important than getting to do it at a company with a fantastic product in food production!
Tell those who don’t know who Ecobloom is.
– Ecobloom is a Swedish AgriTech company that wants to make a positive difference in the world. We develop surveillance systems primarily for commercial indoor growers. The system itself is called EcoSense and consists of water and air sensors combined with advanced multi-spectral cameras that detect disease and stress in the crops – and lots of other things! The sensors send information to a dashboard, which gives the user very important information about how their plants are doing and what improvements are possible and needed. It works in both greenhouses and with vertical cultivation, from smaller cultivation units to the largest. In short, EcoSense helps growers make better decisions, detect problems long before they would have without the system, reduce waste and increase profitability.
Tell us about your history and who your team consists of today?
– Ecobloom was established in Stockholm in 2018 by Hamza Qadoumi, our CEO, and a group of enthusiasts. Today we are 10 people in the team who do everything from technological development & design, plant science to customer relations, sales etc. We are a small group who are passionate about what we do and since there is no book for how things should be done, we all help each other and chip in where needed.
What is Ecobloom’s vision?
– We want to make a positive difference in the world and contribute to a more sustainable production of food with the help of technology and knowledge.
What do you have coming up in 2023?
– The priorities are to reach out and tell more about EcoSense, contribute in a positive way to discussions about sustainable food cultivation and continue to improve EcoSense.
What do you see as the biggest challenges in the food system in the near future?
– There are many different ones, but I personally think that the impact of the food system on the environment is serious and unnecessary, something that needs to change radically. We see that with technology like EcoSense, it is possible for more people to start profitable cultivation units, improve existing ones and thereby produce more locally grown food.
What opportunities do you see?
– I see a lot of potential for different players in the industry to collaborate and co-create to find new and innovative solutions that benefit everyone! Together, we can add value to each other’s businesses.
Thanks Darren and good luck finding new and innovative solutions that benefit everyone!
Feel free to contact Darren if you want to collaborate or just know more about Ecobloom and their services.
