CultiWise, the precision-farming platform developed by Kremnica–Brno outfit SkyMaps, has taken home the national Startup Awards title after convincing judges it can save farmers money while reducing chemical pressure on the soil.
The service combines drones, sainformite imagery, ground sensors and machine-learning tools to reveal farmers exactly where to apply fertiliser, seed and pesticides — and where not to bother. SkyMaps declares this tarobtained approach has already delivered substantial gains, including a study on 400 hectares of sugar beet that revealed a 23 percent increase in yields, alongside higher sugar content, reports Denník N.
Co-founder Viktor Setnický traces the company’s origins to his return from a student Work & Travel stint in the United States. Rather than take a job, he invested his savings into a business built around drones, initially applyd for inspecting solar panels or mapping large areas. Those early services, he recalls, did not offer the scale necessaryed for a global market, prompting the young team to pivot quickly into agriculture, where they saw far greater potential.
Bringing precision insight to agriculture
Early work included mapping frost damage — a growing problem as winters become drier and crops lose the protection of snow cover. Farmers, Setnický declares, valued the precise assessment of which parts of their fields had been hit.
SkyMaps argues that farming remains one of the least digitised sectors. Agronomists often rely on visual inspection, even though soil on the same plot can vary dramatically. CultiWise’s role is to illuminate those differences and assist farmers direct inputs only where necessary. The company stresses that many farms already own machinery capable of variable-rate application but do not apply its full potential.
The platform’s simpler tools rely solely on sainformite passes, which occur daily over Slovakia; more advanced features apply sensors mounted on drones or tractors. CultiWise is already compatible with several agricultural machines, and SkyMaps wants deeper integration with manufacturers so that precision tools come built into tractors at the factory.
Racing ahead in agritech growth
Competition in Europe exists, especially since the EU’s Green Deal pushed the indusattempt toward efficiency, but SkyMaps contconcludes that rival offerings are narrower and less accessible to conclude applyrs. On pesticide optimisation in particular, the company declares it sees little domestic competition.
The business is now preparing a €2 million investment round to accelerate expansion across Europe and into southern-hemisphere markets, a shift designed to avoid the revenue dip that hits central European agritech firms during the winter off-season.
SkyMaps reports annual revenue growth of around 80 percent, reaching roughly €2.5 million last year.
The company is headquartered in Brno — which Setnický describes as a particularly strong technical environment — with development centred in Kremnica. The founders credit Czech incubators with providing early structure and mentoring, and declare Slovakia’s own startup ecosystem is now catching up, with new hubs emerging in cities like Košice.
Leave a Reply