- Background
- What we're looking for
- What we can offer you
- Q&A
Household pest infestations—across lawns, gardens, and structures—are common, yet chronically under-recognized. Because current consumer-grade solutions lean on conventional, passive traps, detection only occurs after populations have established, leading to a reactive approach to pest management. Consumers may also struggle to identify the specific pest species (, their behaviors, and how to effectively manage them. In addition, the complexity in the retail aisle often leads to treatment ambiguity and improper chemical application.
Advances in sensing, imaging, connected devices, and AI-enabled classification are creating new ways to identify the problem early. These technologies may enable identification before capture, or add intelligence to traps and monitoring devices by automatically recognizing, counting, or tracking pests and activity over time.
Earlier and more reliable insight into what pests are present, where they are active, and how activity is changing could help consumers respond sooner, choose more appropriate control options, and navigate pest-control products with greater confidence.
We are seeking technologies and components that can contribute to an intelligent, consumer-friendly pest detection & monitoring system. Relevant solutions may address sensing, identification, activity tracking, connectivity, analytics, or other capabilities that help identify, quantify, and track pest activity before a visible or widespread infestation occurs. Relevant applications may include household, structural, lawn, and garden insect pests, with solutions not necessarily expected to address all pest types or environments. The ultimate goal is to integrate these capabilities into a system that communicate useful information to the consumer through a connected device or interface. We are open to individual technologies that address part of this broader vision.
Any future consumer-facing solutions should prioritize affordability and low maintenance, including simple installation and long unattended operation, while maintaining high sensitivity & accuracy with minimal false alarms.
- AI & Computer Vision: Image-recognition tools and optical sensors cross-referencing databases for instant, accurate pest identification
- IoT Smart Traps: Connected devices delivering real-time metrics, diagnostics, and micro-climate-driven perimeter defense
- Passive Detection & Dashboards: Zero-touch monitoring converting sensor telemetry into real-time alerts, system health, and threat maps
- Sensors & Radar: VOC, acoustic, optical, and mmWave radar sensors for semiochemical detection, 3D localization, and wingbeat classification
- Clear line of sight to a meaningful solution available commercially within the next 3 to 5 years
- Empirical, scientific data backing the efficacy and identification capabilities of the solution
- Clear pathway to integration with consumer-facing apps or connected devices through standard data-transfer or communication protocols
- Environmentally sustainable design, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., responsible consumption, life on land, good health)
- Existing consumer-facing app, dashboard, or device interface
- Prior submission, review, or approval by relevant regulatory/government bodies (EPA, USDA, NOP, OMRI, etc.)
- Replicated, controlled trials demonstrating statistically significant benefits in a true consumer situation
- Single ecosystems seamlessly combining real-time sensor detection with automated precision control/trap responses
- Versatile, insect-focused indoor and outdoor control for household bugs, structural insects, and lawn or garden pests
- Solutions requiring an excessive number of devices (e.g., more than 2) to monitor a single room or small area
- Large, industrial-scale agricultural machinery unsuited for residential spaces
- Solutions requiring professional installation or complex, constant upkeep
- Untargeted, broadcast chemical spraying equipment lacking sensor integration
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