Deep-tech R&D · Pollination systems
ForgeBee is developing and scaling automated solutions to revolutionize pollination.
/ 01 — Mission
Automated and sustainable solutions for superior bee production, distribution, and pollination.
The Challenge
Bees pollinate roughly one third of the global food supply, yet populations have been in decline for over 30 years. Beekeepers recorded losses of about 60% of hives in both 2024 and 2025.
Migratory pollination compounds the strain: an estimated 1.6 million hives travel thousands of miles every year. It is costly, logistically intense, and accelerates the spread of disease.
The Opportunity
Bees add hundreds of billions of dollars to the global food supply. Pollination-limited crops can see yields rise by up to +30% with reliable pollination.
ForgeBee protects bees from the factors driving collapse and makes healthy bees available on demand. Producing bees at scale lets beekeepers maximize their clients' crop pollination.
/ 02 — News & Milestones
Federal Validation
$4.5M DARPA + SBIR Phase I
Federal funding demonstrates strategic national need and enabled early development of the platform.
Commercial Traction
~$50K QMC Sales + Development Agreement
Early QMC sales in government and academic channels, plus an R&D agreement with a major agritech company.
Community Recognition
Techstars + agriculture awards
Participating in Techstars Chicago; received the 2026 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Award; preparing USDA-backed field trials in summer 2026.
/ 03 — Platform
Together, our product offerings will form an end-to-end beekeeping and pollination platform.
AI-driven queen monitoring with automated husbandry inside controlled labs. A proprietary 264-well plate mimics natural honeycomb and keeps the queen safe from disease and pesticides.
Robotic rearing that produces bees at scale — free of diseases, parasites and pesticides. On-demand, non-seasonal production with full control over every developmental stage.
Ship only the pollinating bees — the queen stays home. Efficient field deployment delivers up to 4× the pollination performance of traditional hives.
/ 04 — Backed by
Validated by federal research programs and accelerated by a leading venture network.
DARPA + SBIR
$4.5M federal funding, Phase I — strategic national validation.
NIH
Research funding supporting the underlying bee science.
/ 05 — Team
ForgeBee is led by experienced bee scientists with deep research and commercialization alignment.
Adam Hamilton, PhD
Co-Founder & CEO
15 years researching bees and leading technology development at UIUC. Drives commercialization, field-trial execution, and go-to-market across growers, beekeepers and partners.
Gene Robinson, PhD
Co-Founder & CTO
40+ years researching bees. Member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, and 2018 Wolf Prize in Agriculture. Co-led the scientific foundation behind ForgeBee's tech stack.