Aidtec Solutions Interview

Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Izaskun Orive, founder of Aidtec Solutions.

1. To start, Izaskun, could you tell us a little about what led to the creation of AIDTEC Solutions and how was your first contact with the agricultural sector and technology applied to the field?

I come from a family of winegrowers. Both my grandfather and father have been dedicated to it since I can remember, and I have seen with the passing of the years that there are no new generations in the world of the countryside. But, in addition, despite being a traditional sector, innovation, although homemade, has always been there: my father, using his ingenuity and his means, creates his inventions to facilitate the work.

Looking at this scenario, we come to a conclusion: why is digitization reaching so many sectors, but the small farmer seems to always stay out of this world? How can we help farms like mine to have better decision-making tools in a sector where costs are high and quality requirements are increasingly demanding? And so we were giving shape to this project that, for me, is so special.

2. What made you become an entrepreneur in a sector as challenging as agriculture and technology? Tell us about your experience.

I have the inoculated entrepreneurial gene. My father is, and it’s something we’ve always seen at home. If I had to choose only one reason why I embarked on this project, it is to continue a work that my family has developed with so much effort and love over the years. Giving farmers new tools to manage their work more easily and efficiently is what moves me the most.

Finding niches where technology still has a lot to contribute is key, and in the case of agriculture, more so. An industry where tradition is the rule can find a great support in the use of technology, never to replace that tradition, but to facilitate it and give it continuity.

3. What obstacles did you face when starting with AIDTEC Solutions and how did you overcome them?

In terms of obstacles, this is a race that never ends: new ones are created every day and they are overcome. The first was to validate that this happy idea made sense: Sensors to capture what the farmer’s experience knows based on intuition and years? Is it possible? Well, it was. And it has been a step by step, seeing problems and their solutions, spending Saturdays and Sundays in the vineyards, and knowing in detail the processes of the vineyard.

We always say that for us the most complicated presentation was in Labastida, when before those who know the field to the core, we tell them what we are able to do. It was the meeting from which we learned most, and where great projects have come forward.

Because that’s what it is: working with those who live in the countryside on a daily basis and creating technological solutions for them. That’s why we put so much emphasis on co-creating with the farmer and the winery. Putting technology at the service of a sector as it develops, not the other way around.

4. What problems or needs does AIDTEC Solutions try to solve in the agricultural market and how is it different from other companies in the sector?

I think the big difference is to create with the farmer or the winery. We do not implement a technology for the sake of it, but vice versa: we raise the potential that this has and put it at the service of those who know the business in detail, so that together, we can draw conclusions. Come on, create the solution together. The problems will be specific to each farmer or winery: some look more at the short term, because their process so demands (product costs, better times to carry out processes, disease prediction, estimated grape quantities…), while others seek information in the medium-long term, such as the behavior of a land, the progression of a variety over time, or the long-term impact that climate and external agents are generating on its results.

The problems are often shared, but the case studies are particular and the information collected allows for that level of detail.

5. What is the most valuable advice you have received as an entrepreneur that has helped you to move forward on this path?

“Do it. And if you’re afraid, do it with fear”. I am a creative person, full of ideas, but with a strong analytical part, which, I have to see clearly. And in projects that are a totally new bet, sometimes you have to make a small leap of faith (with judgment, yes). But it’s a bet, and if you feel like it’s there, you have to try. This has been my experience in the last 4 years.

Participating in this project for me made perfect sense, because in my family, we continue to give continuity to our vineyards, and the plan is to do it many more years with my sister. If above, our exploitation and knowledge have been fundamental part of a pioneering project that drives the sector and the implementation of technology as support, I can ask for more.

6. Finally, what advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting in the agricultural sector or elsewhere? What do you think are the keys to success?

Listen hard. In the world of agriculture, the best know-how is in the pocket of the man who goes to the country every day. And there is no perfect way to do the job, but a mix of many methods that, together, form the perfect setting for the treatment of the vineyard. The key is to put on your boots and be there, understanding the process.

Also, something that has always been key for me, in any project, is to surround myself with good people (and smarter than I am). Making the journey is only difficult, but having the right travel companions, who drive you and with whom to create a much more complete team, is essential. In that respect, I’ve been very lucky. And I’m not just talking about partners: I’m talking about allies, advisors, experienced people who tell you their vision, institutions… Create a strong ecosystem around the project.

I think nothing can guarantee success. Sometimes, as well as you do everything, there are elements that are not under your control and initiatives do not come out. But the important thing is to keep the learning that this path leaves you. And once again, listen, because no matter how much you love your idea, if you have the ability to be flexible and adapt yourself to find that authentic fit with a real need, you have all the ingredients to make it happen.