APOLLO · Project

Satellite-Powered Farm Advisory Platform That Replaces Expensive Ground Sensors for Small Farmers

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apollo-h2020.eu

Imagine getting a weather-and-soil report for your farm delivered to your phone every few days — without installing a single sensor in the ground. APOLLO built a platform that reads satellite images (the free ones Europe sends up) and translates them into practical advice: when to water, when to plow, how your crops are growing, and what your harvest will look like. It was tested with real farmers in Spain, Greece, and Serbia, and designed to be cheap enough for small farms that can't afford fancy precision agriculture gear.

By the numbers

18%-51%

Projected ROI in 3 years (low to high uptake scenario)

Countries where pilot testing was conducted (Spain, Greece, Serbia)

Consortium partners across 5 countries

SMEs in the consortium

56%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

Total project deliverables

Farm management services (tillage, irrigation, crop monitoring, yield estimation)

The business problem

What needed solving

Small farmers across Europe cannot afford precision agriculture tools that require expensive ground sensors, proprietary satellite data, or specialized hardware. They make irrigation, tillage, and harvest decisions based on experience and guesswork, leading to wasted water, lower yields, and missed optimal timing. Meanwhile, the satellite data that could help them is freely available but impossible for individual farmers to process and interpret.

The solution

What was built

A complete web and mobile platform that turns free Copernicus satellite data into four practical farm services: tillage scheduling, irrigation scheduling, crop growth monitoring, and crop yield estimation. The final integrated and tested version was delivered after pilot validation in 3 countries. The platform includes pioneering use of Sentinel-1 SAR radar data for soil moisture mapping at previously unachievable resolution.

Audience

Who needs this

AgTech companies building affordable precision farming tools for smallholdersCrop insurance providers seeking satellite-based yield verificationIrrigation districts and water management authoritiesAgricultural cooperatives advising member farmersFarm management software companies looking to add satellite-based features

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Agricultural technology services

SME

Target: Companies selling farm management software or advisory services to smallholders

If you are a farm-tech company struggling to offer affordable precision agriculture to small farms — APOLLO developed a complete platform using free Copernicus satellite data that delivers tillage scheduling, irrigation scheduling, crop growth monitoring, and crop yield estimation through a web and mobile interface. It was pilot-tested in 3 countries with real farmers and projected an ROI of 18% to 51% in 3 years.

Agricultural insurance

any

Target: Crop insurance providers needing better yield estimation and monitoring data

If you are a crop insurer dealing with inaccurate yield estimates and costly field inspections — APOLLO built satellite-based crop yield estimation and growth monitoring that works without ground sensors. The platform processes Sentinel-1 radar data for soil moisture maps at resolution levels not achievable before, giving you field-level data across entire regions without sending anyone to the farm.

Water utilities and irrigation districts

mid-size

Target: Regional water authorities or irrigation cooperatives managing water allocation

If you are an irrigation district trying to optimize water distribution across hundreds of small farms — APOLLO developed automated irrigation scheduling based on satellite-derived soil moisture data from Sentinel-1 SAR images. The system was validated through pilot testing in Spain, Greece, and Serbia, replacing the need for expensive ground-based soil moisture sensors.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use or license this platform?

APOLLO was designed to be cost-effective by using free and open Copernicus satellite data, an automated processing chain, and eliminating the need for ground-based sensors. The preliminary business plan projected an ROI of 18% to 51% in 3 years. Specific licensing terms would need to be discussed with the coordinator DRAXIS ENVIRONMENTAL SA.

Can this work at industrial scale across large regions?

The platform uses Sentinel satellite data which covers all of Europe and beyond, so geographic scaling is built into the design. It was pilot-tested across 3 countries (Spain, Greece, Serbia) with different agricultural conditions. The automated processing chain was specifically designed to handle data delivery at scale without manual intervention.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

The coordinator is DRAXIS ENVIRONMENTAL SA, a Greek SME. The consortium of 9 partners across 5 countries includes 5 industry partners and 4 SMEs, so IP arrangements would involve multiple parties. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing or commercial partnership options.

Has this actually been tested with real farmers?

Yes. The platform was validated through pilot testing in Spain, Greece, and Serbia with the participation of small farmers, agricultural consultants, farmers' associations, and SMEs providing farm management services. Both a first version and a final version of the integrated and tested APOLLO platform were delivered.

What farm management services does it actually provide?

APOLLO delivers four core services: tillage scheduling, irrigation scheduling, crop growth monitoring, and crop yield estimation. These are accessible through both web and mobile interfaces and are based on agricultural parameters calculated from Earth observation, meteorological, and auxiliary data.

Does this comply with EU data and agricultural regulations?

The platform uses publicly available Copernicus data (free and open policy) and was developed under an EU Horizon 2020 Innovation Action. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned, but the EU funding context suggests alignment with European data policies.

What makes this different from existing precision agriculture tools?

APOLLO specifically targets small farmers who cannot afford ground-based sensors or expensive commercial satellite services. The pioneering use of Sentinel-1 SAR data for soil moisture estimation provides spatial and temporal resolution not achievable before, at zero data cost since Copernicus data is free.

Consortium

Who built it

The APOLLO consortium of 9 partners across 5 countries (Austria, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Serbia) is well-balanced for commercialization with 5 industry partners (56% ratio) and 4 SMEs. The coordinator DRAXIS ENVIRONMENTAL SA is a Greek SME, which means the project was led by a commercial entity with direct market incentives rather than a university. The 3 university partners provided scientific depth while the industry-heavy composition ensured the platform was built with real market needs in mind. The geographic spread across Southern and Central Europe, plus Serbia, reflects the target market of small farms common in Mediterranean and Balkan agriculture.

DRAXIS ENVIRONMENTAL SACoordinator · EL
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIENparticipant · AT
EVENFLOWparticipant · BE
FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERINGparticipant · RS
GEOPONIKO PANEPISTIMION ATHINONparticipant · EL
AGRISAT IBERIA SLparticipant · ES
STARLAB BARCELONA SLparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

DRAXIS ENVIRONMENTAL SA (Greece) — search for their team page or contact form at draxis.gr

Order a report on this consortium See DRAXIS ENVIRONMENTAL SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the APOLLO team to discuss licensing their satellite-based farm advisory platform? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and help you evaluate the technology fit for your market.

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