Swarmed

Over het initiatief / About the initiative

In welke fase zit jouw initiatief? / In what stage is your initiative?

Startupfase

Heb je jouw initiatief al gevalideerd? / Did you validate your initiative?

Yes. Swarmed is already used by over 9,000 beekeepers across North America, Europe, and Australia. So far this season, more than 5,500 swarms have been reported and rehomed through the platform in collaboration with beekeepers, over 70 beekeeping associations, and nonprofit partners. This spring, backed by a successful crowdfunding campaign, we are building a new beekeeper dashboard to make data insights easier to access and use. Swarmed has been bootstrapped with the support of beekeepers and the public, leaving us confident that our work addresses a pressing need.

Meer informatie over jouw initiatief / More info about your initiative

Swarmed is a global platform that helps beekeepers respond to honey bee swarms, the natural way colonies reproduce. Without a beekeeper, fewer than 1 in 4 swarms survive. Most people don’t know who to call when they see a swarm, and many are mistakenly treated as dangerous and destroyed, even though bees pollinate ¾ of our most productive crops.

Swarmed connects the public with local beekeepers who can safely remove and rehome them. So far this season, over 5,500 swarms have been saved using Swarmed, protecting 82 million bees, producing 148,000 pounds of honey, and saving beekeepers €600,000. These swarms are a crucial resource for beekeepers to replenish their hives in a year when winter losses have topped 55%.

With over 9,000 active beekeepers and the largest swarm dataset ever assembled, we’re working to build open-source tools like a bee friendliness index and seasonal swarm predictions to support pollinator health. We have also developed a model that distinguishes between bees, wasps, and bumble bees to help inform the public quickly and accurately.

Swarmed is working toward a future where tech and data strengthen our living ecosystems, supporting SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 13 (Climate Action), and 15 (Life on Land).

Wat is er anders/nieuw aan jouw idee/oplossing t.o.v. bestaande oplossingen? / What is different/new about your idea/solution compared to existing solutions??

Swarmed is the first coordinated effort to solve the problem of swarm response at scale. Most existing methods were local directories, static web pages, or informal social media posts. Swarmed together brings mapping, automation, and community tools in one place. It’s also the only platform building an open global swarm dataset and using AI to support public understanding and beekeeper decision-making around pollinator health.

Wat zijn jouw volgende stappen om het verder te ontwikkelen? / What are your next steps to develop the initiative?

We’re building a new dashboard for beekeepers, funded by our recent Kickstarter campaign. It will give users access to real-time swarm alerts, historical swarm maps, and seasonal predictions, helping them respond more effectively and plan ahead. Our next major step is to develop a bee friendliness metric based on local swarm and pollinator data. This will allow bees to serve as low-cost biomonitors, giving cities and researchers a clearer picture of where pollinators are thriving or struggling. Over time, we aim to make this data actionable for policymakers and commercial partners.

Wat heb je nodig om (nog meer) impact te maken met dit initiatief? / What do you need to make (more) impact with this initiative?

To grow our impact, we need stronger connections with researchers, urban ecologists, and stakeholders working on biodiversity and land use. Our data has potential to inform planning and conservation, but we need partners to help validate and apply it.