HiVe Minded

Beewise set out to save he bees. Its Al-powered beehive technology protects pollinators.

- CHLOE AIELLO

As an undergraduate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Eliyah Radzyner developed an unexpected passion: honeybees. While pursuing a degree in agroecology and sustainable agriculture, he began taking courses on beekeeping, keeping his own hives as a hobby, and growing increasingly fond of the humble creatures. "They're very, very similar to us. They have personalities, and they make decisions, and they regulate the temperature of the hive, just like we regulate the temperature of our body," he says. "There are a lot of similarities, and that's what got me interested at first."

Upon graduation, he flipped his passion into a career as a commercial beekeeper. But in spite of his best efforts, Radzyner kept running into the same problem. His colonies were dying at alarming rates. "Every time you go out, you return with some empty [bee] boxes," he says. "The feeling is that you're always too late."

The challenges facing honeybees have shifted radically in recent years, but the technology used by beekeepers-a profession often passed down through generations-hasn't meaningfully evolved. Most modern beehive designs are based on the simple Langstroth hive, invented by a Pennsylvanian of the same name and patented in 1852. But in the 170 years since, the role of honeybees in global agriculture has completely evolved, as have the threats they face. Radzyner felt it was time for the status quo to change.