Dirt, data and determination: Kalib Riddle’s drive to help farmers plant smarter

Dirt, data and determination: Kalib Riddle's drive to help farmers plant smarter

Economics major launches startup to improve fertilizer application

Even the most successful entrepreneurs are never quite sure when they'll land on their next big idea, product or service. But when that lightbulb moment arrives, it can change an industry or culture and make life better for the future.

Ohio State student Kalib Riddle's "a-ha" moment was a conversation with Roan Kovach, his roommate and fellow entrepreneur. They were spit-balling ways to broaden the use of a cancer research sensor that Kovach was working on for use beyond health care. Having grown up in rural Ohio working on farms, Riddle's mind went to agriculture ― specifically fertilizer application.

"Currently, farmers go out and prong every acre, which produces pretty low data precision," says Riddle, a second-year economics major and entrepreneurship minor in the Max M. Fisher College of Business. "This lack of information leads to high fertilizer costs and fertilizer being wasted through runoff, which ultimately leads to soil erosion and damage to the ecosystem. I thought using the sensor on dirt could create extremely potent and precise data."

The idea sparked the creation of Blomso, a startup focused on combining the sensor technology, software and AI to improve agricultural fertilizer application and reduce harmful runoff caused by over-application.

In March, Blomso was one of 12 startups selected for the inaugural Techstars Columbus Powered by The Ohio State University, an accelerator program for early-stage entrepreneurs. The prestigious, and intensive, three-month program fosters high-impact innovation by bringing together mission-driven founders with top software experts. Together, they work to build momentum in their businesses including sales, product development, go-to-market strategies and learn how to raise venture capital funding.

Planting the seeds of Blomso

"We're part of this global push for sustainability," Riddle says. "In agriculture, topsoil loss is one of the biggest problems and a critical piece in the food supply chain. One of the main problems of soil degradation is fertilizer over-usage ― too much fertilizer will ultimately make soil unusable if you apply things like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK) where they aren't needed."

Prior to being selected for Techstars, Riddle met with farmers in central Ohio to discuss fertilizer usage. They told him about their data-gathering techniques, which Riddle saw as inefficient. Currently, the farmers use third-party soil testers who charge $30,000 to $60,000 a year to produce reams of data. That data is then sent to a soil consultant who charges thousands of dollars to interpret the data.

Blomso seeks to address that inefficiency.

With 100 acres of donated land from a local farmer, the Blomso team retrofitted a sensor prototype to the back of an agricultural till, where it took reads of soil parameters such as NPK. Software analyzed the data to identify the locations of hotspots or shortages of those key nutrients throughout the fields. The data was then integrated with automated spreaders to apply an appropriate amount of fertilizer in each sector.

"When I explained how Blomso's technology could automate their process, give them independence and save money, farmers jumped on board," Riddle says. "Through Ohio State's Farm Science Review, I connected with seven other families and now have 13 farms on board and 15,000 acres of donated and dedicated pilot land to take our product full scale."

Riddle estimates that Blomso's sensor may help reduce fertilizer usage by as much as 35%. For a farmer who owns 1,000 acres, the technology could save $110,000 a year in costs.

"This will ultimately help farmers be competitive on the market, pocket some savings and help lower the cost of food," Riddle says. "Fertilizer runoff into the Ohio River and Lake Erie costs farmers and the state around $827 million a year. If we can help stop that runoff at the source with our precise application technology, it will help the state and taxpayers save millions of dollars."

Growing Blomso

During Techstars' accelerator program, Riddle and Roan participated in "Mentor Madness," meeting roughly 100 different entrepreneurs, corporate partners, investors, alumni, engineers and software developers who helped them refine their product and business development, marketing and fundraising strategies and technical applications.

"The mentors helped us look at things we thought we would solve and those we didn't foresee that we ended up solving as well," Riddle says. "This gave us a wide-scoping view of not only our product but helped us grasp the entirety of what we created from an economic, social and ecological view. This gave us the lens to see our company in a completely different way."

Riddle says Alan Gilbert, a lecturer in electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State and Blomso's Entrepreneur in Residence, also recognized problems the team was encountering and helped improve the sensor to make it more durable for market.

Taking in Gilbert's advice, Blomso created the prototype out of steel and focused on identifying and achieving their most important key performance indicators. He helped refine their pitch and collateral that was presented to venture capitalists and government officials during the Techstars Demo Day on May 29, followed by investor presentations in Chicago and New York.

The additional investor presentations in Chicago and New York in June have helped increase Blomso's visibility ― and amplified its need for funding and manufacturing support. The newly developed, durable prototype sensors cost $11,000 each. Riddle's goal is to deploy the sensor on the 15,000 acres of pilot farmland with the Ohio Department of Agriculture in spring 2025. They are also working on a partnership with a food production giant in Europe.

"With Blomso, our ultimate goal is to lower fertilizer usage, allow for healthy topsoil and crops and make the process of sustainable agriculture pragmatic and profitable," Riddle says.

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