Founder Of The Week: Robin Saluoks
Robin Saluoks grew up in a farming family but pursued computer science, ultimately merging both worlds to create eAgronom, a platform now used by 3,500 farmers managing more than 2.5 million hectares. He founded eAgronom after seeing his father…
Robin Saluoks grew up in a farming family but pursued computer science, ultimately merging both worlds to create eAgronom, a platform now used by 3,500 farmers managing more than 2.5 million hectares. He founded eAgronom after seeing his father struggle with multiple spreadsheets, transforming a simple tool into a fully developed system that helps farmers track data, report to governments, and earn income through carbon storage. Robin is deeply focused on automating the collection of millions of data points required for soil carbon measurement, believing that farmers should be able to report information without ever touching a computer or mobile app. He defines success through consistent high performance, personal discipline, and seamless farmer experience, and he is already watching major opportunities emerge in Africa as eAgronom prepares for its next stage of growth.
I grew up in a farming family but ended up studying computer science – so I’ve always had one foot in the field and the other in the code. Those two worlds finally came together at eAgronom, where we build tools that help farmers manage their farms, report to governments, track GHG emissions, and earn extra income by storing carbon in their soil.
Today, 3,500 farmers use eAgronom to manage over 2.5 million hectares – that’s more than twice the total farmland in my home country, Estonia.
What Inspired You To Start eAgronom? What Problem Were You Trying To Solve
Back in 2016, my father was trying to replace about ten different Excel sheets to manage our family farm. We looked around for a proper tool, but nothing really fit. So, I decided to build something myself. Other farmers saw it, started using it, and just like that eAgronom was born. Funny enough, the very first prototype had a “humus balance calculator.”
Humus is the richest part of the soil and about half of it is carbon. There wasn’t any business plan behind it back then; we just wanted to remind farmers how important healthy soil is. Fast forward to today, our Carbon Program at eAgronom uses advanced soil models, but that same belief, that farmers should track and improve their soil, is still at the heart of everything we do.
What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge So Far? How Did You Overcome It?
From our 2.5 million hectares of client farmland, around half of the farmers have joined the eAgronom Carbon Program. To prove that these farmers are storing more carbon in their soil compared to their previous practices, we need to collect detailed management data, model soil carbon changes, and perform soil sampling.
I grew up in a farming family but ended up studying computer science – so I’ve always had one foot in the field and the other in the code.
Collecting this data is by far the biggest challenge in our industry – we’re talking about millions of data points every year. That’s why most of our R&D is focused on automating this process 100%. Our goal is that farmers don’t even need to open a computer or our mobile app to provide information. It just works like magic.
Can You Describe a Pivotal Moment That Significantly Shaped the Direction of eAgronom?
One very special moment was when my co-founder, Kristjan Luha, joined the team. He’s a former Nike VP and an ultramarathon runner. We met completely by chance in Costa Rica, became friends, and later he joined eAgronom. Kristjan’s wisdom has had a massive impact not only on our business direction, but also on our company culture.
For Your Business: Our north star is automating data collection. As I mentioned before, farmers shouldn’t have to open a computer or even our mobile app just to report data. We want their experience to be completely seamless. When we achieve that, everything else – scale, revenue, and impact will naturally follow.
As a Founder: I don’t really see myself separate from eAgronom. My main goal is to perform at the highest possible level for the company every single day. That also means taking care of myself: exercise, sleep, and consistency are all part of that performance mindset.
What Advice Would You Give to Someone Thinking About Launching Their Own Startup?
Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems. Stay calm and keep moving forward. I’ve seen too many young founders get either overly hyped or completely stressed out and as a result, they lose focus. The best founders stay centered on what matters right now. Focus on the most important task on your table, finish it, and ship results. Then repeat.
What’s Next for eAgronom? Any Exciting Developments We Should Watch Out For?
We’re about to issue the first carbon credits from eAgronom’s Verra-certified soil carbon program later this year. It’s a huge, long-awaited milestone that proves to farmers that carbon revenue is real. It’s also the green light for us to scale without limits – something we’ve been working toward for the past five years.
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Based on reporting by techround.co.uk.