Agricultural innovation takes the podium: Soilence’s success at Trentino Startup Valley

At a time when water scarcity stands among the most urgent global challenges, a promising solution is emerging from the heart of research in Trentino. On November 13, 2025, at the Itas Forum in Trento, the annual edition of Trentino Startup Valley (TSV) came to a close, with the Soilence team securing second place. In front of an audience of over 200 investors, entrepreneurs, and institutional representatives, the project demonstrated how technology can provide concrete solutions to one of the most critical issues of our time.

A biodegradable weapon against drought

At the core of Soilence lies a fully biodegradable water-retaining soil amendment, designed to capture water in the soil and gradually release it to crops. This technology aims to significantly enhance agricultural resilience during drought periods, offering farmers a sustainable and scientifically validated tool. For the founders, this recognition confirms that innovation in agriculture is not only possible but essential to efficiently manage our most valuable resource: water.

The journey

Soilence’s success marks the culmination of an intensive journey that began in February 2025 within Trentino Startup Valley, the acceleration program promoted by Trentino Sviluppo and Fondazione HIT. Over several months, Soilence competed with 25 other startups through rigorous stages:

• Bootstrap: Four months dedicated to strengthening the core idea and ensuring its economic sustainability.
  
• Validation: Six months refining the business model, supported by experts in coaching, legal affairs, marketing, cybersecurity, and finance.
  

This acceleration path enabled the team to transform a technological insight into a solid venture ready to face global market challenges.

From research to patent: the team’s future

Behind Soilence stands a team of outstanding researchers from the Department of Industrial Engineering (DII): Alessandro Sorze, Laura Simonini, Marica Bianchi, and Francesco Valentini. The achievement at the Itas Forum is the result of strong teamwork and the trust placed in them by Fondazione HIT and the University of Trento.

The second prize is not a finishing line, but a launching pad. The next steps are clear: the team is currently working on patent development and on obtaining official recognition as a university startup. The ultimate goal remains firm, to bring academic research excellence directly to the field, making tomorrow’s agriculture stronger, more sustainable, and better prepared to face climate change.