Quanturi and the EIC Accelerator: Smart Hay Sensors, Small Sales

Quanturi, a Finnish company, sells wireless temperature probes that farmers insert into hay bales, marketed as fire prevention and quality monitoring. Its EIC project, HAYTECH AI, set out to go further: use the data to predict hay quality and help dairy farms feed cows better and raise milk yield, according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,499,875 towards a €3.6 million project from February 2023 to October 2025. The final report says the system reached technology readiness level 8, with AI models at "≈ 85 % accuracy" for protein and fibre values, a 53% cut in manufacturing cost, ten pilot farms in France, Germany, Italy and the UK plus sites in Australia, and distribution partnerships with John Deere and Farmscan. It claims milk yield rises of 1.5% to 2%. Quanturi's revenue reached €1.64 million in the year to March 2026, with an operating loss of €434,000 and an equity ratio of 5%, according to Asiakastieto.

Where Quanturi Stands Now

Quanturi's recent case studies are about laundries preventing fires from spontaneous combustion, a seed company's storage and grain bin monitoring, alongside hay. Revenue grew 64% in the year to March 2026, after falling from €1.51 million to €772,000 two years earlier. The company has not announced an equity round, and its equity ratio of 5% leaves little buffer.

The Technology: Reading Hay From the Inside

The probes measure temperature inside bales and send the data wirelessly, with a range of about one kilometre and battery life of more than 18 months, according to the report. HAYTECH AI adds models that estimate crude protein and fibre values. The report claims hay losses fall by about 10% and milk yield rises by 1.5% to 2%, figures from its own pilots that no independent study has confirmed.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised hay data analytics and fermentation control to raise milk yields. The report says all work packages were completed, five demo days drew more than 250 participants and major agricultural distributors signed on. It does not say how many farms pay for the AI service. CORDIS still lists the project as signed.

1. AI quality modelsDelivered~85% accuracy.
2. Pilot validationDeliveredTen farms, four countries.
3. DistributionSignedJohn Deere, Farmscan.
4. Profitable growthNot yetOperating loss €434k.

The Money

Quanturi's revenue was €1.51 million in the year to March 2022, fell to €772,000 a year later, and recovered to €1.64 million by March 2026. It has made an operating loss in every year shown, between €219,000 and €668,000. The EIC grant alone was larger than any single year's revenue.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The EIC funded a small Finnish company to add AI to a simple farm sensor. The technology was finished and piloted across Europe. The business remains small.

The Verdict

Quanturi and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.