Lorenzo Conti admits he wasn’t thinking about starting a business when he first discovered the “Crover effect.” Conti was completing his PhD in granular materials at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland when he discovered that the mathematical equations he developed to calculate movement in granular materials were not just theoretical.
His breakthrough became the basis of Crover, producers of a small robotic device that can “swim” through grain, sand and other materials and collect real-time measurements on multiple data points, including temperature, moisture content and CO2 levels, all while stirring and aerating the grain.
With his PhD and technological breakthrough in hand, Conti pondered his options and soon realized that he wanted to start a business.
“It became obvious at that point,” he said.” “If I don’t do it, no one else is going to do it.”
Conti credited the University of Edinburgh with helping guide him through the early stages of establishing Crover, including market research that helped Conti focus on grain as the initial target of his burgeoning business.
Monitoring large grain silos often involves a person walking on top of the grain bulk and using a manual probe to take measurements and samples. But walking on top of a grain bulk is dangerous and can lead to grain entrapment, which is potentially fatal.
The need for an alternative was glaring and Crover was ready to take the next step from research and development and move into commercialization and manufacturing. Conti said he needed to expand into the United States to do that.
Crover was named a finalist in the 2023 Grow-NY food and agriculture business competition. Leading up to the final pitch competition and awards summit, the company was given the opportunity to tour the Grow-NY region and with help from the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech (CoE), formed relationships with grain storage operators and other potential partners that would fuel the company’s potential growth in the region. Conti said a grain storage operator told him they had invested in hundreds of sensors for a single silo.
“Grow-NY made it possible for us to take our first trips to the U.S. as a company,” Conti said. “It has been a whirlwind of emotion.”
Crover ultimately won $500,000 through Grow-NY, cementing the company’s expansion into the U.S. Crover officially established its U.S. operation in February and in March 2024, hired its first employee within the Grow-NY region. After touring resources available with the CoE, Conti said he plans for Geneva to become the central hub for Crover’s North America operation.
In September, Crover will move to a new lab and small manufacturing space within the CoE at the Cornell AgriTech campus in Geneva. The CoE is helping Crover apply for START-UP NY and other programs that will help stimulate the company’s growth in the region. Crover was also named a finalist in GENIUS NY, the world’s largest business accelerator for the uncrewed systems industry. The competition not only means an investment award of at least $500,000, but will further solidify Crover’s future in Upstate New York.
The CoE has also connected Crover with Cornell University faculty, who have expressed interest in collaborating with Crover for future grants and research, further expanding the impact Crover can have on New York State.
While grain is the focus for now, Conti said he expects Crover to expand into uses for minerals, chemical powders and other materials. Ultimately, he’d love to see a Crover device in space.
“Our goal is to enable humanity to reach below the surface,” Conti said.
Jacob Pucci is the marketing and communications coordinator for the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech.
