Solum Inc

About Solum Inc

Solum, Inc. was founded in 2009 by a group of Stanford University physicists, including Nick Koshnick, Justin White, and Michael Preiner, who applied their academic backgrounds in applied physics to the agricultural sector. Koshnick, who served as CEO, and White both hold PhDs in Applied Physics from Stanford. The company set out to bring advanced data analysis to farming, focusing on providing deeper insights into soil composition to help growers optimize crop yields and resource use.

The company operated on a business-to-business model, primarily serving third-party agronomists and agricultural retailers who work directly with farms. Its revenue was generated by leasing proprietary hardware for in-field measurements and charging on a per-acre basis for soil analysis conducted at its lab in Ames, Iowa. This analysis provided farmers with a web-based dashboard, including field maps, to guide decisions on fertilizer application and seed placement, aiming to increase profitability and sustainability by reducing chemical runoff.

Solum's core offering was a soil analytics platform that combined hardware and cloud-based software. A key product was the "No-Wait Nitrate" system, a portable, field-deployable tool that delivered real-time soil nitrate level measurements in minutes, a significant reduction from the days-long turnaround of traditional methods. This system analyzed field-moist samples, providing more accurate data than conventional dried-sample tests, enabling farmers to make timely and precise adjustments to fertilizer applications. Beyond nitrogen, the company's lab also offered analysis for other essential nutrients like phosphorus, potash, and zinc.

In February 2014, the soil analysis business line of Solum, including its brand, intellectual property, and the Ames laboratory, was acquired by The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Monsanto. This acquisition integrated Solum's soil science capabilities into The Climate Corporation's broader digital agriculture platform. The software division of Solum was not part of the sale and rebranded as Granular, Inc., continuing as an independent entity focused on cloud-based farm management software.