As climate change and economic pressures reshape the wine industry, vineyard operators are seeking new ways to manage crops more efficiently. Traditional methods – reliant on manual scouting and intuition – are proving inadequate in the face of unpredictable weather, rising input costs, and labour shortages.

Enter Prospecto, a deep-tech start-up based in Brescia, which is bringing AI-powered automation directly into the field. Founded in 2022, the company has developed a vision system that mounts onto tractors, sprayers, and harvesters, turning them into mobile data-gathering platforms.

“We started with the idea of applying our research experience in vision and measurement systems to agriculture – a sector where such technologies were still largely untapped,” Davide Botturi, CTO and co-founder tells AgTechNavigator.

“The key pain point we address is the difficulty growers face in truly knowing what is happening in their fields in real time.

“Without timely and objective data, it’s impossible to take the corrective actions needed to optimize orchards (not only vineyards) health and productivity while minimizing inputs such as water, fertilisers, and pesticides.”

How it works

Prospecto’s system uses tractor-mounted cameras to continuously capture images of the vineyard canopy, grape clusters, and foliage. These images are processed in real time using machine learning algorithms to detect key indicators such as fruit count, leaf colour, canopy density, and early signs of disease or water stress.

The insights are then shared with OEM partners – agricultural machinery manufacturers – who integrate the data into their platforms. This allows growers to access actionable agronomic information without changing their daily operations.

“By turning tractors, sprayers, and harvesters into mobile observation platforms, we aim to make high-quality agronomic data accessible and actionable at scale,” Botturi explains. “Our goal is to help the industry transition from reactive management to proactive, predictive orchard management — where every pass in the field contributes to a smarter and more resilient production system.”

Reducing inputs, enhancing precision

By automating the detection of plant stress and disease, Prospecto’s system reduces the need for manual scouting and enables more targeted interventions. This helps growers limit crop damage, reduce pesticide use, and optimise irrigation — all while cutting operational costs.

Davide Botturi, CTO and co-founder (right): “AI will make it possible to monitor every tree, anticipate problems before they spread, and optimize the use of water, fertilisers, and treatments – moving the sector toward more precise and sustainable production.” (FoodSeed)

“As climate change accelerates, traditional empirical models and intuition-based decisions are becoming less reliable,” Botturi notes. “The patterns growers have relied on for decades are shifting, making continuous and data-driven monitoring essential. Prospecto provides the technological foundation for this transition – helping the industry move from reactive practices to proactive, adaptive management.”

The system also builds a historical dataset for each plot, allowing the AI to learn and improve over time. This enables more accurate yield predictions and better understanding of intra-field variability – key to precision viticulture.

FoodSeed accelerator to drive growth

Prospecto was recently selected to join FoodSeed, the agrifoodtech accelerator backed by CDP Venture Capital and Eatable Adventures. The programme provides funding, mentorship, and strategic support to help start-ups scale.

“The funding will support further development and field testing,” Botturi says. “But just as important is the mentorship – helping us define the right business model and market positioning.”

During the acceleration period, Prospecto aims to launch a standalone hardware unit and release its first software platform. It also plans to expand pilot projects beyond vineyards into other crops, and deepen collaborations with agricultural machinery manufacturers.

Scaling up and expanding horizons

Prospecto is already working with research institutes, growers, and an OEM partner. Its roadmap includes expanding these partnerships, launching new pilots across different regions, and tailoring analytical modules to specific production contexts.

“Our technology was designed to support the entire agricultural sector,” Botturi says.

“So far we’ve concentrated on vineyards and apple orchards to validate our approach and refine both the hardware and the algorithms in real operational contexts.

“In the near future, we plan to extend our work to other fruit crops, building on the experience and datasets gathered so far. Over the longer term, our goal is to adapt the technology to a wider range of crops and geographies, enabling smarter, data-driven management across diverse agricultural systems.”

AI’s role in the future of viticulture

Looking ahead, Botturi sees AI becoming central to vineyard and orchard management.

“As climate patterns grow less predictable and labour resources become increasingly limited, producers and equipment manufacturers will depend more on continuous, data-driven insights rather than on fixed calendars or empirical experience.

“AI will make it possible to monitor every tree, anticipate problems before they spread, and optimize the use of water, fertilisers, and treatments — moving the sector toward more precise and sustainable production.”

Prospecto’s vision is to embed intelligence directly into the machines already operating in the field — helping the industry shift from reactive to predictive farming.