GroPoint
GroPoint, operated by RioT Technology Corp. in British Columbia, designs and manufactures scientific-grade soil moisture and temperature sensors built on its proprietary TDT5 technology, serving commercial agriculture, university and government research, and industrial environmental monitoring customers across more than 100 countries via a global distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNorth Saanich, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What GroPoint does
GroPoint is a soil moisture sensing brand operated by RioT Technology Corp., a privately held Canadian corporation headquartered in North Saanich, British Columbia, with manufacturing operations in Victoria, BC. The company designs and manufactures scientific-grade soil moisture and temperature sensors built on its proprietary TDT5 (Time Domain Transmission 5) technology — an enhancement of time-domain transmission measurement that uses sub-nanosecond electromagnetic pulse transmission along sealed probes to infer the dielectric properties of soil. The flagship GroPoint Profile is a multi-segment profiling probe available in 2- to 8-segment configurations (up to 120 cm depth) that delivers continuous moisture and temperature measurements across each 15 cm segment under one SDI-12 address, eliminating dead spots between discrete point sensors. GroPoint Lite complements this with a single-depth sensor offered in analog (0-5 mA, 4-20 mA) and digital (SDI-12, RS-485/Modbus) interfaces. Supporting products include the Bluetooth SDI-12 Data Logger (BTDL), a handheld SDI-12 Display Unit, Radius LPWAN wireless systems enabling sensor connectivity up to 15 km, and Orbit cellular and GOES satellite data uplinks for remote deployments.
GroPoint's commercial customers fall into three primary segments: commercial agriculture (vineyards, orchards, row crops, turf) where sensors support deficit irrigation scheduling and water-use efficiency; scientific research and academia (UC Berkeley, Cornell, Purdue, Michigan State, Yale, McGill, UBC, SFU, NMSU, Texas A&M, and USDA, among others); and industrial / environmental monitoring (hydrology, mining, climate monitoring). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; repairs are billed at US$130/hour with a 12-month product warranty, and a 3% educational discount applies to small-volume university orders. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing, employs 11–50 people, and is led by David R. I. as CEO and founder.
Distribution is primarily channel-based through a 14-distributor international reseller network spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania, with Stevens Water in the USA, Van Walt in UK/Ireland/Spain, Scanmatic in Scandinavia, UGT and UP Umweltanalytische in Germany, GIONA and Idrobit in Italy, Meatech in India, and ESS Earth Sciences in Australia/NZ among the named partners. RioT Technology serves as manufacturer and Canadian distributor. Products use the SDI-12 V1.3 standard protocol for interoperability with third-party sensors, and the GP Reader Android app enables local Bluetooth data retrieval at zero recurring cost. Sensors from the GroPoint platform are deployed in over 100 countries across thousands of installations.
GroPoint firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GroPoint
- Legal name
- RioT Technology Corp.
- Website
- https://gropoint.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GroPoint, operated by RioT Technology Corp. in British Columbia, designs and manufactures scientific-grade soil moisture and temperature sensors built on its proprietary TDT5 technology, serving commercial agriculture, university and government research, and industrial environmental monitoring customers across more than 100 countries via a global distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GroPoint industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Sensors
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In-Field Sensor Hardware (Soil Moisture/Nutrient, Weather, Canopy Sensors) (AFABAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Precision Sensing & Monitoring (Soil/Weather Stations, In-Field Sensors, IoT) (AFAGALAB), Irrigation Monitoring & Sensors (Flow/Pressure Meters, Soil Moisture, Water Quality Sensors) (AFABAHAJ), Environmental Sensors (Temperature/Humidity/Gas/Air Quality) (HDAHALAD)
Keywords
Where GroPoint is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Saanich
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
GroPoint business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: GroPoint generates revenue primarily through the sale of proprietary soil moisture sensors (GroPoint Profile, GroPoint Lite), data loggers (Bluetooth SDI-12 Data Logger, Display Unit), wireless telemetry products (Radius LPWAN, Orbit data uplink), and accessories. Products are sold through direct sales, an international distributor network, and online via quote request forms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for all products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Repair and service pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
GroPoint product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GroPoint designs and manufactures proprietary soil moisture and temperature sensors using its patented TDT5 (Time Domain Transmission 5) technology. The product portfolio includes the GroPoint Profile multi-depth profiling probe, the GroPoint Lite single-depth sensor, Bluetooth SDI-12 data loggers, handheld display units, and Radius LPWAN wireless telemetry plus Orbit cellular/satellite uplink products. Products are sold to agricultural operations, scientific researchers, environmental monitoring, mining, hydrology, and climate monitoring customers through a global distributor network and direct sales.
Product overview
GroPoint offers a portfolio of scientific-grade soil monitoring products centered on TDT5 proprietary technology. The core product line consists of two soil sensor types: GroPoint Profile (multi-segment profiling probes in 2-8 segment configurations for continuous depth measurements) and GroPoint Lite (single-depth sensors available in analog or digital interfaces). Supporting hardware includes the Bluetooth SDI-12 Data Logger (wireless data retrieval via Android app), Bluetooth Data Logger Kit (complete deployment package with expansion bar), and SDI-12 Display Unit (handheld reader for spot measurements). Wireless IoT extensions include Radius LPWAN products (Mote, Repeater, Gateway for up to 15km wireless sensor networks) and Orbit Data Uplink products (cellular and satellite data transmission). All products share SDI-12 compatibility, enabling interoperability with third-party sensors. The GP Reader Android app provides mobile data access, while proprietary TDT5 technology underpins the measurement accuracy across the entire product range.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GroPoint Profile: Multi-depth soil moisture and temperature profiling probe using TDT5 technology, available in 2-8 segment configurations up to 120cm depth.
- GroPoint Lite
- GroPoint Bluetooth SDI-12 Data Logger
- GroPoint Display Unit (GP-DU)
- Radius SDI-12 Wireless LPWAN
- Orbit Data Uplink Products
Products and services
- GroPoint Profile Multi-segment soil moisture and temperature profiling probe that measures volumetric water content and soil temperature across multiple depths using a single probe powered by proprietary TDT5 technology. Available in 2-8 segment configurations (30cm to 120cm depth). Uses SDI-12 digital output with optional MODBUS/RS-485 interfaces. Designed for agriculture, research, and environmental monitoring customers requiring continuous soil moisture profiles without dead spots between segments.
- GroPoint Lite
Quantifiable outcome
- Monterey Pacific has maintained 80+ sensors over 25+ years with only 2 sensor and 1 logger failures from non-mechanical causes, compared to a 15-25% failure rate for competing sensors in the first 2 seasons.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use GroPoint
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GroPoint technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
GroPoint partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Stevens Water Monitoring Systems Inc.coreAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in the USA. Located in Portland, OR. Stevens Water sells GroPoint profiling sensors through its website and sales channels to US customers.
- RioT Technology (Canada) Corp.coreManufacturer and authorized distributor for GroPoint products in Canada. Located in North Saanich, BC. GroPoint products are manufactured by RioT Technology Corp. RioT also operates the Radius wireless telemetry product line.
- PEAK HydrometminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in British Columbia, Canada. Located in Campbell River, BC.
- Van Walt LimitedcoreAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in UK, Ireland, and Spain. Located in Haslemere, Surrey, UK.
- Helios IoT by Ares SunminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Central America (Honduras).
- AcertaminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Colombia. Located in Bogota D.C.
- CaTeC BVminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Belgium and the Netherlands. Located in Wateringen, Netherlands.
- GIONA SRLminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Italy. Located in Sestri Levante, GE.
- UGT Umwelt-Geräte-Technik GmbHminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Germany. Located in Müncheberg.
- UP Umweltanalytische Produkte GmbHminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Germany. Located in Ibbenbüren.
- IdrobitminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Italy. Located in Villanova di Guidonia, Rome.
- ScanmaticminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Scandinavia. Located in Arendal, Norway.
- Meatech Solutions LLPminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in India. Located in Gurgaon, Haryana.
- Elman TeknolojiminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Turkey. Located in Adana.
- ESS EARTH SCIENCESminorAuthorized distributor for GroPoint products in Australia and New Zealand. Located in Richmond, VIC.
- AMS (Instrumentation)minorAMS (based in Idaho, USA) is a longtime partner that manufactures and sells the slide hammer installation kit compatible with GroPoint Profile probes. GroPoint references AMS as a source for the slide hammer to avoid expensive international shipping from Canada.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GroPoint competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Imko: Imko (Germany) manufactures TRIME/TDR-based soil moisture sensors for agriculture, hydrology, and environmental monitoring. It addresses the same scientific and precision-agriculture customer needs as GroPoint, including multi-channel profiling and SDI-12 connectivity.
- AquaCheck: AquaCheck manufactures multi-depth capacitance-based soil moisture probes used in irrigation scheduling and agricultural research. Its product positioning and target segments (irrigation management, agricultural consulting) closely overlap with GroPoint Profile.
- Meter Group (formerly Decagon Devices): Meter Group produces the widely used TEROS soil moisture sensor line and is the dominant supplier of research-grade soil moisture instrumentation to universities. It directly competes with GroPoint in agriculture, research, and environmental monitoring with overlapping science credibility and customer base.
- Sentek: Sentek (Australia-based) manufactures multi-depth capacitance soil moisture probes (Drill & Drop) widely used in precision irrigation and research globally. It competes head-to-head with GroPoint Profile for multi-depth irrigation scheduling contracts in vineyards, orchards, and row crops.
- Acclima: Acclima manufactures true TDT-based soil moisture sensors and irrigation control products, making it the most technologically analogous competitor to GroPoint. Both serve agriculture, research, and environmental monitoring with SDI-12–compatible probes aimed at high-accuracy multi-depth measurement.
- Irrometer: Irrometer is a long-standing US manufacturer of soil moisture sensors (Watermark) used for irrigation scheduling. It competes with GroPoint in the same agricultural irrigation use case, particularly among vineyards, orchards, and row crop growers.
Broad incumbents
- Campbell Scientific: Campbell Scientific is a long-established environmental measurement company producing data loggers and a wide range of sensors — including soil moisture — used heavily by the same research and hydrology institutions that buy GroPoint. It is a broader incumbent rather than a soil-moisture-only specialist.
- Davis Instruments: Davis Instruments (Vantage Pro weather stations, soil moisture stations) serves overlapping hobbyist, agricultural, and research customer segments with integrated weather-soil monitoring stations. It competes for the broader environmental monitoring budget that GroPoint also addresses.
- Stevens Water Monitoring Systems: Stevens Water manufactures a broad portfolio of environmental sensors and is simultaneously GroPoint's authorized US distributor. As a competitor it overlaps in soil moisture, water level, and weather monitoring for the same hydrology and agricultural monitoring customers.
Emerging players
- CropX: CropX is an emerging smart-farming platform that bundles proprietary soil sensors with cloud analytics and irrigation recommendations. It represents the software-led evolution of the soil sensor category and increasingly competes for the same irrigation-scheduling budgets that GroPoint targets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GroPoint social profiles
Digital presenceGroPoint financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GroPoint leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GroPoint funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GroPoint M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GroPoint
What does GroPoint do?
GroPoint designs and manufactures proprietary soil moisture and temperature sensors using its patented TDT5 (Time Domain Transmission 5) technology. The product portfolio includes the GroPoint Profile multi-depth profiling probe, the GroPoint Lite single-depth sensor, Bluetooth SDI-12 data loggers, handheld display units, and Radius LPWAN wireless telemetry plus Orbit cellular/satellite uplink products. Products are sold to agricultural operations, scientific researchers, environmental monitoring, mining, hydrology, and climate monitoring customers through a global distributor network and direct sales.
Is GroPoint a public or private company?
GroPoint is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GroPoint founded?
GroPoint was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GroPoint based?
GroPoint is headquartered in North Saanich, Canada, in the North America region.
How does GroPoint make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Product Sales.
Who are GroPoint's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Imko, AquaCheck, Meter Group (formerly Decagon Devices), Sentek, Acclima and Irrometer. Broad incumbents are Campbell Scientific, Davis Instruments and Stevens Water Monitoring Systems. CropX is listed as an emerging player.
Does GroPoint have an API?
No public API is recorded for GroPoint.
What industry is GroPoint in?
GroPoint's product category is Agricultural Sensors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAMAA, In-Field Sensor Hardware (Soil Moisture/Nutrient, Weather, Canopy Sensors), with a secondary code of AFAGALAB, Precision Sensing & Monitoring (Soil/Weather Stations, In-Field Sensors, IoT). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3826.