#StartupsEverywhere: Sashti Balasundaram, Founder, WeRadiate
This profile is part of #StartupsEverywhere, an ongoing series highlighting startup leaders in ecosystems across the country. This interview has been edited for length, content, and clarity.
Sensing soil health
With a career in waste management and recycling, Sashti Balasundaram knew he was ready to make a deeper change. He created WeRadiate, a company focused on soil health using organic recycling technology and data. We sat down with Sashti to discuss his product, manufacturing, the startup ecosystem, and more.
Tell us about your background. What led you to WeRadiate?
Over the last fifteen years, I’ve worked in waste management, both at the government level and on the ground. I started community gardens, worked with the Department of Sanitation, and supported community composting education. My last job was with the Mayor’s Office in the City of Buffalo, where I oversaw the environmental education program and the growth of the composting program. These experiences and the recognition of the need for data-driven solutions to support organic recycling inspired me to start WeRadiate.
What is the work you are doing at WeRadiate?
At WeRadiate, we are revitalizing soil health through our equipment and software. We improve the nutritional health of soil so communities can become stronger and people healthier. Our main product is our remote monitoring sensors that report on the health of organic waste piles “compost”, which is then filtered through our software providing operational insights and helping with regulatory compliance. We work with a variety of customers, from landowners to government facilities in creating high-quality soil amendments and organic fertilizers.
We are based in Rochester, New York, which has been super helpful in terms of raising capital and manufacturing. New York State conducts the Grow-NY Food and Agriculture startup competition, where we were able to secure our first and second batches of funding.
You mentioned your previous career in government work. How can startups and governments collaborate to improve the innovation ecosystem?
I recognize the government wants to do good but they don't necessarily know how to become innovative. When I work with the government, I guide them, showing them how our technology has been successful in this county, community, or city. Using case studies we show—rather than tell—the government what we can do for them. We also share information about returns on investment, labor savings, and the potential for maximizing profit.
We also have a role as startups to keep improving our product and becoming more efficient in the work that we are doing. One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is through accelerators. We just recently wrapped up our time with Techstars Washington DC. Before that, we were working with Halcyon in Georgetown and the Forary in New York.
How do conversations regarding tariffs and trade policy impact you as a startup?
We have strategic partners who help us source some of the material used for our products. Some of those partners are based in the U.S. and some of them overseas. Right now, we are figuring out how to duplicate our supply stream so that there is redundancy in the system in the face of tariffs and potential tariffs. It puts us in the position of attempting to minimize the cost of imports while also maintaining sufficient inventory and finding new clients to purchase our product.
Are there any local, state, or federal startup issues that you think should receive more attention from policymakers?
Uniformity is helpful to help startups scale, but across the U.S. there are many different laws across various states and municipalities about the same issue. For us, that means there is no clarity from one county to another in terms of what organics management looks like. Each of the laws are complicated in their own right, which gets more complicated as the number of laws continues to grow.
As a startup, we simply don’t have enough time or resources to keep up with the changing laws, while also marketing our product, finding our manufacturing parts, and raising capital. More clarity on the slew of laws and regulations impacting startups would be extremely helpful. Not only would we be able to keep up to date with the laws as they change, but we would also be able to spend more time building our company and improving soil health.
What are your goals for WeRadiate moving forward?
There is a play for regenerative agriculture right now as a growing market and overall recognition of soil health. We want to tap into the regenerative agriculture space, while also looking at working with larger-scale institutions to accelerate our growth. We like to say soil is a commodity that creates all of the other commodities we use daily, so protecting the health of the soil is crucial to the economy.
All of the information in this profile was accurate at the date and time of publication.
Engine works to ensure that policymakers look for insight from the startup ecosystem when they are considering programs and legislation that affect entrepreneurs. Together, our voice is louder and more effective. Many of our lawmakers do not have first-hand experience with the country's thriving startup ecosystem, so it’s our job to amplify that perspective. To nominate a person, company, or organization to be featured in our #StartupsEverywhere series, email advocacy@engine.is.
