About us

First things first.

We harness the power of artificial intelligence to help our customers predict agricultural commodity prices and prevent supply disruptions.

Our Mission

Stop food supply shortages before they happen.

Our approach is straightforward and powerful: our customers have real-time access to the insights and transparency they need to make better decisions about where and when to source their agricultural commodities.

Your Challenges and How We Can Help

01

No access to good data

Companies don't have access to real-time accurate data about how a global crop is faring and are instead overly reliant on word-of-mouth and news cycles. Helios' reports and insight allow you to predict prices and supply availability for each commodity in real-time.

02

Lean, stretched teams

Agricultural procurement teams are always leanly staffed and forced to be reactive. Helios allows you to proactively check in on all of your global sourcing needs instantly - whether through your dashboard, weekly insights, or Global Commodity Report - saving you hours every week.

03

Climate change

Climate change is wreaking havoc on agriculture, and it’s only getting worse. Crop failures are becoming more common as temperatures continue to rise and natural disasters become more frequent. Our cutting-edge climate risk signals help you get (and stay) ahead of these risks.

Our Methodology

Helios’ artificial intelligence platform analyzes billions of signals in real-time to identify agricultural supply risks globally. Harnessing daily and historical climate data for over 14 million locations, Helios goes beyond generic analyst reports and dashboards to give you the most effective and granular predictions for all the commodities we cover.

Over 150 countries tracked daily in our database
Data covering the past 20 years for each location, with new data updated every 24 hours
60,000 global new sources updated every 15 minutes: Our model is constantly scanning news sources for updates that could influence commodity supply and price
Machine learning models specific to each commodity we cover
Ongoing data analysis and incorporation of new sources: we update our models as new risks present themselves, increasing the accuracy of our predictive features

Our Senior Team

Francisco Martin-Rayo

CEO & Co-Founder

Francisco is a serial entrepreneur, having started his first company, VuShare, during his senior year at UPenn. Most recently, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Deep Labs, an AI start-up in financial services. Before then, Francisco was a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group, where he focused on digital transformations for Fortune 100 companies. He holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the Wharton School, a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Eden Canlilar

CTO & Co-Founder

Eden is an expert in machine learning, artificial intelligence, trend analysis, and natural language processing (NLP). She was previously an AI/ML Engineer at Google and was the recipient of the 2021 Emerging Technologist Abie Award. She is a proud working mom who has built and deployed over 15 technology applications spanning over 54 languages, applications, and technologies. Eden holds an M.S in quantitive analysis and statistics from American University and a B.S. from Auburn University.

Matt Murray, Director of AI Strategy

Matt is an accomplished Data Scientist with a proven track record spanning multiple roles in data-driven innovation. He previously ran the AI footprint for AdTech during his time at Dow Jones. Matt holds a degree in Statistics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from Penn State University.

Brooke Schuyler, Product and Design Lead

Brooke is a UX Designer and Researcher based outside of Washington, DC. Prior to Helios, she was a senior UX designer at Launch by NTT Data, working on enterprise applications, websites, and client dashboards. Before then, she worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a Senior Consultant, focusing on the customer experience for a DoD analytics application. Brooke holds a B.S. in Marketing from Penn State University and a certificate in UX Design from General Assembly.

Our Advisors

Bill Hovis

Bill Hovis was formerly the Global Chief Procurement Officer for the Coca-Cola company, where he was in charge of leading the global organization responsible for purchasing over $25B of products and commodities per year. During his 23-year career there, he led teams of thousands of people globally and revolutionized the supply chain strategy and operational framework of the Coca-Cola Company.

Una Hrnjak

Una is currently the Director of Sustainability at ALDI Global. She was previously the Head of Sustainability Strategy at Starbucks, where she focused on the company's planet-positive aspiration. This included work on climate change adaptation and mitigation, water stewardship efforts, engagement, and partnership with key global organizations. She also advised commodity teams at Starbucks on smart ag practices and collective action opportunities.

Callie McAdams

Callie McAdams is an agriculturalist, strategist, economist, and agricultural policy expert. As the founder of Vibranteco, an agriculture consulting company, Callie specializes in customized advisory and strategy services on agricultural and related topics. Before that, she was a senior economist at the USDA and the Deputy Chief Economist for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Helios was made with you in mind.

Do you source, buy, sell or trade agricultural commodities?

01 CPG Companies and Restaurant Chains

Consumer product goods companies can use our tools to predict supply disruptions, commodity price shifts, and potential shortages of agricultural products. Our platform allows them to accurately plan pricing strategies, and maintain adequate stock levels to meet consumer demand.

02 Commodity Traders

Our climate risk signals are unrivaled at predicting the future price of soft commodities, specifically soy, corn, wheat, palm oil, coffee, and cocoa. Anticipate market movements weeks and even months before your competitors, maximizing alpha in a world of increasing price volatility.

03 Distributors and Wholesalers

Distributors and wholesalers can monitor supply disruptions and predict price shifts to make informed decisions about when and where to buy their agricultural commodities. Helios helps you stay ahead of the growing season and ensures you can evade price surges due to climate disruptions.

04 Food Processors and Manufacturers

Companies involved in food processing and manufacturing rely on a steady supply of raw materials from the agriculture sector. Our disruption-tracking tools enable you to anticipate shortages, identify alternative sources, and negotiate with growers and suppliers more effectively.