HiveKeepers Micro Honey Harvester

HiveKeepers followed a rigorous, professional design process led by Melbourne-based Katapult Design, in collaboration with founder Simon Mildren and a wide network of users across Victoria.

The aim was to rethink honey harvesting from the ground up - transforming it from a labour-intensive, messy process into a simple, traceable and elegant experience.

The process began with extensive field research involving recreational, regional and commercial beekeepers. Early design sprints focused on distilling the core user frustrations: complex infrastructure, high costs, waste, and wax damage.

From there, HiveKeepers and Katapult Design explored new harvesting concepts, drawing from biomimicry and product minimalism. Over 12 months, dozens of prototypes were developed and tested under real conditions by a range of beekeepers across Victoria. Each cycle involved feedback loops between beekeepers, designers and engineers.

This ensured continuous improvement in ergonomics, bee behaviour compatibility, usability and food safety. Professional design execution was paramount. The final product balances precision design elements with tactile simplicity.

Every component was designed for manufacturability, maintenance and long-term use. The compact extractor and modular cassette system are clean-lined, easy to operate and ready for scalable production.

The HiveKeepers system exceeds the original design brief. It eliminates traditional extraction barriers, supports bee health and invites broader community participation in beekeeping.

The design process demonstrates Victoria’s strength in human-centred product development, backed by robust local manufacturing partnerships.

HiveKeepers exemplifies design excellence by delivering a simple, elegant and fully integrated solution to a complex agricultural challenge.

It merges precision engineering, human-centred design and sustainability into a cohesive system that redefines the honey harvesting experience. Every element, from the tactile design of the cassettes to the intuitive harvesting process was designed with the user experience in mind.

The system eliminates the sharp tools, mess and noise associated with honey extraction, making it safer, faster and more enjoyable. It balances:

• Functionality: Every aspect of the system was designed to simplify the harvesting process—from removing the need for uncapping and filtering to streamlining cleanup. It performs its task efficiently and consistently, reducing harvesting time to under 10 minutes per cassette.
• Accessibility: The product accommodates users of all ages and abilities. It requires no lifting, sharp tools or prior beekeeping expertise. This lowers barriers to entry for hobbyists, smallholders and educators.
• Aesthetics: HiveKeepers presents a minimal, clean and modern form. The compact extractor and smooth, modular cassettes reflect the simplicity of the experience while being visually suited to both rural sheds and home kitchens.
• Safety and Quality: With no exposed blades or heated parts, the design is inherently safe. All materials are food-safe, durable and designed for longevity with minimal wear and tear.
• Sustainability: By protecting the wax comb, HiveKeepers reduces waste and preserves energy within the hive. Its modular components support reuse, repair and recyclability.

The result is a beautifully resolved product that not only works exceptionally well but also tells a story of purity, provenance and innovation. HiveKeepers sets a new benchmark in portable agtech design - one that is proudly made in Victoria and ready for the world.

HiveKeepers reimagines the entire honey harvesting experience not by incrementally improving legacy tools, but by creating a new product category.

It’s the first modular harvesting system that allows honey to be extracted portably, without traditional infrastructure or processing. This innovation responds to a global challenge: the inaccessibility and opacity of honey production.

Most systems require expensive, heavy-duty gear, making harvesting inaccessible to smallholders and increasing the risk of adulteration across the supply chain. HiveKeepers solves this with a portable system that invites harvesting at the point of production.

The custom-designed cassette, featuring a rhomboidal geometry inspired by natural honeycomb supports bee behaviour and product purity. Honey is extracted without unsealing wax manually, using a split-cell design that preserves comb integrity and eliminates waste. The compact extractor fits on a bench or in the field.

This decentralised model enables direct-to-consumer honey, even in remote or urban contexts. It makes harvesting traceable, shareable and even experiential, blurring the boundary between production and consumption.

This innovation was delivered through rigorous user testing, bee compatibility studies, and close design collaboration with Victorian partners. The result is an IP-protected solution that advances pollination-based food systems, opens new markets and reshapes how people interact with nature and food.

HiveKeepers sets a new benchmark for design-led agtech - imaginative, practical and globally scalable.

HiveKeepers has already created measurable impact across environmental, economic and social dimensions.

Social: It removes barriers for hobbyists, educators and smallholders to harvest honey without fear of mess, injury or cost. It enables intergenerational engagement on farms and in communities, helping reconnect people to food systems. It is also being used as a teaching tool in schools, introducing students to sustainability, pollination and provenance in an engaging, hands-on way.

Environmental: The system eliminates wasteful processes like comb destruction, comb uncapping and filtering. By preserving the integrity of the wax comb, HiveKeepers supports healthier hives, reduces stress on bees and improves long-term hive productivity. This reduces energy consumption inside the colony and supports pollinator health – a cornerstone of global food security.

Economic: HiveKeepers allows producers to retain more value by harvesting at source and bypassing industrial processing. It enables direct-to-consumer, small-batch honey sales with full traceability – opening new market opportunities, especially for regional, remote and emerging agricultural economies. Producers can differentiate their honey by floral source, season or location, increasing brand and product value.

Victorian impact: Designed and built in Victoria, HiveKeepers showcases the state’s leadership in sustainable product innovation. It supports local tooling, advanced manufacturing and design, and provides a blueprint for export-ready, design-led IP generation. It also contributes to the visibility of Victoria’s creative industries, particularly in the agtech and circular economy sectors.

HiveKeepers shows how professional design can drive change by creating systems that are more sustainable, more inclusive and more meaningful. It demonstrates the power of thoughtful product development to positively impact people, the environment and the economy – in Victoria and around the world.

HiveKeepers is grounded in circular design principles and aims to address environmental impact at every stage, from product design and material selection through to end-of-life.

Designed for reuse: The cassette system is central to its circularity. These are refillable, modular and durable, used across multiple harvests and seasons. The design encourages long-term use and resists degradation.

Minimal processing: HiveKeepers removes the need for energy-intensive processes like heating, filtering or wax separation. Honey is harvested directly from the cassette without damage or waste, preserving natural structure and nutrients.

Preservation of natural systems: By protecting the beeswax comb, the system reduces the colony’s energy expenditure. This promotes healthier, more productive hives and extends the lifespan of the colony, critical in an era of declining pollinator populations.

Material efficiency and longevity: All components are engineered for durability and easy disassembly. Where possible, recyclable and food-safe plastics are used. The product is designed to last, with minimal wear points and components that can be replaced or upgraded over time.

Portability and decentralisation: HiveKeepers allows small-scale producers to harvest honey without building or investing in centralised infrastructure. This significantly reduces the environmental and material footprint per user.

Future-forward design: The system is designed to adapt to more sustainable materials as they become commercially viable. R&D is underway exploring bio-based polymers and recyclable material alternatives to further reduce its impact.

HiveKeepers reflects a move away from industrial waste-heavy extraction methods and toward decentralised, nature-aligned food production. It exemplifies how early-stage design decisions can lead to lasting environmental benefit and support a regenerative future.