March 2026 Young Planet Leader Marta Bernardino

Marta Bernardino is a Portuguese conservation roboticist leveraging robotics to restore ecosystems and safeguard biodiversity. They founded Trovador, a reforestation startup developing the first large-scale autonomous robots to restore the nation’s lost canopy. Her pioneering efforts earned her recognition as a National Geographic Conservation Roboticist and the startup’s award of the EU’s Leader in Sustainable Robotics.

Beyond Trovador, they have engineered robotic solutions for marine ecosystems, from AI-driven seaweed monitoring for kelp restoration at Kelp Blue, to SONDA, a noise-cancelling buoy protecting cetacean communication underwater. Now set to travel the world to learn about impact entrepreneurship as a scholarship holder, they have launched a new project that aims to prevent the extinction of the Malayan tiger through the deployment of IoT devices. They remain dedicated to building a future where technology restores the natural playgrounds.