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Large-Scale Automated Vertical Farm Near Tokyo by Spread And ENEOS Partnership
Techno Farm Narita is Spread’s first partnership project and the first to be located in Eastern Japan
July 14, 2021, Spread Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Japan; CEO: Shinji Inada, hereinafter “Spread”)’s partner, and a member of ENEOS Group, J Leaf Corporation (HQ: Chiba, Japan; President: Jun Uehara, hereinafter “J Leaf”) started operating the automated vertical farm “Techno Farm Narita” (Chiba, Japan) on 30th of June.
Spread’s Large-Scale Vertical Farming Partnership with ENEOS Group’s J Leaf Starts Operations near Tokyo
Spread owns and operates two vertical farms in Western Japan (Kyoto), the Kameoka Plant and Techno Farm Keihanna. Techno Farm Narita is Spread’s first partnership project, and the first to be located in Eastern Japan. The most significant feature of Techno Farm Narita is the increased efficiency in the use of land. This has been achieved by increasing the number of cultivation racks levels to 28, double that of Techno Farm Keihanna. Techno Farm Narita will produce 30,000 heads of lettuce daily, building on the know-how accumulated through the operation of Techno Farm Keihanna to deliver increasingly sustainable food production.
Unique Features of Techno Farm Narita
Even more efficient land saving through 28-level cultivation rack system (roughly 2 times more efficient than Techno Farm Keihanna)
Located in the Greater Tokyo Area, allowing for local production and consumption
Transforming idle land to efficient and sustainable agriculture ・
The utilization of renewable energy generated from solar panels
Techno Farm Narita also retains other features of Spread’s next-generation food production system, Techno Farm™, including pesticide-free, stable cultivation, integrated automation, specialized LED lighting, and Spread’s proprietary IoT-based cultivation management system, Techno Farm Cloud.
Techno Farm Narita’s Cultivation Room Opening Ceremony
About the Partners
ENEOS Group is one of Japan's leading corporate groups, with revenue in excess of 10 trillion yen. *1
The Group has the largest market share in oil refinery and petrochemicals distribution in Japan and is centered around ENEOS Holdings.
Spread’s vision is to create a sustainable society where future generations can live with peace of mind. On the way to this objective, Spread plans to reach a total production capacity of 100 tons per day domestically by 2030, through the expansion of its Techno Farm™. With the collaboration at Techno Farm Narita as a foundation, both parties are considering further partnership projects. The green business market is expected to continue growing, and Spread strives to become a leading vertical farming company globally.
Spread will continue to pursue further business opportunities through technological innovation both in Japan and overseas. Spread aims to provide solutions for the global problems of climate change and food security and the delivery of a truly sustainable society.
*1 FY2019 results (announced on May 20, 2020)
*2 ENEOS Techno Materials Corporation is a member of ENEOS Group
Applying Automated Warehouse Systems To Indoor Farming
“At Swisslog, we don’t have standard solutions in place for vertical farms yet. But due to our long-lasting expertise both in the food industry and in the distribution of fresh products to the point of sale, we understand the supply chain processes and linked to that shelf life considerations.”
“History is written in circles as we observe similar drive for automation in indoor farming, as we saw years ago in the intralogistics sector. There are yet few important differences,” says Timo Landener, product innovator at Swisslog.
Swisslog, with the vision to shape the future of intralogistics, not only develops warehouse automation and software solutions to reduce costs and introduce flexibility to warehouse-based operations but also looks into innovative future-proof approaches. In March 2021, Swisslog announced its foray into the vertical farming market. While Swisslog has not specifically designed systems for vertical farming, its vast portfolio of automation solutions can be adapted to vertical farms, whether pre-existing or purpose-built.
Timo Landener
“At Swisslog, we don’t have standard solutions in place for vertical farms yet. But due to our long-lasting expertise both in the food industry and in the distribution of fresh products to the point of sale, we understand the supply chain processes and linked to that shelf life considerations. Moreover, our portfolio can be easily adapted to indoor farming since the payload is fairly light, the throughput is not critical and the automation operations demand low power compared to the needs of the intralogistics automation,” explains Timo. “Nevertheless, we already learned, that we can't just adopt the same requirements, because plants are living organisms. And we have to respect that.”
Although unable to reveal their clients, Swisslog has reportedly demonstrated its technologies in the vertical farming industry with success to allow growers to reduce operational costs and increase scalability. Examples of innovative systems applicable to vertical farming include the PowerStore high-density storage system, the AGV based good-to-person order fulfillment solution CarryPick, the Tornado mini-load crane and the Vectura stacker crane.
When does automation become economically feasible?
Automation can be applied to multiple processes in an indoor farm including seeding, harvesting, packaging, tray manipulation, etc. However, Timo explains that automation is capital-intensive and best suited for large-scale indoor farms. A higher production level introduces more opportunities to increase operational efficiency and reduce labor requirements.
“Even Amazon began in a small space with little automation. Then, they reached a level where automation made sense. In the vertical farming industry, we need to discuss with clients where the tipping point is for needing automation,” says Timo.
To determine which automation solutions are right for the grower, Swisslog’s automation experts work directly with clients to identify opportunities for increased operational efficiency and customize solutions according to the farm’s architecture. Additionally, the close relation with KUKA as the parental company allows collaboration opportunities to automate and incorporate the sub-processes in an Indoor Farm to a more turnkey solution.
Harvest-on-demand
Timo explains that despite the relatively short distance between urban indoor farms and retailers, a major challenge to indoor farming is the logistics of transporting farm-grown products to retailers while maintaining crop quality.
“After the plants have grown in a perfect environment, they are cut and immediately begin to lose quality. The current challenge is to speed up the process of getting the products to the retailer. Pursuing the innovative approach of harvesting-on-demand, we can make sure that the end customer receives fresh and rich nutrition vegetables. With a palette of automated solutions this is finally possible,” says Timo.
Swisslog’s ties with global retailers started long ago as the Swiss Company delivered solutions for huge automated projects (distribution centers) as well as smaller, more local applications, known as Micro-Fulfillment Centers. Harvesting-on-demand differs from mainstream distribution models by supplying retailers with living plants, which can continue growing until they are purchased.
This process can be carried out in retailers’ “back shops” and would support additionally retailers to fulfill three major sales channels: in-store sales, home delivery and BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store). Swisslog is certain that we are at the edge of a revolution in food the supply chain: There will be the need for Indoor Farms at the point of sales: a “fresh food on the demand-supply grid”. We see automation as a means for leveraging the indoor farms and help them deliver efficiency that will lower the entry threshold for further investments.
Retailers are a fundamental part of this revolution. “Many indoor farms are currently selling to retailers. Due to the fact, that the retailers sell the crops, they determine how the supply chain will look like. Thus, the power of re-designing the process of the supply chain and ensuring consistency in the circular economy lies in their hands. As for today, the complexity and ramifications of the matter inspire us to join forces with retailers and find out how to react in the best way to changing needs of the customers and the industry. We are on the verge of something new and powerful. Swisslog, an intralogistics automation leader, together with retailers and farming experts, we can deliver a great added value for consumers” explains Timo.
For more information:
Timo Landener, product innovator
Swisslog
timo.landener@swisslog.com
www.swisslog.com
Publication date: Thu 3 Jun 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
Pontus Files International Patent Application For Automated Vertical Farm Harvesting Robot
Pontus' initial crop, water lentils, is the fastest-growing leafed plant.* Pontus' CEVAS helps accelerate the growth of Pontus' water lentils, requiring the plant to be harvested every 24 hours
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Jun 09, 2021, VANCOUVER, BC, June 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Pontus Protein Ltd. (TSXV: HULK) (OTCQB: HLKKF) (FSE: 8YC) ("Pontus" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has filed an international patent application through the Patent Coordination Treaty with the World Intellectual Property Organization for Pontus' proprietary Harvesting Automated Robotic Vehicle or "HARV" for short. HARV is a vertical farm rack system and automated plant tending and harvesting robot designed to work alongside and assist Pontus' Closed Environment Vertical Aquaponics System or CEVAS system.
Pontus' Harvesting Automated Robotic Vehicle or “HARV” for short. HARV is a vertical farm rack system and automated plant tending and harvesting robot (CNW Group/Pontus Protein Ltd.)
Pontus' initial crop, water lentils, is the fastest-growing leafed plant.* Pontus' CEVAS helps accelerate the growth of Pontus' water lentils, requiring the plant to be harvested every 24 hours. Pontus developed the HARV technology to allow the crop to be automatically harvested daily. In addition, due to its low profile, HARV will enable Pontus to stack nine levels of vertical farming at its Surrey, British Columbia production facility.
Steve McArthur, Chief Technology Officer, Pontus, stated, "Talking with the experienced team at Automation Experts (an automation and innovation company based in Calgary, Canada), we were able to identify that there was no robot out there that handled everything we needed it to do. By harvesting the crop in situ, using HARV, we will reduce the space between the water beds and increase the number of levels, increasing efficiency and the yield. We are beyond excited about pairing HARV with our CEVAS system, as we see CEVAS as a greener, more ecologically sustainable way of producing high nutrition food products."
Stephen Bruce Wong, CEO, Automation Experts, added, "HARV is more than a mechanical tool for harvesting. It will manage the farm and give us critical insight and data regarding the optimization of the growing environment. The robotics in HARV will allow Pontus to eliminate moving parts from the structure thus lowering the cost to build Pontus' vertical farms as the water beds can be dumb and do not need the technology built into them. It also uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to support all aspects of the growing process."
The patent filing is part of the technology leadership in the aquaponic space that Pontus continues to secure.
About Pontus Protein Ltd.
Pontus Protein Ltd. is a Vancouver, B.C. based technology company that grows water lentil protein for commercial use. Pontus is reinventing agriculture with their proprietary Closed Environment Vertical Aquaponic System (CEVAS) – the farming of the future. Pontus specializes in the indoor vertical farming of water lentils that use 95% less water than traditional agriculture and no pesticides or chemicals. Pontus is committed to solving the global food crisis by providing access to sustainable indoor biosecure pure plant-based proteins. Pontus' water lentils can be harvested every 24 hours, exceed organic certification, and can be grown in any climate in a relatively small area. Our water lentil protein is filled with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and all the amino acids, making a complete protein food source. Pontus aims to revolutionize the plant-based sector as the entire sector is currently based on two main protein sources: soy and pea. Water lentil protein is far superior to pea and soy protein. It contains over 40% protein vs. 5-36% protein*, and Pontus aims to be the base protein for nutrition-rich plant-based food products and nutraceuticals to support the movement transitioning the world from meat-based to plant-based proteins.
To learn more, please visit pontuswaterlentils.com.
*https://www.infood.net/visitor/collection/75?portion_size=100
*https://www.zmescience.com/science/fastest-growing-plant-02022021/
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Connor Yuen"
Connor Yuen, CEO
Pontus Protein Ltd.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Connor Yuen
Chief Executive Officer
https://pontuswaterlentils.com/company/#contact
Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the Company. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including but not limited to Pontus' ability to revolutionize the plant based sector. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: the unknown magnitude and duration of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the failure of Pontus to receive the necessary approvals from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its products and facilities, the inability to complete Pontus' Surrey-based production facility, as well as other general business, economic, or market related risks beyond the director control of the Company and which may affect the Company's business, operations, or products. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE Pontus Protein Ltd.
For further information: Investor Relations or Media enquiries: invest@pontuswaterlentils.com, (403) 589-7992
Organization Profile
Pontus Protein Ltd.
'Automation Is Needed To Reduce Costs And Improve Efficiency'
“We believe that automation can play a decisive role in delivering fresh produce for the most diverse uses and make agriculture accessible to many," says Giuseppe
There is so much to win regarding safety and workforce availability that traditional farming won’t help us with,” says Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Pasciuti, Marketing Strategist and Board Member at ONO Exponential Farming. For this particular reason, automation is the key to agricultural acceleration.
“We believe that automation can play a decisive role in delivering fresh produce for the most diverse uses and make agriculture accessible to many," says Giuseppe. He continues, "automation can also limit low labor availability in the agricultural sector. It could even, as we have experienced during the pandemic, restrict the access of pathogens or viruses in food production. We at ONO/EF believe that automation is the key to match the new era for indoor farming ”
Full automation
ONO/EF Farms allows growers to remotely control all growing operations. Through automation, ONO/EF Farm is continuously generating new growing conditions for plants, in terms of climate conditions and the right mix of nutrients according to each crop type and its growth stage. Giuseppe says that automation allows them to reduce CapEx and operation costs dramatically.
ONO E/F's idea of vertical farming does not require Giga farms to make the investment sustainable. Giuseppe says that "the company isn't keen to build the largest farm in the world, but a distributed network of connected farms close to consumers. Because in this industry, collaboration is key.”
According to Giuseppe, the vertical farming industry needs profitability in combination with sustainability. “For that reason, we have developed ONO Exponential Farming. Our advanced technological platform, which is completely robotized, supported by AI and our algorithms,” he says.
ONO / EF provides 100% of the production infrastructure, from seeding to finished product packaging.“We are redefining the concept of farming by constantly update and improve our algorithms and AI. In this way, we can make farm operations more effective and efficient.
Experience
ONO/EF has been a technology provider in industrial automation for 20 years. The vertical farming industry is known for its rapid development in terms of techniques and automation.
“Our company is already witnessing the introduction of automated elements that we consider outdated. Functional automation is linked to complete processes that allow human intelligence to concentrate on value-added activities. Activities such as studying plant physiology and identifying cause-effect relationships in growth processes," Giuseppe says.
For more information:
Giuseppe Pasciuti, Marketing Strategist and Board Member
ONO Exponential Farming
giuseppe.pasciuti@onoef.com
https://onoexponentialfarming.com
26 May 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
Blue Radix & Ecoation Join Forces With The World's 1st Autonomous Find & Fix Solution
May 19, 2021, Rotterdam, Netherlands and North Vancouver, Canada
Blue Radix, an independent Dutch AI-tech specialist for the international greenhouse industry, and Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. (ecoation), a Canadian developer of automated greenhouse management and crop health monitoring technologies, have signed an agreement.
The collaboration aims to identify new ways to automate decision-making and action in the greenhouse, using vision technology and algorithms. ecoation and Blue Radix are using the data collected by ecoation’s OKO and platform to enhance the impact of Blue Radix’ algorithms for autonomous growing. By combining data sets, algorithms, and analytical efforts the companies are able to create new insights and applications that help growers worldwide to improve their crop strategy, quality and yield.
Blue Radix and ecoation look forward to ongoing collaborative efforts where the duo explores the multitude of innovation opportunities that become available when you combine ecoation’s OKO and platform with Blue Radix’ Crop Controller. Collaborating across data and algorithms has the potential to create value across many avenues, including optimizing crop strategy, autonomous steering, IPM enhancement, and understanding spatial climate distribution.
The World’s 1st Autonomous Find & Fix Solution
The first project the duo is working on is enhanced autonomous growing with crop data visualization. ecoation’s OKO collects sensory data and information about climate, integrated pest management, and crop work at every row and post to an SqM granularity. These insights greatly contribute to a complete and accurate view on the state of the crop. The broad range of data points, including fruit count, fruit colouring, and stem density, will be combined with the smart steering algorithms of Blue Radix’ Crop Controller. Crop Controller will actively, continuously and autonomously control the greenhouse conditions with the grower’s crop strategy as its starting point and the optimal crop status as its goal. E.g. by optimizing the plant load, plant stress is reduced avoiding weak plants that are vulnerable to pests and diseases. In this way ecoation and Blue Radix find and fix imperfections before they impact yield or crop quality.
Support growers
“Collaborating with Blue Radix means pioneering the future of ag more effectively, at a pace that would be difficult to reach if we carried on separately,” shared ecoation CEO Dr. Saber Miresmailli. “Both teams are committed to the same goal: to support growers in making the best possible decisions. Working together means unlocking new ways to get the most from the data and providing better insights to our customers that inform their decisions.”
“Ecoation offers solutions which are important components in a fully autonomous greenhouse. Optimization and steering with algorithms depends on high quality data and a robust crop strategy. Vision technology and enhanced analytics from ecoation provides this data and the necessary input to improve the grower’s crop strategy even further,” emphasizes Blue Radix CEO Ronald Hoek. “We strive for open collaboration and partnerships. Growers should always be able to choose freely what they want to do with their data and benefit from the best combination of services & products for their greenhouse.”
The duo will only work with greenhouse data retrieved from the customers of ecoation and Blue Radix who provide full consent. Transparency and data security is paramount, and this collaboration will rely on growers who are looking to optimize their greenhouse operations with autonomous processes and are interested in contributing to the future of ag with their facility data and insights.
About Blue Radix
Blue Radix is an independent Dutch AI-tech specialist for the international greenhouse industry. Blue Radix creates solutions with artificial intelligence for daily decisions and actions in greenhouses. Greenhouses offer an efficient way to produce food and flowers in a sustainable manner. But the number of skilled people with expertise of growing crops in greenhouses is declining every year. This has a direct and negative impact on yield, costs, continuity, and product quality. Blue Radix offers solutions for these challenges: smart algorithms which optimize and steer climate, irrigation, and energy continuously and autonomously, supported by off-site
Autonomous Greenhouse Managers. Blue Radix offers growers a digital brain for their greenhouse. More information at blue-radix.com. Find Blue Radix on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
About ecoation
ecoation is an award-winning grower-centric platform that combines Human knowledge and experience with Machine precision and automation to increase operational visibility, assist growers, and enhance their decisions. Commercially available since September 2019, ecoation products can be found in greenhouses across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. With an experienced team of 60+ growers, scientists, engineers, and business professionals from all over the globe, ecoation is passionate about enabling a cleaner future and supporting growers in making the best possible decisions. At ecoation, we are on a mission to empower growers because we believe in doing so, we win together.
More information at ecoation.com. Find ecoation on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Blue Radix
Marijke van Rongen
Manager Global Marketing & Communications
marijke.vanrongen@blue-radix.com
+31 6 53 43 38 39
ecoation
Marketing and Media Contact
Cameron Lust
Vertical Farming Startup Oishii Raises $50m In Series A Funding
“We aim to be the largest strawberry producer in the world, and this capital allows us to bring the best-tasting, healthiest berry to everyone.”
By Sian Yates
03/11/2021
Oishii, a vertical farming startup based in New Jersey, has raised $50 million during a Series A funding round led by Sparx Group’s Mirai Creation Fund II.
The funds will enable Oishii to open vertical strawberry farms in new markets, expand its flagship farm outside of Manhattan, and accelerate its investment in R&D.
“Our mission is to change the way we grow food. We set out to deliver exceptionally delicious and sustainable produce,” said Oishii CEO Hiroki Koga. “We started with the strawberry – a fruit that routinely tops the dirty dozen of most pesticide-riddled crops – as it has long been considered the ‘holy grail’ of vertical farming.”
“We aim to be the largest strawberry producer in the world, and this capital allows us to bring the best-tasting, healthiest berry to everyone. From there, we’ll quickly expand into new fruits and produce,” he added.
Oishii is already known for its innovative farming techniques that have enabled the company to “perfect the strawberry,” while its proprietary and first-of-its-kind pollination method is conducted naturally with bees.
The company’s vertical farms feature zero pesticides and produce ripe fruit all year round, using less water and land than traditional agricultural methods.
“Oishii is the farm of the future,” said Sparx Group president and Group CEO Shuhei Abe. “The cultivation and pollination techniques the company has developed set them well apart from the industry, positioning Oishii to quickly revolutionise agriculture as we know it.”
The company has raised a total of $55 million since its founding in 2016.
Bringing The Future To life In Abu Dhabi
A cluster of shipping containers in a city centre is about the last place you’d expect to find salad growing. Yet for the past year, vertical farming startup Madar Farms has been using this site in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, to grow leafy green vegetables using 95 per cent less water than traditional agriculture
Amid the deserts of Abu Dhabi, a new wave of entrepreneurs and innovators are sowing the seeds of a more sustainable future.
Image from: Wired
A cluster of shipping containers in a city centre is about the last place you’d expect to find salad growing. Yet for the past year, vertical farming startup Madar Farms has been using this site in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, to grow leafy green vegetables using 95 per cent less water than traditional agriculture.
Madar Farms is one of a number of agtech startups benefitting from a package of incentives from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) aimed at spurring the development of innovative solutions for sustainable desert farming. The partnership is part of ADIO’s $545 million Innovation Programme dedicated to supporting companies in high-growth areas.
“Abu Dhabi is pressing ahead with our mission to ‘turn the desert green’,” explained H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, in November 2020. “We have created an environment where innovative ideas can flourish and the companies we partnered with earlier this year are already propelling the growth of Abu Dhabi’s 24,000 farms.”
The pandemic has made food supply a critical concern across the entire world, combined with the effects of population growth and climate change, which are stretching the capacity of less efficient traditional farming methods. Abu Dhabi’s pioneering efforts to drive agricultural innovation have been gathering pace and look set to produce cutting-edge solutions addressing food security challenges.
Beyond work supporting the application of novel agricultural technologies, Abu Dhabi is also investing in foundational research and development to tackle this growing problem.
In December, the emirate’s recently created Advanced Technology Research Council [ATRC], responsible for defining Abu Dhabi’s R&D strategy and establishing the emirate and the wider UAE as a desired home for advanced technology talent, announced a four-year competition with a $15 million prize for food security research. Launched through ATRC’s project management arm, ASPIRE, in partnership with the XPRIZE Foundation, the award will support the development of environmentally-friendly protein alternatives with the aim to "feed the next billion".
Image from: Madar Farms
Global Challenges, Local Solutions
Food security is far from the only global challenge on the emirate’s R&D menu. In November 2020, the ATRC announced the launch of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), created to support applied research on the key priorities of quantum research, autonomous robotics, cryptography, advanced materials, digital security, directed energy and secure systems.
“The technologies under development at TII are not randomly selected,” explains the centre’s secretary general Faisal Al Bannai. “This research will complement fields that are of national importance. Quantum technologies and cryptography are crucial for protecting critical infrastructure, for example, while directed energy research has use-cases in healthcare. But beyond this, the technologies and research of TII will have global impact.”
Future research directions will be developed by the ATRC’s ASPIRE pillar, in collaboration with stakeholders from across a diverse range of industry sectors.
“ASPIRE defines the problem, sets milestones, and monitors the progress of the projects,” Al Bannai says. “It will also make impactful decisions related to the selection of research partners and the allocation of funding, to ensure that their R&D priorities align with Abu Dhabi and the UAE's broader development goals.”
Image from: Agritecture
Nurturing Next-Generation Talent
To address these challenges, ATRC’s first initiative is a talent development programme, NexTech, which has begun the recruitment of 125 local researchers, who will work across 31 projects in collaboration with 23 world-leading research centres.
Alongside universities and research institutes from across the US, the UK, Europe and South America, these partners include Abu Dhabi’s own Khalifa University, and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first graduate-level institute focused on artificial intelligence.
“Our aim is to up skill the researchers by allowing them to work across various disciplines in collaboration with world-renowned experts,” Al Bannai says.
Beyond academic collaborators, TII is also working with a number of industry partners, such as hyperloop technology company, Virgin Hyperloop. Such industry collaborations, Al Bannai points out, are essential to ensuring that TII research directly tackles relevant problems and has a smooth path to commercial impact in order to fuel job creation across the UAE.
“By engaging with top global talent, universities and research institutions and industry players, TII connects an intellectual community,” he says. “This reinforces Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s status as a global hub for innovation and contributes to the broader development of the knowledge-based economy.”
Farming Fish in the Sky
Sometime soon, Apollo Aquaculture Group will have one of the world’s largest vertical fish farms up and running in Singapore. Though construction has been delayed by COVID-19, the farm, once complete, will scale eight stories. Crucially, says the company, it won’t only be the farm’s height that sets it apart from the competition
Image from: Hakai Magazine
Sometime soon, Apollo Aquaculture Group will have one of the world’s largest vertical fish farms up and running in Singapore. Though construction has been delayed by COVID-19, the farm, once complete, will scale eight stories. Crucially, says the company, it won’t only be the farm’s height that sets it apart from the competition.
The high-tech facility will produce up to 3,000 tonnes of hybridized grouper, coral trout, and shrimp each year—with an efficiency, measured in fish per tonne of water, that is six times higher than established aquaculture operations in the Southeast Asian city-state, says spokesperson Crono Lee.
In doing so, the company hopes to become a major contributor to an ambitious plan to boost the food security of the small island city-state, which currently imports 90 percent of its food.
According to Ethan Chong Yih Tng, an engineer at the Singapore Institute of Technology who is not involved with the company, this stacking of fish farms is one of the key initiatives that geographically small Singapore is looking at to achieve its ambitious “30 by 30” target for food security—to produce 30 percent of its nutritional needs locally by 2030.
Founded in 1969, Apollo isn’t a new arrival to aquaculture in Singapore. Since the 1970s, it has been breeding ornamental fish across its 300-odd farms in the region. But when Eric Ng took over the family business in 2009, he was quick to diversify into producing marine fish as food, borrowing methods from operations in Germany, Japan, and Israel, says Lee. The outcome was a three-story farm in Lim Chu Kang, a rare green spot on the outskirts of Singapore. That aquaculture facility has been in operation for nearly a decade.
Each level of the Lim Chu Kang operation has two 135-square-meter tanks supplied with seawater by a system that filters, purifies, monitors, and recirculates water through the farm. As a result, only around five percent of the water needs to be replaced when contaminated by effluent from the fish—though Lee says the goal at both the new and existing facilities is to reduce that to zero using aquatic plants that clean and treat water naturally. That’s in contrast to significant levels of waste at Singapore’s traditional onshore pond farms, where farmers routinely clean out and replace entire tanks.
Image from: Apollo Aquaculture Group
In nearly 10 years of operating the Lim Chu Kang farm, which produces up to 200 tonnes of fish per year, the company has built up meticulous data sets on how to increase yields, says Lee—data they will apply to the new, larger facility.
“We understand the amount of water required, the condition of the water, and the amount of feed—measured down to a single gram per cubic meter of water. As a result, we’re able to produce fish in a much shorter time frame, at the right size for the market,” says Lee.
The decision to build this system up, rather than out, is a response to the lack of space in the Asian city-state. “We’re a very small country, and it’s very difficult to secure land,” says Lee. “So rather than building sideways, and expanding horizontally, why not expand vertically?”
Ever larger onshore fish farms is not the only approach the city-state is using to reach its 30 by 30 goal, however. In late 2019, for example, an offshore fish farm opened about five kilometers off Singapore’s Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Using a closed-containment system, it produces around 166 tonnes of barramundi, red snapper, and grouper each year across four tanks. The system “effectively isolates the fishes from the seawater when the quality of the surrounding water turns poor,” says Yih Tng. The self-contained system offers the control of Apollo’s vertical farm without the initial outlay on expensive land, or the high power costs.
Though Lee insists Apollo’s new eight-story farm will be economically competitive with traditional fish farms, high operating costs remain one of the primary reasons that commercial vertical closed loop fish farms remain limited globally.
In the United States, the majority of farms represented by the Recirculating Farms Coalition are outdoors, and much smaller than the Singapore operation, says founder and executive director Marianne Cufone. “That means we’re not as dependent on artificial inputs, such as temperature controls,” she explains.
“A lot of the larger systems sacrifice some of the natural benefits of [recirculating] systems in that they use a lot of energy for cooling, for heating, and for the circulating pumps. That’s not to say these outweigh the benefits, but a smaller, well-designed system can be extremely eco-efficient versus some of the larger-scale ones.”
The increased operational costs of a large facility translate to the price of the product: a 150-gram pack of Apollo’s ready-to-cook hybridised grouper fillet will set a customer back around US $12—roughly double the price of a frozen red grouper on sale at Singapore’s biggest grocer, Fair Price.
However, Cufone adds, large enclosed fish farms are becoming more prevalent in North America and the rest of the world. Few places is that growth more urgent than in Singapore—a fact only exacerbated by the spread of COVID-19.
“COVID-19 has exploded the awareness of [food insecurity] exponentially to local Singaporeans, and right now there’s a big shift in thinking toward local production,” says Lee. A shift that Apollo plans to take full advantage of.
Vertical Farms Grow Veggies On Site At Restaurants And Grocery Stores
The Vertical Field setup retains many of the advantages of hydroponic vertical farms, but instead of the plants growing in a nutrient-packed liquid medium, the container-based pods treat their crops to real soil, supplemented by a proprietary mix of minerals and nutrients
By Paul Ridden
The Vertical Field urban farm pod can be installed in parking lots or inside warehouses, with a modular design that can grow according to customer need Vertical Field
Last month we reported that a huge vertical farming operation near Copenhagen in Denmark recently completed its first harvest. That setup uses hydroponics, but the veggies grown in Vertical Field urban farming pods take root in real soil.
Traditional agricultural farming involves the use of a lot of land and resources to grow crops, and then even more resources to harvest and transport the goods – sometimes thousands of miles – to where consumers can get to them.
As well as requiring a fraction of the growing space, controlled-environment agriculture systems such as hydroponics operations can be much more efficient, are no longer bound by season or location, the growing to harvest cycle is reduced and crops could be produced all year, and as with the Copenhagen operation, they can be set up close to where the food is purchased or consumed.
The Vertical Field setup retains many of the advantages of hydroponic vertical farms, but instead of the plants growing in a nutrient-packed liquid medium, the container-based pods treat their crops to real soil, supplemented by a proprietary mix of minerals and nutrients. The company says that it opted for geoponic production "because we found that it has a far richer flavor, color, and quality."
Vertical Field's urban farms grow walls of veggies inside recycled shipping containers
Vertical Field
"Vertical Field offers a revolutionary way to eat the freshest greens and herbs, by producing soil-based indoor vertical farms grown at the very location where food is consumed," said the company's CEO, Guy Elitzur. "Not only do our products facilitate and promote sustainable life and make a positive impact on the environment, we offer an easy-to-use real alternative to traditional agriculture. Our urban farms give new meaning to the term ‘farm to table,’ because one can virtually pick their own greens and herbs at supermarkets, restaurants or other retail sites."
The recycled and repurposed 20- or 40-ft (6/12-ft) shipping containers used to host the farms can be installed within reach of consumers, such as in the parking lot of a restaurant or out back at the grocery store. Growers can also scale up operations to more than one pod per site if needed, and the external surfaces could be covered in a living wall of decorative plants to make them more appealing.
The vertical urban farms are claimed capable of supporting the production of a wide range of fruits and veggies – from leafy greens and herbs to strawberries and mushrooms, and more. And it's reported to use up to 90 percent less water than a traditional farming setup.
"Through internal experiments with our irrigation method using data from sensors and models we have understood that this is the level of water efficiency," Vertical Field's Noa Winston told New Atlas. "Thus we arrived at an optimal irrigation protocol tailored to the needs of the plant."
According to the company's website, though pesticide-free, the system is not yet considered organic (though Vertical Field is currently in the process of attaining organic certification for the urban farm unit from the USDA). The crops also grow in a bug-free environment.
"The container is kept bug-free because it is sealed off, automated, and we limit human entry to only essential people and essential work," Winston explained. "The container farm itself is not a street vendor or a point of sale, therefore unnecessary or frequent entry does not occur."
Installing a Vertical Field urban farm in a grocery store parking lot means that consumers can benefit from fresh veggies all year long Vertical Field
Unlike some high-tech farming solutions, staff won't need special training to work with the vertical farm as the automated growing process monitors, irrigates, and fertilizes the crops as they grow thanks to arrays of sensors that continually feed data on climate, soil condition, LED lighting and so on to management software. Each vertical farm unit has its own Wi-Fi comms technology installed to enable operators to tap into the system via a mobile app.
The company told us that, by way of example, one container pilot farm offered a growing space of 400 sq ft (37 sq m) and yielded around 200 lb (90 kg) of produce per month, harvested daily. Lighting remained on for 16 hours per day. We assume that the pods are completely powered from the grid at their respective locations, though the company says that it is looking at ways to make use of solar panels as well as making more efficient use of water.
Vertical Field has been around since 2006 and has built a number of living green walls around the world since then. The soil-based vertical farm initiative was started in 2019.
Recent installations include the first Vertical Field container farm in the US at a restaurant named Farmers & Chefs in Poughkeepsie, New York, which started producing its own crops of fresh greens in mid-April 2020. Last month, following a successful pilot, Israel's largest supermarket chain, Rami Levy, signed an agreement with the company to roll vertical farms into dozens of store locations over the course of the next five years.
"The Rami Levy chain understands the social responsibility that it has for customers as related to food security and supplying the highest quality products while maintaining low prices," said the chain's Yafit Attias Levy. "Our customers bought Vertical Field's produce during the pilot and returned to purchase more. Therefore, we have decided to expand the partnership with Vertical Field to additional branches of the supermarket, and to offer fresh, high-quality, and pesticide-free produce in a way that increases shelf-life for our customers."
The Vertical Field urban farm can produce crops year round, without the use of pesticides Vertical Field
And earlier this month, Moderntrendo SRO – one of the largest agricultural distributors in Ukraine – signed up for a pilot project that will start with supermarket chain Varus, and potentially expand to other chains.
"We are extremely excited about our partnership with Moderntrendo SRO which has led to the project with Varus and will lead to more projects in the near future with more chains in Ukraine," Vertical Field's Guy Elitzur said. "One of the realizations that have surfaced during the COVID-19 crisis is the need to develop solutions that allow urban residents access to healthy food, with minimal human handling and without depending on transportation and shipping from remote locations. We are delighted to be able to provide - and expand access to - healthy, and high-quality vegetables grown right outside the consumer's door."
As well as grocery outlets and restaurants, the company sees its container-based vertical farms also being installed in hotels, universities, hospitals, and so on, in the future. The video below has more.
Grow Vegetables On-Site with Vertical Field
Source: Vertical Field
VIDEO: Common Mistakes When Setting Up Hydroponics
Even if you have a lot of guidance in setting up your grow space, you may make mistakes in the initial development stages
January 4, 2021 | By Joy King
Starting a hydroponics garden is thrilling. It's an exciting project where you can enjoy the progress your plants make over time. However, producing perfect plants requires some skill and attention to detail that take time to develop. Even if you have a lot of guidance in setting up your grow space, you may make mistakes in the initial development stages.
What is hydroponics?
Wikipedia describes hydroponics as "a type of horticulture as a method of growing plants, usually crops, without soil. It's become popular in vertical and indoor farming. Let's examine some common errors to avoid when setting up a hydroponics grow:
Ignoring plants
New growers may not devote the amount of time necessary to grow hydroponically. Some mistakenly believe that they can check in on plants on the weekend. But, a lot can go wrong if you're not regularly checking on them. Even if your system is fully automated through a grow controller, it's essential to check on your plants daily to ensure that everything is going smoothly.
Check that your automation system isn't clogged or failed in some other way. Once you are a more experienced grower, it will become easier for you to identify failures in your systems and problems with your plants since you're dedicating time to their wellbeing.
Going overboard
More is not always better, particularly in regards to plant growth. Often, problems arise in the grow room from a lack of experience in tending to plants grown hydroponically. It usually takes time to understand how to irrigate and fertilize plants properly. Overwatering is often detrimental to plants, and beginners often do not realize they are overwatering before it is too late. Excessive nutrients, or nutrient burn as it's referred to, is also a common problem for beginners.
Overcrowding plants
It is common for beginners to overestimate how many plants will fit in their grow space. When you first plant them, it may seem that your plants have a lot of room, but once they grow up, they will need that extra space to maintain growth. Be vigilant about removing excess plants and pruning if overcrowding seems like it will be a problem. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and plant fewer plants.
Sudden changes to the environment
You need to give your plants time to adjust when you make changes. One of the most common problems that beginners face is when they suddenly change the grow room's light levels or room temperature. Any sudden increase in light may cause leaf bleaching and burning. It's better that you make changes gradually, giving your plants time to adjust.
Final thoughts
There are many scholarly books on starting hydroponics grow room or space. Do your research and enjoy your hydroponic garden! It's a rewarding way to grow food, cannabis, or flowers.
Source: Growlink
Tags: Hydroponics, Nutrient Dosing System, Wireless Automation, Automated Grow System, Customer Service, Automated Grow Systems, Nutrient Delivery System, nutrients, automation
VIDEO: How 2 Hong Kong Pioneers’ Hi-Tech Robotic Arms Can Transform Traditional Industries And Research
Technology created at Jonathan Cheung’s Inovo Robotics performs repetitive tasks that can cultivate sustainable crops and process foods in automated kitchens
Technology created at Jonathan Cheung’s Inovo Robotics performs repetitive tasks that can cultivate sustainable crops and process foods in automated kitchens
Eric Wong has transformed lab experiments with Nikyang’s automated tools that allow researchers to carry out a more reliable and systematic analysis
7 January 2021
While robotic technology has been widely used by big manufacturing companies to increase productivity, the high cost of getting started means many smaller businesses have yet to take advantage of its huge potential.
However, Inovo Robotics, a Hong Kong-based technology start-up, is working to solve this problem.
Since it was founded in 2016, the robotics company has been developing solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises to help them adapt to automation in their everyday business practices.
Jonathan Cheung, the co-founder of the start-up, says his goal is to “democratize robots” and develop tools for all businesses to help them improve efficiency and remain competitive.
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“We found that there is such a big disconnect to the market for small businesses to be able to benefit from affordable and flexible robots,” he says.
“There are a lot of businesses that are struggling to get staff to do monotonous tasks, so what we’re developing is really a tool that enables them to take away repetitive work.”
Jonathan Cheung, the co-founder of Inovo Robotics, says high entry costs mean that many small businesses have yet to take full advantage of automation’s full potential.
Disrupting traditional industries
One of the applications of the robotic arms has seen them used around the clock to carry out repetitive tasks that help grow high-quality, pollution-free vegetables at a futuristic farm in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.
The farm, operated by indoor farming company Farm66 since 2018, is located inside a 20,000-square-foot (1,860-square-metre) factory building.
The use of the robotic arms to automatically sow seeds and harvest plants helps the farm to produce up to 200 tonnes of organic fresh produce, including cherry tomatoes, cabbage and basil, which is sold online and delivered to the city’s supermarkets and restaurants.
“Robots really improve the efficiency and speed of the products that are being made,” Cheung says. “In this competitive world, there is always a desire to drive costs down.”
In the case of vertical farming, the technology means minimal space and manpower are needed for the farming process, offering a glimpse of how technology will be able to transform farming in future.
Besides the vertical farm, the technology has also been used in an automated kitchen, where it helps with food processing to ensure cooking consistency. Inovo Robotics is also teaming up with a programming company to develop a system for high-resolution 3D scanning.
Inovo Robotics’ technology is being used to cultivate fresh organic produce at Farm66’s futuristic indoor farm inside an industrial factory building in Hong Kong. Photo: Farm66
Popularising robots for everyday use
Before setting up his own venture, Cheung spent more than a decade working as an engineer, when he witnessed first-hand how robots can help businesses scale their operations.
In 2016, Cheung and a colleague co-founded Inovo Robotics to popularise the everyday use of robot technology by businesses.
Its launch product, Modular Arm, with an adjustable system of six fully rotatable joints, gives the robot the flexibility to reach different positions. The robot’s modularity also gives customers an easy mechanism to choose longer or shorter arms, depending on their configurations.
Cheung says while large manufacturing companies often require tools that can automate a repetitive task, smaller businesses look for collaborative robots that can work alongside staff to complete different jobs at the same time.
“Smaller businesses tend to have smaller batch sizes and tighter spaces,” he says. “That is where a collaborative robot really comes into its own.”
Jonathan Cheung says Inovo Robotics’ modular robot technology offers small businesses a variety of options thanks to its adjustable flexible joints and the choice of using shorter or longer arms.
Inovo Robotics currently has two offices at Hong Kong Science Park, a government-run start-up incubator, and London, in the United Kingdom, as it seeks to tap into both the Asia-Pacific and European markets.
Cheung says Hong Kong has proved an ideal location to scale up his business because of its proximity to hi-tech research and an abundance of talent.
“[We can] be close to our supply chain, which allows us to manage it closely and deliver the best product to our customers,” he says.
“At any point in Hong Kong, you are probably within 25km to five or 10 great universities,” he adds. “There is a wealth of talent to be able to tap into – there are only a few countries with that level of accessibility.”
Revolutionizing academic research
Another Hong Kong start-up, Nikyang, has also developed fully automated laboratory equipment to help academic researchers increase the reliability of data collected in experiments.
Today, its automation technology has been applied in many settings, such as research institutes and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
The venture was founded by Hongkonger Eric Wong in 1999 with the initial goal of helping researchers in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to conduct analysis in a more systematic way.
“The basic dream of Nikyang was originally to pursue TCM research to gain a better understanding,” says Wong, who graduated with a master’s degree in biochemistry in Canada.
“I thought we needed a more standardized way of doing analysis in TCM to collect valid and precise information.”
Eric Wong, the founder of automation company Nikyang, says the use of robotic technology allows researchers to conduct more systematic analysis.
When he started his business journey by reaching out to laboratories in Hong Kong and mainland China, he realized that researchers wanted to use machines to help them follow the correct procedure as closely as possible while carrying out repetitive work.
However, many automated instruments available then lacked the ability to carry out different steps in lab research, he says, rendering them error-prone when applied in studies.
To solve the problem, Wong collaborated with Chemspeed, a Switzerland-based provider of lab equipment, in developing specific instruments for TCM research.
His team has integrated Chemspeed’s tools with robotic arms and wearables to increase collaboration between researchers and machines in conducting the analysis.
However, he realized the company would not be sustainable if it focused solely on serving the TCM industry, so he later diversified the business and began developing solutions for different settings.
In 2008, Nikyang began receiving orders from petrochemical companies in China, which gave Wong a lifeline to sustain his business and pursue his dream in TCM research.
The venture now places an emphasis on boosting effectiveness by providing an immerse lab experience.
Its SmartLab product, which is still under development, is set to integrate sensor technology, smart wearables, and cloud data management to help researchers work more efficiently with machines.
Nikyang’s SmartLab, which is still under development, will integrate sensor technology, smart wearables, and cloud data management so researchers can work more efficiently with machines. Photo: Nikyang
Nikyang has its headquarters at Hong Kong Science Park, where it carries out most of its research and development work. To tap into the China market, it has also opened branches in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to sell its products.
Wong says Hong Kong has served as an ideal location to grow his company because of its connectivity with China and different parts of the world.
“Hong Kong is definitely unique in terms of being a super-connector between the East and the West,” he says.
The city’s world-class financial market and sound legal system have also helped start-ups in raising capital and developing ideas as they embark on their journey.
Pioneering spirit
Both Wong and Cheung believe it is important for aspiring innovators to be passionate about their business vision to help them overcome challenges when developing and selling the products.
Wong, who spent a decade before he found a way to make his business sustainable, says it was vital to remain dedicated because many innovators experience failures before they can get their businesses on track.
“You need to have passion and a big heart to accept failure, and [an] even bigger heart to think and take risks,” he says.
Eric Wong, who spent a decade before finding a way to make Nikyang sustainable, says aspiring innovators should be passionate about their business vision – and not focus only on profits.
Wong also advises young entrepreneurs not to look only at making profits if they want to make a difference in the world.
“Money is only a by-product,” he says, adding that many successful pioneers often have to make substantial investments before they are able to disrupt the industry.
Cheung agrees that innovators must feel empowered to turn ideas into reality.
“My advice is to really focus on the business model,” he says. “It’s a very, very difficult journey to go on, and it’s very, very rewarding as well. And it’s very important to make sure you stay true to what you believe in.
“Having an idea that you believe in wholeheartedly, that you are willing to give your time and commitment to, is a good validation that you are on the right track.”
Morning Studio is the commercial content team of the South China Morning Post (SCMP). It aims to engage readers through storytelling while enabling the brand behind the content to achieve its marketing objectives. The Morning Studio team consists of specialists in various areas such as journalism, multimedia graphics, video production, digital technology, and marketing.
Iron Ox Announces Next Robotic Farm In Lockhart, TX
Iron Ox has purchased nearly 25 acres of land and plans to build a new, state-of-the-art facility on the property
November 6, 2020
LOCKHART, TX, — Iron Ox, a leader in robotics and AI-enabled farming with a mission to solve food insecurity, and the City of Lockhart, Texas today announced that Iron Ox will expand their operations to the city with plans to break ground on a new facility this December, bringing new tax revenue and jobs to Lockhart.
Since 2015, Iron Ox has developed hybrid robotic greenhouses that support a range of produce offerings. To bring those produce offerings to new communities, the company identified Texas as the next state in their national expansion plan with its favorable business environment and rich history of agriculture.
“We’re proud to make Lockhart our next farm outside of California,” said Brandon Alexander, Iron Ox CEO & Co-founder. “Lockhart’s city government, as well as their planning and development staff, worked diligently with us throughout this process and made us feel right at home. In addition, the city's central location within the Texas triangle and short drive from Austin, allows for strong distribution lanes of same-day grown and harvested products throughout the entire state of Texas, making the city the ideal choice for our robotic greenhouse growing platform”.
Iron Ox has purchased nearly 25 acres of land and plans to build a new, state-of-the-art facility on the property. This new facility will house the company’s natural light greenhouses, processing operations and AI-enabled robots to bring fresh, clean and healthy food to new customers and communities throughout Texas.
“The addition of Iron Ox to the Lockhart business community represents synergy between our city’s storied history in agriculture and our growing technology sector,” said Lockhart Mayor Lew White. “The food and beverage processing industry is one of four business sectors Lockhart has targeted in its 5-year economic growth plan because our city’s unique advantages align perfectly with the needs of companies like Iron Ox.”
Mike Kamerlander, Director, Economic Development, represented the Lockhart Economic Development Corporation (CEcD) on this project.
“As Lockhart continues to grow, Iron Ox and companies like it are essential to our economic vitality and future. We thank them for their investment and commitment to Lockhart.”
About Iron Ox
Iron Ox launched the world’s first autonomous farm in October 2018, leveraging advancements in plant science, machine learning, and robotics. The Iron Ox team develops AI-enabled, autonomous technology that enables fresher, more consistent produce to be grown and distributed globally. The company’s goal is to service thousands of communities with the freshest and healthiest products, while establishing global reach and impact on food security.
For more information, visit www.ironox.com.
About Lockhart Economic Development Corporation
The Lockhart Economic Development Corporation, a department within the City of Lockhart, is designed to provide a range of business and economic development assistance. To learn more about opportunities in Lockhart, visit www.lockhartedc.com.
Contact Info:
Taylor Aldredge
570-534-4754
Autogrow Challenges Other Industry Players To Publish APIs
“To date, large industry players have not publicly published APIs’, but our argument is that it’s your data - you should be able to do what you want with it,” says Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Morgan
Autogrow is calling for more public APIs (Application Programming Interface), giving increased access for growers to their own data, and fostering faster innovation in the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry.
“To date, large industry players have not publicly published APIs’, but our argument is that it’s your data - you should be able to do what you want with it,” says Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Morgan.
“There can be a protectionist approach to development to dissuade people from building their own versions or integrating other products. But you will never keep up with all the customer requests or in the same timeframe as the 15 other companies working on the same improvements in the market. Access equals innovation - simple as that.”
Autogrow's FarmRoad has launched their public API on a new Developer Portal which is product agnostic and welcomes all industry players. This will allow growers to use the platform to build a ‘best of breed’ solution for their operation, no matter what their current technology providers are.
“You don’t have to rip and replace your existing technology. You just need to use an API to connect it to FarmRoad and then see all your information in one place. You can also give third parties secure access to specific areas of your information – keeping control of what you want them to see.”
“As innovation accelerates it creates a unique challenge of being able to centralize all of your data in one place – regardless of the source. We’ve been offering public APIs for over three years and are certainly the leaders when it comes to cloud technology,” notes Mr. Morgan.
Initially, the FarmRoad Developer Portal will give access to:
Measurements: Over 39 different measurement data types related to the environment and crop registration.
Events: Capturing key events or notes for example pest detection or spray regimes.
Farms/compartments/sectors: Get the full picture from different areas of the farm. Giving comparative studies, trends or with permission-based access.
“This is just the beginning for what FarmRoad will be able to offer. With API availability, growers will be able to create their own custom applications alongside the work we are doing. It’s a great developer community which can evolve and scale as businesses and the industry changes.”
For more information on the FarmRoad Developer Portal - https://farmroad.io/developer
For more information on the API documentation - https://developer.farmroad.io/
For more information on Yield Prediction by FarmRoad - https://www.farmroad.io/
11 Nov 2020
Autonomous Delivery Startup Nuro Hits $5 Billion Valuation On Fresh Funding of $500 Million
Nuro, the autonomous delivery startup founded by two former Google engineers, has raised $500 million, suggesting that investors still have an appetite for long-term pursuits such as robotics and automated vehicle technology
Kirsten Korosec@kirstenkorosec / November 9, 2020
Image Credits: Nuro
Nuro, the autonomous delivery startup founded by two former Google engineers, has raised $500 million, suggesting that investors still have an appetite for long-term pursuits such as robotics and automated vehicle technology. Nuro now has a post-money valuation of $5 billion.
The Series C round was led by funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., with participation from new investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company and Baillie Gifford. The round also includes existing investors such as SoftBank Vision Fund 1 and Greylock.
Nuro was founded in June 2016 by former Google engineers Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu. While the startup was initially bootstrapped by Ferguson and Zhu, it has never struggled to attract investors. Nuro completed its first Series A funding round in China in 2016, a deal that gave NetEase founder Ding Lei (aka William Ding) a seat on Nuro’s board. A second, U.S.-based, round in June 2017 raised Nuro’s total Series A funding to $92 million. But it was the monster $940 million investment made by the SoftBank Vision Fund in February 2019 that catapulted Nuro ahead of numerous other startups attempting to commercialize autonomous vehicle technology. Nuro had a $2.7 billion valuation following the SoftBank investment, meaning its value doubled in about 18 months. That money has helped it grow to more than 650 employees.
Unlike many other startups in the AV industry, Nuro has focused its effort on designing a low-speed electric self-driving vehicle that transports packages, not people. Some of Nuro’s first tests and pilots were with Toyota Prius vehicles equipped with its self-driving system. Nuro partnered in 2018 with Kroger to pilot a delivery service in Arizona. The pilot, which initially used Toyota Prius vehicles, transitioned to its R1 delivery bot. Nuro has also partnered with companies like CVS, Domino’s, and Walmart.
The company has since developed a second-generation vehicle, known as the R2. This delivery bot, which is designed for local delivery service for restaurants, grocery stores, and other businesses, received an exemption from the federal government earlier this year that allows it to operate as a driverless vehicle.
“We are witnessing an unprecedented shift in consumer demand for safe and affordable local delivery services,” Zhu, CEO, and co-founder of Nuro said in a statement. “This funding, which brings us together with many of the world’s top investors, positions Nuro confidently toward a future where our world-class technology is adopted into people’s everyday lives.”
The company, which is testing and operating R2 on public roads in Arizona, California, and Texas, told TechCrunch that the new funding will allow it to “confidently grow for years to come, with multi-year runway to build in multiple cities and scale across multiple markets.” Nuro’s near-term focus is on scaling its service in Houston and implementing R2 into commercial service.
CubicFarm Systems Corp. Announces Strategic Acquisition of HydroGreen, Inc.
Vancouver, BC – (AccessWire – December 11, 2019) – CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV:CUB) (“CubicFarms” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding purchase agreement effective December 10, 2019, to acquire HydroGreen, Inc. (“HydroGreen”), an arms-length private company headquartered in South Dakota
December 11, 2019
Vancouver, BC – (AccessWire – December 11, 2019) – CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV:CUB) (“CubicFarms” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding purchase agreement effective December 10, 2019, to acquire HydroGreen, Inc. (“HydroGreen”), an arms-length private company headquartered in South Dakota (the “Acquisition”).
HydroGreen is a manufacturer of fully-automated hydroponic growing systems that produce live, green animal feed, prioritizing animal health and performance. HydroGreen’s unique process sprouts grains, such as barley and wheat, in a controlled environment with minimal use of land, labor, and water. Its system performs all growing functions including seeding, watering, lighting, harvesting, and re-seeding – all with the push of a button – to deliver animal feed without the typical investment in fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, field equipment, and transportation.
Overview of Acquisition
The Acquisition will be completed by way of a reverse triangular merger of CubicFeed Systems U.S. Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and HydroGreen, resulting in HydroGreen being renamed “of CubicFeed Systems U.S. Corp” and becoming an indirect and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The new CubicFarms subsidiary will operate the existing business of HydroGreen moving forward.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, holders of HydroGreen shares (“HydroGreen Shareholders”) will be entitled to receive an aggregate of 11,000,000 common shares of CubicFarms (the “Consideration Shares”), subject to an adjustment related to working capital. Of the Consideration Shares, 10,000,000 will be issued on closing of the Acquisition with the remaining 1,000,000 shares being issued on the six-month anniversary of closing, subject to any set-off relating to indemnification. None of the current shareholders of HydroGreen will hold more than 5% of the common shares of the Company pursuant to the Acquisition.
The implied value of the CubicFarms common stock issued to HydroGreen is C$1.50 per share. Following closing, principals of HydroGreen holding in excess of 80% of the Consideration Shares will enter into a pooling agreement with respect to their Consideration Shares. Under the terms of the pooling agreement, 25% of their Consideration Shares will be released on the closing of the Acquisition and an additional 25% will be released on each of the dates which are 6 months, 12 months and 18 months following the closing of the Acquisition.
In 2018, HydroGreen recorded unaudited sales revenues of approximately US$1.2 million and an unaudited gross profit of approximately US$700,000.
The Acquisition will require the approval of HydroGreen Shareholders at a special meeting expected to take place in late December (the “HydroGreen Meeting”). In order to become effective, the Acquisition must be approved at the HydroGreen Meeting by HydroGreen Shareholders holding greater than 50% of the HydroGreen shares entitled to vote at the HydroGreen Meeting. HydroGreen Shareholders holding approximately 75% of the issued and outstanding HydroGreen shares have entered into voting and support agreements with CubicFarms in support of the Acquisition. The board of directors of HydroGreen has unanimously approved the Acquisition and will recommend that HydroGreen Shareholders vote FOR the Acquisition. The merger agreement includes representations, warranties, and covenants typical of a transaction of this nature, including with respect to non-solicitation.
In addition to approval of HydroGreen Shareholders, the Acquisition is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and other customary closing conditions. It is not anticipated that the Acquisition will be classified as a Reviewable Transaction under TSX Venture Exchange Policies.
The Acquisition is expected to close in December 2019 following the HydroGreen Meeting.
About HydroGreen
The HydroGreen growing system consists of a 10-feet by 8-feet rack with 8-feet by 6-feet growing surfaces stacked 6 layers high to a total height of 10 feet. This is the smallest, one-section system available for sale – two-section up to six-section systems that are 50 feet long, 8 feet wide and 10 feet high are available. The modular system allows farmers to combine multiple systems to feed hundreds or thousands of livestock.
Image 1: The HydroGreen automated three-section growing system for animal feed.
Seeding one growing surface each day with 1.8 bushels of seed can produce 487 pounds of animal feed every six days. A one-section system could produce enough feed for a 20 to 25-cattle farm, while a three-section system could potentially provide most of the feed for a herd of 100.
The HydroGreen growing system’s automated seeder spreads half an inch of small grain seed on the growing surface. A fine mist of water is sprayed from above to initiate growth, followed by a gentle-rain automated irrigation system to feed the plants as they sprout. After six days, fresh green feed on the growing surface is rolled off and harvested at the push of a button on the touchscreen control panel.
As the feed layer is rolled off the surface, it is sliced into pieces with a water jet, ready to be blended with a feed ration or fed directly to livestock. Once the harvest cycle is complete, the surface is automatedly cleaned and reseeded with a new seedbed, ready to be irrigated – setting in motion another grow cycle.
Image 2: The HydroGreen system takes seed to feed in six days.
While growing feed hydroponically is not a new concept, traditional rack-and-stack systems are labor-intensive and are sensitive to mold. Mold tends to grow on seeds in warm, damp or humid conditions. Traditional hydroponic systems rely on human labor to manually clean the growing pans and soak, spread and water the seed, resulting in significant potential for human error and potential for mold to develop. The HydroGreen technology alleviates both problems as it requires only one second of labor per tonne of feed produced – to push a button on the touchscreen control panel. Through its automated process, the system applies a sequence of eleven procedures dedicated to controlling mold, stretching from seed selection to harvest, reducing the potential for human error and for mold to develop.
Economic, environmental and nutritional benefits of hydroponic animal feed
The HydroGreen system provides local, on-demand availability of fresh green feed 365 days a year, unaffected by drought, snow or rain. Hydroponic feed that is fed directly to livestock results in a significant reduction of feed waste since the entire root mass is consumed with the grass.
In addition to savings from reduced labor and water, the system’s vertically stacked surfaces allow for high yields in a very small area, increasing farmers’ independence by growing food for their livestock without the need for cultivated land.
When wheatgrass and barley are sprouted, they release many vitamins and minerals as well as convert hard-to-digest starches into easily digestible proteins. Sprouting results in increased enzyme levels in the ration, which aids digestion and absorption of nutrients; increased levels of vitamins; increased mineral bioavailability and increased fatty acids (quality energy) and amino acids (quality protein). These nutrients are critical to animal health, growth, milk production and reproduction.
Sales and marketing strategy for the HydroGreen system
CubicFarms has signed an authorized reseller agreement with Artex Feed Solutions. Artex Feed Solutions is a joint venture company which is 25% owned by CubicFarms and 75% owned by Artex Barn Solutions, a leader in agricultural supplies for over 40 years. Artex Barn Solutions was founded by John de Jonge – also a board member of CubicFarms – who purchased Artex Barn and grew it into a global provider of cattle handling equipment, ventilation and cow cooling. He has deep expertise in establishing and scaling up multiple manufacturing facilities in China and North America.
Artex and Mr. de Jonge plan to market the HydroGreen system to their existing dealership network in the USA and Canada, and to qualified leads in China, Indonesia, and the Middle East – areas with substantial market potential due to changing food consumption patterns and supportive government policies toward agricultural technology.
Internationally, Artex dealers will target existing agriculture animal producers looking to enhance profitability and environmental sustainability, early-stage farmers with minimal capital and land constraints, small- to medium-size farms seeking feed alternatives to benefit their operations and urban farmers without access to land.
The arrangement with Artex Feed Solutions may be considered a related-party transaction subject to TSX-V Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101. The Company will be exempt from the need to obtain minority shareholder approval and a formal valuation as required by MI 61-101 as the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the fair market value of the transaction with Artex is far below 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.
While remaining on CubicFarms’ board of directors, Mr. de Jonge will transition from his current role as the Company’s Chief Design and Installation Officer to Chief Executive Officer of CubicFarms subsidiary CubicFeed Systems, effective immediately. Rodrigo Santana, CubicFarms’ Chief Operating Officer, will assume oversight of machine design and installations, supported by a management team with significant field expertise.
Dave Dinesen, Chief Executive Officer of CubicFarms, commented: “This landmark transaction with HydroGreen is a catalyst for continued growth at CubicFarms. Having already established a robust sales pipeline for our fresh produce vertical, this acquisition will enable us to capitalize on technology and automation synergies with HydroGreen to capture the animal feed space, which we believe could be a larger market than fresh produce. Approximately two-thirds of the world’s agricultural land is used for grazing and animal feed production. HydroGreen’s “land on a stand” system helps reduce the vast amounts of land required to grow feed.
“While the CubicFarms system is ideal for growing fresh produce, the advancements made in the HydroGreen system in the areas of harvesting, reseeding and self-cleaning, make it particularly well-suited for the production of animal feed. This transaction positions us to be a leading ag-tech company providing controlled-environment growing systems in four diversified verticals – fresh produce, animal feed, hemp/cannabis, and nutraceutical ingredients.”
Dihl Grohs, Chief Executive Officer of HydroGreen, commented: “I am incredibly proud of HydroGreen’s growth trajectory since our first system prototype was built in 2014 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, then progressively refined to achieve today’s 98% reliability rating and the system’s ability to monitor and correct issues in advance.
“The technology is poised for large-scale commercialization and this merger represents an ideal next step to bring HydroGreen systems to international markets. I am confident that CubicFarms’ global leadership in automated vertical-farming solutions, combined with the go-to-market ability of Artex Feed, will result in significant uptake of our systems as farmers learn how this technology enhances the productivity of their operations.”
John de Jonge, President of Artex Feed Solutions, and Chief Executive Officer of CubicFeed Systems commented: “As a lifelong dairy industry participant, I believe the animal feed market is ripe for disruption, urgently requiring predictable, year round production of nutritious feed while minimizing the inputs of land, labor, and water. I am excited to lead the expansion of CubicFarms’ animal feed business by leveraging Artex’s broad network of dealers in 40 countries to bring the HydroGreen solution to market.”
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor it’s Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The Consideration Shares to be issued as part of the Acquisition have not been, nor will be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), and such securities may only be offered or sold within the United States pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws.
About CubicFarm® Systems Corp.
CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (“CubicFarms”) is an ag-tech company commercializing large scale, vertical farming solutions for global industrial markets. Founded in 2015, the Company’s mission is to provide industries around the world with efficient growing systems capable of producing predictable crop yields. CubicFarms offers turnkey, commercial scale, hydroponic, automated vertical farm growing systems that can grow predictably and sustainably for 12 months of the year virtually anywhere on earth. CubicFarms enables its customers in the fresh produce, animal feed, nutraceutical, and hemp/cannabis industries to grow locally and to provide their markets with safe, sustainable, secure and fresh ingredients that are consistent in color, size, taste, nutrition and allows for longer shelf life. Further support and value is provided to customers through the Company’s patent-pending germination technology and proprietary auto harvesting and processing methods.
Using its unique, undulating growing system, the Company addresses the main challenges within the indoor farming industry by significantly reducing the need for physical labor and energy, and maximizing yield per cubic foot. The Company has sold and installed systems in Canada and the US and is currently negotiating with a global pipeline of prospective customers. It also operates one wholly owned facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, and sells its produce in the province to retail and wholesale customers under the brand name Thriiv Local Garden™.
Information contact
Kimberly Lim
kimberly@cubicfarms.com
Phone: +1-236-858-6491
www.cubicfarms.com
Cautionary statement on forward-looking information
Certain statements in this release constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the closing of the Acquisition and HydroGreen’s sales and growth prospects. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of CubicFarm Systems Corp. and its subsidiaries, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “predict”, and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, or “will” be taken, occur, or be achieved.
These statements reflect the company’s current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the company, the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the company’s expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.
AEssenseGrows Adds Business Management To Cruise Control Aeroponics
The Guardian Cloud Intelligence central management system brings cloud-based data analysis and visualization of complete grow operations to AEssenseGrows’ advanced software platform for automated aeroponic plant growth
Guardian Cloud Intelligence Visualizes Complete Grow Operations with Cloud-Based Analysis, Accelerating Business Decisions
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2019 -- AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in precision automated aeroponic platforms for consistent high-yield plant production, today introduced a new set of business management features that deliver dramatically greater insight to cultivators. The Guardian Cloud Intelligence central management system brings cloud-based data analysis and visualization of complete grow operations to AEssenseGrows’ advanced software platform for automated aeroponic plant growth.
Adding to “cruise control” grow recipes, the new features help cultivators analyze the costs and revenue of various strain performance—easing the comparison of historic, current grows, and future planning—to determine the most profitable paths in the context of the latest market pricing.
“We’re really excited about the ability to run reports on our grows and cross those with our harvest yields and pricing expectations to determine the big-picture issues we can optimize over time,” said master grower Matthew Willinger, whose operation in Oakland, Calif., uses the AEssenseGrows AEtrium system. “And being able to evaluate the operational cost of a grow-- water, nutrients, labor, electricity--combined with selling prices is a great tool for analyzing the profitability of different grow rooms and strains.”
The AEssenseGrows award-winning AEtrium system delivers sensor-driven cruise-control automation to simplify aeroponics and amplify its inherent benefits. The Guardian Grow Manager central management software executes the exact grow recipe and environmental conditions set by the master cultivator. Once created, dozens of sensors in every machine report on performance and direct adjustments 24/7 and 365 days per year without hesitation, rest, or fatigue. Key variables are automatically tuned such as lighting, nutrients, HVAC, and environmental control to maintain the optimal conditions as defined in the master cultivator’s grow recipe.
Guardian Cloud Intelligence now extends the master cultivator’s knowledge with limitless cloud storage and analysis, leading to better decisions at the fingertips of the master cultivator from any convenient location at any time of day.
Key analysis and features in the Guardian Cloud Intelligence system include:
Room-level aggregated reporting for unlimited sized rooms. Sensor data can be displayed and reported per harvest by the minute, hour, day, week, quarter or year.
The availability of unlimited financial data on nutrient usage, water usage, CO2 usage, labor, maintenance, and electrical usage.
The integration of collected data with the Calendar, enabling all employees and managers to share to-do lists and action items. Users can manage labor operations for their entire facility through an easy to use calendar dashboard. Visually analyze sensor patterns over the days of the calendar. Adjust your work assignments on the fly and have those tie directly back to user assignments.
Workflow integration and dynamic form extension connect business processes, like reporting and documentation, directly to the operator’s daily activities so it is seamless and easy to follow. Every employee starts their shift with a complete list of their required activities for the day, and this is dynamically updated with changes as required. Completion of the events are all stored and integrated in the analysis in the cloud.
Market pricing and financial impact reports based on facility metrics and labor integration, produce profitability forecasts based on real-time and projected data.
AEssenseGrows Receives CE Marking For Its Automated Aeroponics Systems
The CE Marking covers both the AEssenseGrows AEtrium-2.1 and AEtrium-4 grow platforms. Last year, the company received similar certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the largest not-for-profit testing laboratory in the world
The Markings Confirm That the Company’s AEtrium Grow Systems Meet
the Health, Safety and Environmental Standards Required in Europe
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2019 -- AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in precision automated aeroponic platforms for consistent high-yield plant production, announced today that its AEtrium grow systems have received Europe’s CE Marking, ensuring they meet the health, safety and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area.
The CE Marking covers both the AEssenseGrows AEtrium-2.1 and AEtrium-4 grow platforms. Last year, the company received similar certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the largest not-for-profit testing laboratory in the world. And the company’s compact high-intensity AErix LED bloom light last year received an Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) safety listing, exceeding or surpassing all standards for safety published by UL and other standards bodies.
The AEssenseGrows award-winning AEtrium system delivers sensor-driven cruise-control automation to simplify aeroponics and amplify its inherent benefits.
“The only thing more important to AEssenseGrows than its customers’ success is its customers’ safety,” said Phil Gibson, the company’s vice president of Marketing. “Our team has worked hard to ensure our equipment meets and exceeds all relevant regulatory standards so our customers can focus on winning in the marketplace without having to worry about safety issues”
Also today, AEssenseGrows introduced a new set of business management features that deliver dramatically greater insight to cultivators. The new Guardian Cloud Intelligence central management system brings cloud-based data analysis and visualization of complete grow operations to AEssenseGrows’ advanced software platform for automated aeroponic plant growth.
The AEtrium system hardware and software will be on display at the AEssenseGrows booth, C5308, at the MJBizCon show in Las Vegas Dec. 11-13.
More information on the products is available at www.aessensegrows.com.
About AEssenseGrows
AEssenseGrows (pronounced "essence grows"), founded in 2014, is a precision AgTech company based in Sunnyvale, Calif. A recipient of the Red Herring 2019 Top 100 North America award, AEssenseGrows provides accelerated plant growth SmartFarm platforms and software automation delivering pure, zero pesticides, year-round, enriched growth to fresh produce and medicinal plant producers globally.
With AEssenseGrows, growers can precisely control their production operations at your fingertips from anywhere in the world.
Knowledge From Algae Industry To Better Vertical Farming System
PaiGE Growth Technologies Inc. entered into MOU with CubicFarm Systems Corp. in Langley, BC to study the effectiveness of combining vertical farming systems with its technology
PaiGE Growth Technologies & CubicFarm partner up
PaiGE Growth Technologies Inc. entered into MOU with CubicFarm Systems Corp. in Langley, BC to study the effectiveness of combining vertical farming systems with its technology.
If successful, the partners will provide an efficient, modular and readily deployable system to grow vegetables or plants using the latest advances in precision agriculture and vertical farming.
CubicFarms is commercializing industrial-scale vertical farming systems for multiple industries worldwide. The CubicFarms platform consists of a containerized, automated and environment-controlled system where trays of high-value crops like leafy vegetables and herbs follow a patented, undulating path that ensures ideal growing conditions.
Pond has developed a growth platform for algae and terrestrial plants using proprietary lighting, controls and artificial intelligence. Pond has granted PaiGE an exclusive license for the application and further advancement of this technology for terrestrial plants.
Improvements
As part of the MOU, PaiGE and CubicFarms envisage a multi-phase study to test the improvements from retrofitting the CubicFarms system with PaiGE technology. Each phase shall compare plant growth and resource input in a PaiGE-equipped growth cube against a standard unit – first incorporating proprietary lighting, then sensors, and finally a precision nutrient and water dosing system. In each phase, PaiGE shall provide the engineering design, coordinate equipment manufacturing, and installation, and run and assess trials. If the trials prove successful and CubicFarms decides to incorporate PaiGE technology into its growth cubes, CubicFarms agrees to pay PaiGE licensing fees for its technology. PaiGE shall retain intellectual property developed by it throughout the joint project.
Increase local production
Dave Dinesen, CubicFarm’s CEO commented: “Our commercial-scale modular CubicFarm growing machines allow our partner farmers to increase local production of nutritious vegetables, herbs, and many other crops, helping to address both food security and the environmental footprint associated with transportation. We’re excited to incorporate PaiGE precision technology with the goal of improving resource efficiency and crop yields.”
Steve Martin, PaiGE CEO stated: “The partnership with CubicFarms allows us to demonstrate Pond’s growth technology in the terrestrial environment, potentially opening the door to a whole new category of applications. CubicFarms is the ideal partner for us to evolve the PaiGE technology as their growth cubes provide a fully controlled environment – similar to Pond algae bioreactors. As a technology provider to CubicFarms, we are excited to support their mission of advancing sustainable precision agriculture and vertical farming.”
Publication date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019
New Life CA Selects AEssenseGrows’ Aeroponic System For Its Socially Conscious Cannabis Business
New Life is a vertically integrated, state-licensed cultivation, distribution and non-store front company based in Oakland, California
The East Bay Cannabis Producer Selected Complete AEssenseGrows Automated System for Precision Cruise Control of Indoor Sterile Grow Environments
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 12, 2019 -- AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in precision automated aeroponic platforms for consistent high-yield plant production, announced today that New Life CA, a socially conscious California cannabis company, has purchased the AEssenseGrows AEtrium system for its operations. New Life determined the AEssenseGrows equipment could best deliver the precision and controls needed to grow superior cannabis at its East Bay facility.
“We wanted a cultivation system that was easy to use and provided a great degree of control over and visibility into the grow environment,” said Carlton Williams, founder of New Life. “The cutting-edge AEssenseGrows system meets those requirements with the automation and precision delivered with its revolutionary Guardian Grow Manager software.”
Williams added: “In addition to our own cultivation, New Life is dedicated to fostering opportunities for those in our community considering entering the cannabis industry, and we’ve worked with non-profits to help individuals establish equity requirements and build business plans. I always encourage these budding entrepreneurs to consider an indoor platform like the AEssenseGrows system.”
New Life is a vertically integrated, state-licensed cultivation, distribution and non-store front company based in Oakland, Calif.
The AEssenseGrows AEtrium system delivers cruise-control automation to simplify aeroponics and amplify its inherent benefits. The company's Guardian Grow Manager central management software monitors grow conditions 24/7 and, if needed, automatically adjusts key variables such as lighting, nutrients, and environment to maintain optimal conditions for the grow recipe.
“The AEtrium System can help cultivators achieve breakthrough aeroponic yields and lowest cost of production at the same time,” said Phil Gibson, AEssenseGrows vice president of Marketing. “Whether for large corporation’s or smaller, community-based growers like New Life, we are committed to helping our customers gain a competitive advantage through the integration of plant science and advanced technology.”
About AEssenseGrows
AEssenseGrows (pronounced "essence grows"), founded in 2014, is a precision AgTech company based in Sunnyvale, CA. AEssenseGrows provides accelerated plant growth SmartFarm platforms and software automation delivering pure, zero pesticide, year-round, enriched growth to fresh produce and medicinal plant producers globally. With AEssenseGrows, you can precisely control your production operations at your fingertips from anywhere in the world.
Seedo Issues Letter to Shareholders
Together, we are delivering the future of automated plant growing technologies, from seed to harvest, for both consumer and commercial use
TEL AVIV, Israel, July 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Seedo Corp. - "Seedo" (OTCQB: SEDO) - an agritech company providing the world's first fully automated and controlled indoor growing technologies for the "at-home" and commercial agriculture markets, today issued a letter to shareholders.
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
Zohar Levy, CEO & Chairman Seedo Corp.
Together, we are delivering the future of automated plant growing technologies, from seed to harvest, for both consumer and commercial use. By integrating artificial intelligence (AI), big data, robotics, and remote grow technologies, we are delivering on our vision and mission to improve agriculture for a growing world population. We thank our shareholders for being our partners in this mission.
Consumer side of the business:
We are continuing to deliver the Seedo fully automated home grow device to customers in North America and Europe. We are satisfied to share that consumer response has been overwhelmingly positive, with customers sharing their satisfaction on social media platforms, further driving consumer enthusiasm and demand. Seedo has also recently garnered highly favorable coverage in key media outlets including Forbes, Vice, Maxim, Herb, Green Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Bloomberg, and The Guardian.
In addition to selling the Seedo direct-to-consumer through our website, we are currently ramping up our marketing and distribution efforts in North America and Europe in order to further increase device sales. Specialty retailers are very interested in selling the Seedo both through their physical and online stores that serve the medical cannabis grow market. Additionally, we are progressing with a number of strategic big-box retailers in North America for more meaningful sales exposure.
We are currently evaluating the option to offer a leasing model for our future customers with a third-party who will provide a credit line. We believe that providing customers the choice to own or lease the product will significantly increase future sales. In order to meet higher sales volume, we have begun to ramp up monthly manufacturing of the device.
Commercial side of the business:
We have begun to manufacture our B2B Seedo Farm containers. We have developed two lines of containers, one specialized for medical cannabis and a new line uniquely designed for vegetables and herbs.
Seedo's technology enables licensed medical cannabis producers full control and automation of all plant growth parameters, thus allowing for more precise unified standardized yields suitable for the food, beverage and pharma industries. The containers provide a full turn-key solution and we are in the process of securing EU-GAP and EU-GMP certification to meet international standards. Seedo has already signed two agreements to establish medical cannabis farms at Kibbutz Dan and Moshav Brosh.
Seedo's new vegetable and herb commercial containers provides an incredible solution for industrial agriculture farmers in a variety of "at-risk" markets. Stackable containers afford dramatic savings in land-use, water consumption and human labor needs. Seedo Farm units can be installed anywhere, from rooftops in densely populated cities, to open space in deserts, growing a variety of organic vegetables and herbs, 24/7, independent of climate conditions. We were very pleased to qualify as a registered vendor for the United Nations Global Marketplace, and are working to establish a pilot program in countries suffering from extreme climates and pollution, thereby serving the growing global population with fresh produce all year round. Seedo's solution can be a market leader in vertical urban farming, enabling cost effective growth without harmful chemicals, with an extended shelf life, and with reduced logistics costs.
In our view, both the medical cannabis and the conventional agriculture sectors are primed for substantial transformations in the coming years due to a variety of environmental and logistical challenges worldwide. Because these two sectors are characterized by different commercial markets, as well as different investor profiles in the capital markets, Seedo is evaluating the opportunity to split its business into two separate units, one that exclusively serves the medical cannabis market, and another focused solely on vegetable and herb agriculture. We will keep our shareholders informed about these developments.
As the world becomes increasingly more challenging to feed, we are going to change the way people grow and consume fresh produce. We will keep you updated on our progress.
Yours Sincerely,
Zohar Levy
CEO & Chairman
Seedo Corp.
About Seedo
Seedo is a market leading high-tech company providing the medical cannabis and agriculture industries with the world's first fully automated and controlled indoor growing machine. Seedo provides growers with the freedom to cut costs while generating high yields of lab-grade, pesticide-free herbs and vegetables. Seedo's AI-powered, turnkey systems enable anyone from average consumers to large-scale producers the ability to grow without prior experience or ample space. Seedo is a publicly traded company backed by a group of international investors including Cannabics Pharmaceuticals and is headquartered in Israel. For more information, visit http://www.seedo.com
Disclaimer:
Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials and/or other studies, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, the effect of any competitive products, our ability to license and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, changes in government policy and/or regulation, potential litigation by or against us, any governmental review of our products or practices, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our latest Form 10-Q Report filed on May 15th, 2019. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement or any information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time. Finally, the investing public is reminded that the only announcements or information about Seedo Corp. which are condoned by the Company must emanate from the Company itself and bear our name as its source.
Contacts:
Seedo Corp.
+972-77-6149333
info@seedolab.com
http://www.seedolab.com