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"We Store CO2 From The Outside Air To Make Plants Grow Faster"
“Our ultimate goal is to make greenhouses independent of fossil fuels while improving their crop yield”, says Jarle. This ambitious goal is the main motivation behind their unique, yet a straightforward new product: an environmental climate system that provides plants inside of the greenhouse with outside CO2.
Bringing captured CO2 into the greenhouse with zeolites
“In short, we capture CO2 from the air outside and then release it inside the greenhouse. As our system includes the greenhouse to be a closed system, all the CO2 inside will increase plant growth. This new technology does not give any emissions to its surroundings while in use and the solution is 100% climate-neutral”, Jarle Skjæveland with GreenCap Solutions explains. The company recently launched their product, and they are working on several projects in Norway and abroad.
“Our ultimate goal is to make greenhouses independent of fossil fuels while improving their crop yield”, says Jarle. This ambitious goal is the main motivation behind their unique, yet straight forward new product: an environmental climate system that provides plants inside of the greenhouse with outside CO2. On top of that, it allows for the reuse of condensed water, which further reduces costs for growers.
GreenCap Solution’s technical team combines decades of energy in the oil and gas industry, which is now taken to the greenhouse industry. For the past four years, they have been working on the carbon-capturing technique. Last year, they started working with the first greenhouse company to apply the technique: Lauvsnes Gartneri, a tomato greenhouse in Finnøy, Norway. The second project they started this year is with a Norwegian cucumber grower.
Zeolites: a tried method
For the capturing of the CO2 molecules, the company uses zeolites, a porous mineral that can adsorb large quantities of gas. Zeolites occur naturally but are also produced industrially. “Using zeolites as carbon adsorbent is nothing new. It was already used in the 1960s for industrial applications. Our invention is effectively using the energy and storing the CO2 for greenhouse application, in combination with climate control within the greenhouse,” Jarle explains.
Inside the greenhouse, the CO2 is transported by a constant air flow. “With the greenhouse closed on a sunny day, the temperature might get too high. For that reason, we have a circulation system that shifts the air every 10 minutes. Air tubes underneath the plants produce a constant low-speed airflow. This way, the temperature inside can be a comfortable 24 C even in a hot climate,” Jarle adds.
Vertical farming in Saudi Arabia
This technique comes in handy as the company recently started a new project in Saudi Arabia. This time not with a greenhouse but with a vertical farm that grows eight layers of lettuce. “When we visited Saudi Arabia some months ago, we noticed that some people were skeptical as to our technology would work in a hot climate too. With this new project, we are proving that our technique works, not only for different crops in different growing systems but also in different climates. And the additional benefit is that there we can make better use of solar power as well, taking advantage of the natural resources available.”
In many European countries, growers generally have a combined heat power (CHP) that already provides additional CO2 to growers. But according to Jarle, the systems can be combined easily. “Our technique is twofold: either we replace the current CO2 source or we add it to the closed growth environment. Both work fine together, but with our system, growers can stop using fossil fuels completely while still giving that beneficial CO2 to their plants. Besides, many countries do not need the extra heat provided by the CHP, at least not year-round. In that case, working with a CHP is not cost-effective.”
Already within the horticultural industry, GreenCap’s environmental climate control system can have many different applications. But the company is already investigating other possible usages of their carbon adsorbent technique. “CO2 is used in other industries too, so we are investigating other expansion already, such as companies absorbing their CO2 emission. However, horticulture is such a vast and rapidly growing industry. Imagine this huge industry, that is so essential for the food production of the entire world, being totally emission-free. That is what we’re working for.”
A promotional video of GreenCap Solution's system can be watched here.
For more information:
GreenCap Solutions
www.greencap-solutions.com
Publication date: Fri 4 Jun 2021
Author: Jenneken Schouten
© HortiDaily.com
Polygreens Podcast Episode: 008 -CO2 GRO
CO2 from a gas tank and water from the facility source are plugged into the Aqueous CO2 Infusion System, which comes as an in-situ system or can be integrated into booms
CO2 from a gas tank and water from the facility source are plugged into the Aqueous CO2 Infusion System, which comes as an in-situ system or can be integrated into booms. The CO2 completely dissolves in the water creating a saturated aqueous CO2 solution.
The aqueous CO2 solution is targeted directly on to the plant's leaves by misting micro droplets that create an aqueous CO2 film on leaf's surface. This film isolates the leaf surface from the atmosphere and creates a diffusion gradient that favors the transport of CO2 into the leaf and other gasses out of the leaf.
The carbon is used by the plant for photosynthesis to grow and the oxygen is given off to the atmosphere.
Listen
Nick Greens
The Nick Greens Grow Team has participated in many changes since they started developing indoor controlled agricultural environments in 2010. Our goal is to expand the vertical farming industry by helping ag-entrepreneurs manage their businesses better, avoid common mistakes, and improve crop yields based on what we have observed and developed over the past decade.
YouTube
Another E. coli Outbreak – A New Solution to Help
Another continent-wide romaine lettuce recall from an outbreak of E. coli is underway with 67 people reported sick in 19 states
CO2GRO
December 6, 2019
Another continent-wide romaine lettuce recall from an outbreak of E. coli is underway with 67 people reported sick in 19 states. The source of the latest outbreak was found in irrigation reservoir sediments. The chief suspect is wild animal feces entering the irrigation reservoir. The last several outbreaks began on farms in Monterrey, Santa Barbara, Salinas, and Santa Maria, California growing romaine lettuce.
The economic impact including costs of shipping returns, taking the lettuce off shelves, plant destruction, medical care costs and increases in retail prices due to shrinking supply can be up to $350 million. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 265,000 STEC infections occur each year in the United States. E. coli O157:H7 causes more than 36% of these infections.
E. coli are bacteria that typically live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals. Most types of E. coli bacteria are harmless but some can cause severe diarrhea and urinary tract infections while more severe strains can cause kidney failure in children and other severe symptoms.
Leafy greens are highly regulated in California but vulnerable to bacterial infections. The primary method for preventing E. coli is good hygiene in the grow facility and monitoring bacterial levels. Beyond these practices, there is little that growers can do to inhibit the spread of E. coli, especially once an infection has taken to a crop in the facility or in areas where there are several grow facilities.
CO2 Delivery Solutions’ Success Inhibiting the Spread of E. coli
CO2 Delivery Solutions has been demonstrated to inhibit the spread of E. coli by up to 99% in trials on pepper plants and Cannabis. CO2 Delivery Solutions dissolves and saturates CO2 gas into the water to form an aqueous CO2 solution that is misted on to plant leaves.
The microdroplets create a thin aqueous film around the leaf surface isolating the leaf from the atmosphere. Gradient diffusion allows CO2 molecules to move into the leaf. This CO2 transfer occurs within 90 seconds and the moisture evaporates in minutes. Misting is done for a few seconds up to four times an hour during the light cycle.
The inhibition of single-cell pathogens such as E. coli on plants is caused by the frequent aqueous CO2 misting. Aqueous CO2 is acidic therefore dropping the pH on the plant surface for a few seconds. Once the CO2 is transferred the pH rebounds back up towards neutral. This continual fluctuation in pH makes for an unfavorable environment for single-cell pathogens such as E. coli, powdery mildew, and others to thrive, thus inhibiting their growth and spread.
This pH volatility process is 100% natural without the requirement for any chemical sprays. Increasing the efficiency of CO2 uptake in plants from using CO2 Delivery Solutions also increases and accelerates indoor and outdoor crop growth resulting in higher biomass yields, faster cycle time for more harvests and reducing crop loss, all adding to grower profitability and consumer safety.
Video: CO2 GRO Inc. Announces A New Website Devoted To Customers And Business Partners
Indoor CO2 gassing levels of 800-1500 ppm are also not ideal for worker health and safety. CO2 GRO's patented CO2 Delivery Solutions enables growers both indoor and outdoor to consistently deliver optimal amounts of CO2 to their plants via an aqueous CO2 solution, resulting in higher yields, shorter grow cycle times, safely and profitably as shown in numerous case studies
Indoor use of CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years. However, over half of the CO2 gas is typically lost through leaks in indoor operations, and the vast majority of greenhouses cannot use CO2 since they require ventilation through which nearly all the CO2 in the air escapes. Of course outdoor growers cannot gas CO2 at all.
Indoor CO2 gassing levels of 800-1500 ppm are also not ideal for worker health and safety. CO2 GRO's patented CO2 Delivery Solutions enables growers both indoor and outdoor to consistently deliver optimal amounts of CO2 to their plants via an aqueous CO2 solution, resulting in higher yields, shorter grow cycle times, safely and profitably as shown in numerous case studies.
To visit our new website and view a CO2 Delivery Solutions introductory video please click on the image below or visit www.co2delivery.ca
For investor information please contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 1-416-315-7477 or sam.kanes@co2gro.ca
For grower or business partner information please call 1-888-496-1283 or email sales@co2gro.ca
CO2 GRO Inc. Files For Two Further Patents To Strengthen Its Patent Portfolio Surrounding CO2 Delivery Solutions
The filings further secure GROW’s intellectual property around nutrient delivery technologies, especially in the case of outdoor value crops, and nutrient constituents delivered. GROW now has five corporate patent filings of which four were made YTD 2019
TORONTO, ON September 4, 2019 (Access Wire)
Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("GROW") (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to announce it is in the process of further strengthening its patent portfolio. GROW has filed two additional patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The filings further secure GROW’s intellectual property around nutrient delivery technologies, especially in the case of outdoor value crops, and nutrient constituents delivered. GROW now has five corporate patent filings of which four were made YTD 2019.
Together these protect GROW’s unique nutrient delivery methodology which allows increased profitability to established growers, technological solutions to producers previously without nutrient delivery options, and minimizes the customers’ environmental footprint in the context of conventional nutrient delivery methodologies.
GROW’s CEO, John Archibald, commented “having a robust worldwide (PCT) patent portfolio can accrete significant value to our shareholders while protecting the company from would-be product technology copycats.”
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patented advanced CO2 Delivery Solutions technology. GROW’s global target plant markets are retail food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017) and retail non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco estimate), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate), legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2022 (Statista) and legal US cannabis and hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems. They work by dissolving CO2 gas into water for use across the entire plant leaf surface which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved CO2 molecules can then penetrate a leaf's surface area naturally, enhancing plant growth potential.
Foliar spraying of dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by numerous growers. To date, outdoor growers have had no way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster plant growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer CO2 Delivery Solutions can be used both indoors and outdoors with minimal dissolved CO2 gas lost and much greater CO2 plant availability resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no CO2 gassing plant yields.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 416-315-7477.
CO2 GRO Inc. Is Pleased To Present An Interview With John Archibald, President And CEO Conducted At The Recent TSX Venture 50 Conference
John discusses the 2019 outlook and CO2 GRO's significant innovations in the agtech industry
Dear Shareholders, Stakeholders
And Interested Parties
CO2 GRO Inc. is pleased to present an interview with John Archibald, President and CEO conducted at the recent TSX Venture 50 Conference. John discusses the 2019 outlook and CO2 GRO's significant innovations in the agtech industry.
To view the interview please click here www.co2gro.ca/pages/investors.
For more information please contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 1-416-315-7477 or sam.kanes@co2gro.ca
©2019 CO2 GRO Inc. | Suite 5800 40 King Street W Box 1011 Toronto Ontario M5H 3S1
CO2 GRO Inc. Signs Agency Marketing Agreement With Henry James Innovations LLC
HJI President Steve Stansell commented, “Our grower customers will benefit from a broader selection of plant efficiency, growth enhancement and plant health related products and services. Our company is proud to be partnering with GROW and is excited to bring their CO2 Delivery Solutions to our customers.”
CO2 GRO Inc. Signs Agency Marketing Agreement with Henry James Innovations LLC
TORONTO, ON July 3, 2019 (Access Wire) Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("GROW") (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to announce it has entered into an Agency Marketing Agreement (“AMA”) with North Carolina based Henry James Innovations LLC (“HJI”) to accelerate the commercialization of GROW’s patent pending CO2 Delivery Solutions in North America and globally.
The AMA allows GROW to leverage HJI’s mostly U.S. marketing and sales team to initiate CO2 Delivery Solutions trials and commercial pilots with HJI’s customers. GROW will lead all engineering and design support to HJI customers. Revenues from commercial agreements will be shared between GROW and HJI with GROW receiving 55% and HJI receiving 45%.
The Agreement is dated June 28 2019. Its initial term is three years with additional automatic three-year terms.
GROW’s VP of Sales and Strategic Alliances, Aaron Archibald, commented, “The HJI AMA is part of GROW’s marketing strategy to accelerate its CO2 Delivery Solutions roll-out to both the indoors and outdoors markets in the U.S., Canada and globally”.
HJI President Steve Stansell commented, “Our grower customers will benefit from a broader selection of plant efficiency, growth enhancement and plant health related products and services. Our company is proud to be partnering with GROW and is excited to bring their CO2 Delivery Solutions to our customers.”
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patent pending CO2 Delivery Solutions. GROW’s global target retail plant markets are food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco 2017), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate). Legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2023 (Statista) and legal US hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems.
The CO2 Delivery Solutions work by transferring CO2 gas into water and misting the water across the entire plant leaf surface which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates the leaf's surface to provide more carbon for enhanced plant growth.
Misting of water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer infused CO2 Delivery Solutions can be used by both indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal dissolved CO2 gas loss and much greater CO2 plant contact resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no gassing plant yields.
About Henry James LLC
Henry James Innovations, LLC, a Raleigh, North Carolina based company was founded with the vision to help companies and individuals bring highly innovative, unique patented products to key US, Canadian and global markets. Leveraging over 30 years of commercial success and relationships, with expertise in sales, sales management, marketing and product distribution Henry James Innovations is currently launching and selling into the greenhouse, nursery, specialty agriculture market sectors, home and garden markets. In addition Henry James Innovations, LLC markets to the golf consumer and golf turf markets.
For more information, please contact Steve Stansell, CEO, Henry James Innovations, LLC, +1-336-209-4316 or Steve@henryjamesllc.com
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2 GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 416-315-7477.
CO2 GRO Inc. Provides a Corporate Update
GROW’s first lease revenue from a commercial U.S. installation began in March. A second mostly U.S. hemp installation is now contributing for a combined revenue run rate of C$240K/y from about 100,000 square feet of combined grow area
TORONTO, ON June 27, 2019 (Access Wire) Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("GROW") (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to provide a review of operations and business prospects ahead of its Annual Shareholder meeting June 27 at 11 AM 40 King Street West 58th floor.
Entering 2020 Revenue Projection Unchanged
GROW’s first lease revenue from a commercial U.S. installation began in March. A second mostly U.S. hemp installation is now contributing for a combined revenue run rate of C$240K/y from about 100,000 square feet of combined grow area. The contracts are perpetual while CO2 Delivery Solutions are onsite.
GROW still forecasts a contracted year-end lease revenue run rate of $10M/y entering 2020 expecting half of its sixteen active grow trial and commercial pilot proposals to proceed to commercial agreements. Nine are in the U.S., six are in Canada with Licensed Producers (LPs) and one is for a large UAE lettuce greenhouse. Several are with our AG Industrial Partners.
Further Indoor and Outdoor Research Trials and Patents
GROW has retained the University of Guelph to perform an outdoor grow trial in the Holland Marsh Ontario area on lettuce, celery, carrots and onions.
Indoors, GROW is working with the University in Guelph and a medical tobacco company in a grow trial to assess faster speed to plant maturity, larger plant biomass and greater targeted bacteria efficacy and concentration for cancer and other human drugs.
Internationally outdoors, GROW expects to move forward with Praxair Inc. on a flower grow trial in Columbia at their request. Equipment procurement is expected shortly that would activate a signed technology assessment agreement.
GROW has further strengthened its patent portfolio by filing patents relating to pathogen resistance and suppression and for selectively increasing plant metabolism.
Management Title Changes
The following title changes are to more closely reflect current responsibilities:
John Archibald from CEO to President, CEO
Aaron Archibald from VP Operations to Chief Operating Officer
Sam Kanes from VP Business Development to VP Communications
Branding Name Change to CO2 Delivery Solutions
GROW is operating with aquaponic, hydroponic, aeroponic and regular plant growers indoors and outdoors. Generation two equipment has both dissolved CO2 and dissolved oxygen capability. GROW is changing its brand name from CO2 Foliar Spray to CO2 Delivery Solutions to more accurately reflect the variety of Solutions GROW envisions for enhancing plant growth.
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patent pending CO2 Delivery Technology. GROW’s global target retail plant markets are food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco 2017), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate). Legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2023 (Statista) and legal US hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems.
They work by dissolving CO2 gas into water for use on plant leaves across the entire plant leaf surface which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally, similar to how humans dissolve oxygen in their lungs into liquid bloodstreams.
Foliar spraying of dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer CO2 Delivery Solutions can be used both indoors and outdoors with minimal dissolved CO2 gas lost and much greater CO2 plant availability resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no CO2 gassing plants.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2 GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 416-315-7477.
CO2 Gro Q1 Results + Talk With Management
CO2 Gro Inc. (GROW.V, BLONF) reported their full-year 2018 and Q1 2019 results recently. Neither reporting period provided much excitement but let’s go through the highlights before I dig into the conversation I had with VP Sam Kanes.
Click here for my initial analysis of CO2 Gro Inc.
I own shares of CO2 Gro Inc.
Q1 Results
On May 31st, 2019, GROW reported Q1 2019 results. The highlight of CO2 Gro Q1 results was the completion of the installation of their CO2 equipment with their first two growers under contract. GROW began collecting revenue from their first contract in late March while revenue from their second contract will begin in June. While GROW only generated $6650 in revenue in Q1, their first two contracts will generate $240,000 per year.
Although this is not a huge amount of money, it is a base that GROW can continue to build upon. The contracts are long term, perpetual contracts as long as the systems are still in use.
In February GROW announced positive results from a trial of their dissolved CO2 spray on e.coli and powdery mildew. Their MD&A states that these positive results have lead to increased interested in GROW’s technology from hemp growers in North America. This could be a distinct advantage for GROW. GROW’s dissolved CO2 spray is organic and safe for the plant and humans while also enhancing plant growth.
GROW is now finally collecting revenue from their dissolved CO2 foliar spray technology. Once these growers start to collect harvests with increased yield and quality, the word should spread through the hemp and cannabis industry. GROW is operating at under a $1 million burn rate as they only used $183,000 of cash used in operating activities and investing activities in Q1. With no debt on the balance sheet, $1.6 million in cash and $240,000 in recurring revenue GROW is in a very good position to seek out new contracts.
Discussion With VP Sam Kanes
On June 5th I was fortunate to get some time with VP Sam Kanes. He answered a bunch of my questions and also gave me an update on what might be coming next for GROW.
Management is Very Busy
I caught Mr. Kanes right as he was entering a meeting and was able to talk to him for about half an hour once his meeting wrapped up. GROW has been very busy, but a good kind of busy.
CEO John Archibald and COO Aaron Archibald have been travelling extensively meeting growers and ag tech companies. CEO Archibald has been travelling all over the United States with New Mexico and Texas mentioned while COO Archibald has been travelling in the United States, Canada and Europe.
Technology Advancement
Mr. Kanes briefly mentioned that GROW has developed generation one and generation two equipment. He didn’t provide much detail on the new equipment but did say that the equipment is much more advanced and allows for 24/7 monitoring. A new video with Market One Media Group should be released soon.
GROW has stocked some additional equipment in preparation of new contracts being signed. This equipment will show up as inventory if not deployed during the Q2 reporting period. It took GROW approximately three months from commercial agreement to the installation of their equipment. Mr. Kanes told me that they are working to shorten this timeline to six weeks for future installations.
2019 Projection
Mr. Kanes reiterated that he believes they can achieve a $10 million revenue run rate by Q1 2020. This would equate to contracts of 1 million square feet of cannabis or 10 million square feet of produce.
The growers with the first two contracts were granted a discount for being the first growers to adapt their technology. Future contracts will not receive the same discounting.
Health Canada Regulations
Mr. Kanes explained that the regulations surrounding their technology are still unclear. This is causing Canadian licensed producers to hesitate before adopting GROW’s technology. Health Canada is introducing new language in October 2019 that Mr. Kanes said they are very supportive of.
With some additional clarification, Mr. Kanes believes that growers will be far less hesitant to adopt their technology. When it becomes clear that GROW’s technology can be used on cannabis in Canada this will be a material change for their business. Being based out of Toronto Mr. Kanes said that they are within a forty-five-minute drive of numerous growers in Ontario.
In both my conversations with Mr. Kanes he was very confident in their technology and its safe use on plants and for the humans working in these environments. It seems like only a matter of time before dissolved CO2 foliar spray is approved for use in Canada.
Global Expansion
On April 10th GROW announced that they had attended the GFIA Global Ag Tech Conference in Abu Dhabi. COO Aaron Archibald was fully booked with one-on-one meetings with potential customers.
The news release states that COO Archibald met with growers that are unable to use CO2 gassing due to excessive heat inside their greenhouses that must be vented. When the heat is vented the gas is also vented negating the positive growth effects. This is the type of “low hanging fruit” management has mentioned in the past. GROW’s technology seems to be a perfect fit in these types of situations as they are the only option these growers have to gain the benefits of added CO2 to plant growth.
Additions to the Board
I was able to ask Mr.Kanes how overseas expansion was going. He first mentioned that the two recent additions to their board, Dr. Gord Surgeoner and Rose Marie Gage, were brought on to assist with international expansion. Ms. Gage’s press release is quite impressive with numerous achievements both as a CEO and Director. I especially like that she won the 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Governance Award (Directors’ College). It’s always a benefit to investors to have a strong Board of Directors working for them.
John Archibald, CEO stated “Her deep relationships with greenhouse plant growers,
agriculture industrial companies and Government agriculture organizations will be of great
benefit to GROW’s Board, strengthening its Agri-Tech expertise and ability to successfully
move GROW’s Strategy going forward.”
Back to international expansion, Mr.Kanes explained that they would need to sign an agreement with an ag tech company or hire a bunch of new staff for international expansion to succeed. GROW stated in their GFIA press release that they were in talks with a European greenhouse manufacturer to partner with. Mr. Kanes told me that they expect to announce some new partnerships soon but explained that these types of partnerships take time to finalize.
Conclusion
CO2 Gro Q1 results started to show revenue from their very first commercial installation. Although this revenue is small it is recurring. With a few more contracts GROW will be cash flow positive if they remain at their current low cash burn. Remember that management isn’t being paid a salary until GROW is cash flow positive.
With numerous catalysts on the horizon (Health Canada clarification, Ag tech partnership announcement, future contract announcements, and global expansion) GROW seems to have a lot of good things going for it. In order to meet their projected $10 million revenue run rate by Q1 2020, they will need to get some more contracts signed and equipment installed. The interest appears to be there, hopefully, that interest is turned into revenue.
I continue to own shares of GROW.V and plan to add to my position as management executes.
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CO2 GRO Inc. Is Pleased To Present a Recent MMJDaily Article Outlining The Benefits To Medical Cannabis Growers From Employing CO2 Foliar Spray
Fighting Cannabis Pathogens Through Dissolved CO2 Spray
Medical cannabis growers are terrified of pathogen outbreaks such as powdery mildew that can rapidly wipe out crop cycles once a few plants get infected. According to the team with CO2 GRO, there are not many reliable complete organic solutions for cannabis growers to fight pathogens like powdery mildew or E. coli. You might never guess - but they developed one: dissolved CO2 Foliar Spray.
Less tools than food and non-food growers
The high standards of the pharmaceutical industry and new Government Regulators of legalized cannabis are pushing medical cannabis growers to grow their plants with less tools than traditional food and non-food crop growers have. Traditional food and non-food crop growers can use 100’s of approved chemical-based protection products. In Canada, there are only 23 allowed by the Office of Medical Cannabis to date that are less effective organic based solutions. This is due to the new legal cannabis industry being a combination of both agriculture and medicine.
Bioavailable and natural
The Canadian company CO2 GRO has come up with a patent-pending technology solution that is 100% bioavailable and 100% natural - dissolved CO2 Foliar Spray. According to the company, it strengthens cannabis plant resistance to pathogens as well as increases growth, speed to maturity and size and number of buds per plant with higher THC and CBD concentrations. In recent published pathogen trials using cannabis and pepper plants, CO2 GRO has also demonstrated dramatically lower E. coli and powdery mildew cell growth in both cannabis and pepper plants using its CO2 Foliar Spray technology (99% less).
Alternative to CO2 gassing
“Our technology helps cannabis growers achieve healthier crops that grow faster, larger, and safer, bringing greater profits,” says John Archibald, CO2 GRO’s CEO. “There are some indoor growers using CO2 gassing but most cannot due building porosity, the grow area being too warm, power costs being too high, value of crop too low etc. The ones that do CO2 gas waste a majority of the CO2 gas they buy through required venting before plants absorb it. We can bring CO2 gas via Foliar Spray to all of these less efficient greenhouses, shade houses and hoop houses whether they gas or not plus anywhere outdoors, without material CO2 gas loss, in dissolved format.”
“Our Foliar Spray is just water infused with CO2 without bubbles that works in an extremely efficient way,” John explains. “This dissolved CO2 water is 100% bio-available to plant leaves where almost all plant photosynthesis of CO2 into sugars to grow occurs.”
Fighting cannabis pathogens through dissolved CO2 spray
Medical cannabis growers are terrified of pathogen outbreaks such as powdery mildew that can rapidly wipe out crop cycles once a few plants gets infected. According to CO2 GRO, there are not many reliable complete organic solutions for cannabis growers to fight pathogens like powdery mildew or E. coli.
But how does this spray kill pathogens in cannabis crops? John states “We observed that certain single cell pathogens cannot grow in the presence of sharp pH changes. Our acidic dissolved CO2 (carbonic acid) water is lightly sprayed on leaf surfaces at about 4.5-4.7 pH. That water then rapidly turns alkaline as leaves consume the dissolved acidic CO2. On cannabis and pepper plants, we scientifically measured and observed the near halt (two orders of magnitude or over 99% less) of the growth of unwanted single cell pathogens targeted.”
Post-sprayed water pH
"The post-sprayed water pH on the leaf surface snaps back to the low-to-mid 6 pH area in less than 90 seconds as measured at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. This 2X pH volatility swing is not dangerous for cannabis."
John continues explaining: “We take CO2 gassing cannabis growers from 5 crop cycles per year of value to a net 6 by adding more bud volume, size of buds and speed to plant maturity but use only half the CO2 gas to do that. That ignores the higher THC and CBD bud concentrations we also get. For cannabis growers not CO2 gassing, our value add is closer to 50% without valuing higher THC and CBD. Our technology is “not a pesticide” as concluded by Health Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Authority nor is it “an additive” as concluded by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”
For more information:
CO2 GRO Inc.
Suite 5800 40 King St West
Box 1011
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S1
(416) 315-7477
sam.kanes@co2gro.ca
co2gro.ca
Publication date: 4/29/2019
Author: Andrea Di Pastena
© MMJDaily.com
CO2 GRO Inc (CVE:GROW) Proprietary Foliar Spray System Boosts Yields By 25 Percent
By MIDASLETTER LIVE | APRIL 24, 2019
CO2 GRO INC
CO2 GRO Inc (CVE:GROW) (OTCMKTS:BLONF) (FRA:4O21) is developing advanced carbon dioxide technologies to accelerate plant growth. COO Aaron Archibald explains that carbon dioxide is beneficial for growth, resulting in larger and quicker-growing plants. The company’s proprietary process dissolves carbon dioxide into water, which is then applied to the foliage of plants using CO2 GRO’s foliar spray system.
Typically, growers use gas deployment systems that result in significant carbon dioxide loss as a result of venting; CO2 GRO’s foliar sprays ensure each plant receives the necessary carbon dioxide. Unlike gas deployment systems, the company’s foliar spray technology can be applied to outdoor grows and greenhouses.
Archibald reveals that using CO2 GRO’s foliar sprays regularly results in yields 25 to 30 percent higher than yields produced by using gas deployment systems. Archibald anticipates that the company’s technology will be adopted by cannabis LPs in Canada, as Health Canada is in the process of reviewing applicable regulations. CO2 GRO currently has licensing agreements in both Canada and the US, and has seen broad interest from the American hemp space since the passage of the Farm Bill.
Transcript:
Narrator: CO2 GRO is a Toronto based, precision agriculture technology company. GRO offers CO2 foliar spray systems to both indoor and outdoor growers for increasing their crop yields, safely and naturally.
The company has over 66 million shares outstanding, with management ownership at 26 percent. CO2 GRO Inc is listed on the TSX-Venture under the symbol GROW.
James West: I’m joined now by Aaron Archibald, Chief Operating Officer of CO2 Grow, trading on the TSX Venture under the symbol GROW. That’s a good symbol.
Aaron Archibald: It is, thanks!
James West: Aaron, so your business is essentially creating foliar CO2 sprays, and so just to refresh the memory of our audience, or to enlighten them for those who might not know, what is the benefit of CO2 as a foliar spray?
Aaron Archibald: Well, any grower knows that adding CO2 to plants is beneficial, and they’ll grow faster and grow bigger; it’s difficult to get CO2 to plants, though. So what we do is, we dissolve CO2 into water and apply it to the foliage of the plant. That makes it 100 percent bioavailable, and it’s driven into the plant by osmotic pressure.
James West: Okay. So interestingly, most greenhouses that beneficiate with CO2 use gas deployment systems.
Aaron Archibald: Absolutely.
James West: And that’s got to be a little bit more wasteful, because obviously the air is being changed in the environment?
Aaron Archibald: Yeah. Most of it gets vented; it’s very difficult to create a homogenic environment and get all the CO2 to every plant. It’s like HVAC systems are extremely difficult in building; most people have a forced air furnace in their home know that they have a room in the winter that’s always colder than the other ones.
James West: Sure.
Aaron Archibald: So by putting it directly into the water and putting that directly onto the plant, every plant gets CO2, and it’s just the most bioavailable means of doing it.
James West: Cool. Then, you guys, when you were last here, we were talking about this issue where Health Canada had not approved foliar-sprayed CO2 for use in commercial gardens by licensed producers in Canada. Has that changed?
Aaron Archibald: Of cannabis. They haven’t changed their regulations necessarily; they have let us know that we’re approved by GFIA, and that we don’t contravene anything. We’re not a pesticide, we’re not a herbicide. I look at it and say we’re just a novel means of applying water and CO2 at the same time. Any LP is allowed to water their plant, and allowed to use CO2.
James West: Okay, so there’s no barrier to any of the LPs using the product.
Aaron Archibald: I think it’s a matter of how you interpret the legislation, and where and when they can use it in their facilities.
James West: Okay, let me ask you this another way.
Aaron Archibald: All right.
James West: How soon till LPs are using your product over gas-delivered CO2?
Aaron Archibald: I’d say very soon. I think that Health Canada is having a long, hard look at some of their regulations, and I think they did it very quickly and did it with a broad brush. You know, you can water or foliar spray cuttings, or clones, right now; it’s just more mature plants you can’t. I think when they recognize that there’s no added pesticides, anything harmful, there wouldn’t be a problem with spraying water on a plant.
James West: Sure. So I’m curious: how do you get CO2 dissolved in water?
Aaron Archibald: We use a proprietal technology that does it very efficiently. I mean, there’s a number of different ways to put dissolved gases into liquids; we just happen to have experience doing it efficiently. We don’t need to chill it, we don’t need to compress it. You know, some of that’s proprietal, so I won’t tell everyone exactly how we do it, but we can do it extremely efficiently, at high, high levels.
James West: Wow. Okay, so then, how often does a greenhouse or a, say, cannabis plant, need to be treated with foliar CO2 in order to optimize the growth cycle?
Aaron Archibald: The more times you can apply it, the better. So what we have worked on with people is applying extremely small volumes of water more times per day, because you get more CO2 delivered to the plant that way.
James West: Okay. So is this something that you could actually create an automated misting system within a environment that would be a beneficial way to approach it?
Aaron Archibald: Absolutely. Some of our customers do that now.
James West: Oh, okay, great.
Aaron Archibald: So you – most overhead booms, you can control the volume of water, the speed of the boom, and the number of times per day that it runs, so it’s easily automatable.
James West: And your process, as you say, is proprietary, but is it patented?
Aaron Archibald: Patent pending.
James West: Patent pending. Great. So at this point, who is using your product?
Aaron Archibald: Well, a number of different growers in the States and Canada.
James West: Okay.
Aaron Archibald: Generally we do sign a non-disclosure agreement; lots of people don’t necessarily want their name put out there, but we –
James West: They don’t want their competitors to know that they’re using this secret weapon.
Aaron Archibald: Exactly, but we currently have commercial operations in Canada and the US.
James West: Uh-huh. Okay, and how much does it cost? I mean, let’s pick a unit of square footage; let’s say, per thousand square feet, is it easy to say, well, this is how much the cost is going to be per month, per thousand square feet?
Aaron Archibald: It is pretty easy. You know, we do a scoping survey with them; we have an engineering group that works with them and looks at whether or not their infrastructure is set up to use the technology, what might need to be tweaked, and then we come to a commercial arrangement. And we usually charge by the square foot per month. We can do it quarterly as well, but it’s a per square foot, or per square metre in Europe, charge.
James West: So unlike software as a service, this is like CO2 as a service, model? [laughter]
Aaron Archibald: Yes it is, yeah. We – it’s a site license/lease model that we’re doing.
James West: Very interesting. And at some point, will you have a retail option available for those growing at home?
Aaron Archibald: I could see that in the future. It would be a matter of engineering it down to a small enough size and a price point where a home grower could use it. Right now, I think it’s not very feasible, but I could see it in the near future.
James West: Really? Okay.
Aaron Archibald: Just from a cost standpoint –
James West: This is me with my hand up. I would like to grow. Heading to my NDI, this is my garden in my own home right now that is growing hydroponically, and I would love the opportunity to treat two plants with foliar spray and two plants without and see how the difference is in a measured basis.
Aaron Archibald: Well, as we talked about before we got on air, I’ll get you some equipment used for a trial. So you just have to share the data with me.
James West: Great! Yeah, of course, I’d be happy to. Okay, Aaron, then how does the revenue model, the business model, of the company work, then? You’re saying you have a per square foot plus a licensing; how does that sort of, what per user, how much – what’s your – I guess I’m babbling now. What is the projected growth of the revenue in the company?
Aaron Archibald: That’s hard to say. The market is so big. You know, the plant for food market is $9 trillion per year; you know, the focus is cannabis right now in Canada, it’s very popular, but we can help all plants grow. So whether it’s peppers or lettuce, it’s almost hard to measure what our revenues are going to be like in two years, simply because we have so much opportunity in front of us.
James West: Sure. What’s to stop me from just spraying club soda on my plants?
Aaron Archibald: You could. Technically, you’d be in violation of the process patent, but also the cost to buy club soda and spray it on your plants would be –
James West: Pretty high.
Aaron Archibald: High. Extremely high.
James West: Interesting.
Aaron Archibald: Extremely inefficient.
James West: And is the carbon content of club soda equal or similar to that, and the bioavailability, does it even apply?
Aaron Archibald: Well, not really. I mean, they chill soft drinks and put it under extreme pressure; that’s why you see bubble nucleation, so you know, if you shake it and open it, it explodes. So that’ll tend to drive the CO2 out of it, and that’s part of the experience of drinking a carbonated drink, is you like the sense of the bubbles in it.
James West: The fizz.
Aaron Archibald: What we do is different in that you won’t actually see bubbles, and bubbles won’t nucleate out; it’s done on a molecular level, and it stays in solution so that it can be utilized. If it comes out of solution, it’s just not bioavailable anymore.
James West: Sure. What kind of increase in yield, in percentage terms, can one expect from applying foliar CO2 relative to not applying any CO2?
Aaron Archibald: I’d say on average we’ve seen between 25 and 30 percent increase versus standard gassing, so 800 to 1,200 ppm in a room.
James West: Then, now with Health Canada reconsidering some of its regulations over foliar applied, let’s call it a nutrient for lack of a better descriptor – is that something that they now have to specifically give you the ability, or an LP the ability, to say, okay, you can use that now without risk of it resulting in a negative test result from your product? Is there any risk of that?
Aaron Archibald: There isn’t. See, plants take in CO2, and they keep the C, which is the carbon, which is a building block for plants, and they respire out O2, much the same way we breathe in air with O2 and respire out CO2. So there’ll be no residual CO2 left in a plant because it becomes carbon, becomes the plant. So there really is no way to test for CO2 in a plant.
James West: Right. I guess as carbon-based life forms, we have no problem dealing with carbon in our cannabis.
Aaron Archibald: Exactly right. And that’s why CO2 makes plants grow bigger and faster and yield more.
James West: Right. So I guess, then, the inflection point for your company is going to be when widespread adoption of foliar-sprayed CO2 at the commercial level takes root – the pun intended – in the cannabis industry broadly?
Aaron Archibald: Yes. Yeah, and you know, like many Canadian technologies, sometimes you go abroad before you get adoption at home. It’s an unfortunate thing, but you see it a lot. We have a phenomenal amount of interest internationally; you know, US hemp growers can’t keep up with the number of phone calls we’re getting right now. Since it’s been legalized federally in the States, they’re really, really interested, especially outdoor growers. It’s the only means to apply CO2 to a plant outdoors, is by putting it in water first and applying it to the plant.
James West: Right. Either that, or putting a coal-fired hydroelectric plant next door!
Aaron Archibald: It’d be pretty inefficient to blow it on, because the wind would just take it away. So by putting it in water, we can supply outdoor growers with CO2, hoop houses, shade houses, things that historically – like, structures that have historically not been able to use CO2 in them.
James West: Right. What about competitors? Do you have – who do you have in the competitive realm?
Aaron Archibald: Touch wood as I say it: Right now, there are no competitors! You know, it’s a novel technology. No one had ever thought to do it before, so we’re first to market with it, and you know, that’s why we’ve gone through the process of getting the IP, but I think more importantly it’s going to be first to market, having some trade secrets and penetrating the market, and becoming the company that’s known as the CO2 foliar spray technology.
James West: Interesting as ever, Aaron. We’re going to continue to follow the story, and I can’t wait to try it out on my own plants. Thanks for joining me today.
Aaron Archibald: Okay! All right, thanks very much.
CO2 GRO Inc. Announces The Appointment of Rose Marie Gage To Its Board
TORONTO, ON – April 29, 2019 – Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rose Marie Gage to its Board of Directors effective as of today subject to TSXV approval.
Rose was the CEO of Ag Energy Co-Operative Ltd. (www. agenergy.coop or “Ag Energy”) for nine years until her recent retirement. She is credited with strategically growing the Co-op with her team to its current level of 500 agriculture, agri-business and rural members of which over 200 are greenhouse owners.
She has advocated for progressive changes in the Energy Consumer Protection Act, the Ontario and Federal Carbon Programs, CHSOP and the Ontario Co-op Act and in other Agri-Food and Agri-Tech sectors.
She currently serves as:
Chair – Agri Technology Commercialization Centre,
Chair – Ontario Agri-Technologies Association,
Vice-Chair of the provincially appointed Agricultural Institute of Ontario
Director and Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee – University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, and
Director Hadrian Inc.
She has also served as:
Vice–Chair, Women in Leadership Foundation,
Vice-Chair, Canadian Heritage Photography Foundation,
Chair – Guelph Energy Co-operative Inc.,
Treasurer and Director – FV Tel Co-operative Ltd., and
Director – Schneider Canada
Ms. Gage is a Chartered Director and has received the following honors: 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Governance Award (Directors’ College), Canadian Inspiring 50 2018 recipient (Canadian & Dutch Government) and the 2016 Diversity 50 (Canadian Board Diversity Counsel). She was also nominated for the Canadian Women’s Network (WXN’s) 2018 Top 100 Powerful Women.
Rose has attended Harvard Executive School and received her Lean-Six Sigma Quality Leader accreditation (General Electric). She is also a graduate of McMaster University with an Hons. Bach. Of Commerce. She is currently a member of the Directors’ College, Institute of Corporate Directors, National Association of Corporate Directors and the Women’s Executive Network.
John Archibald, CEO stated “Her deep relationships with greenhouse plant growers, agriculture industrial companies and Government agriculture organizations will be of great benefit to GROW’s Board, strengthening its Agri-Tech expertise and ability to successfully move GROW’s Strategy going forward.”
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patent pending CO2 Foliar Spray technology. GROW’s global target retail plant markets are food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco 2017), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate), legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2023 (Statista) and legal U.S. hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems. They work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying water across the entire plant leaf surface. The dissolved gas crosses the plant leaf’s cuticle and diffuses into the leaf’s tissues where the absorbed CO2 is used to make sugar to fuel plant metabolism. The process is similar to the way oxygen gas is transferred to human bloodstreams once oxygen enters human lungs.
Foliar spraying of water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are also not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW’s safer infused CO2 Foliar Spray can be used by both indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal dissolved CO2 gas lost and much greater CO2 plant bioavailability resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no gassing plant yields.
About Ag Energy Co-operative Ltd.
Ag Energy Co-operative Ltd. was founded by Ontario greenhouses in 1988. The Co-op is an independent, for profit, agriculturally focused co-op specializing in energy solutions for its membership. Its team of 15 staff members are focused on member and customer excellence. The Co-op creates approximately $50 million in revenue. The role of Ag Energy is to commercialize energy policy for the benefit of agriculture: producers, processors, agri-food, agri-tech and all; by minimizing costs and de-risking energy spend. Ag Energy currently has approximately 500 agricultural, agri-business and rural members; approximately 41% of its members are commercial greenhouse growers and 34% agri-processing. The broader reach of Ag Energy (its Members and their businesses) represents over 6,000 employees and in excess of $2 Billion CAD in revenues annually. The recycling of revenue is estimated to be 90% of members’ revenues back into the Ontario economy.
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2 GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications and IR at 416-315-7477.
University of Guelph UAE Study Summary
CO2 GRO Inc. (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, FRANKFURT: 4021) collaborated with the University of Guelph to do several business cases including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) greenhouse market.
In the past, GROW retained the University to perform scientific hydroponic lettuce and pepper grow trials using its licensed gas infusion technology that dissolves CO2 gas into water without bubbles.
Baseline lettuce and pepper plants were grown at a typical greenhouse level of 800 PPM of CO2 gassing. The best result was a 100% wet and dry lettuce biomass increase using dissolved CO2 hydroponic water over lettuce grown at 800 PPM of CO2 gassing.
Their UAE case led in part, to GROW’s Chief Operating Officer Aaron Archibald speaking at the UAE Sustainable Ag Tech Conference held April 1-2, 2019 and visiting a number of UAE greenhouses after.
UAE
UAE is one of the wealthiest per capital GDP countries globally at over $40K per capita ($407B in 2017). Its current inflation rate is under 2%. There are seven Emirates with Abu Dhabi being the largest city at 1.4M population.
The country is extremely oil revenue reliant. It is now focused on economic diversification before its oil revenue depletes with sustainable agriculture a priority.
UAE Greenhouses, Locations and Key Growers
UAE has supported greenhouse growth from 8,363 in 2010 to 15,340 in 2015. The vast majority of these cannot use CO2 gas due to ventilation.
GROW visited key greenhouse areas Al Ain (an oasis) with 9,394 greenhouses and Al Dhafra with 3,816 greenhouses. Major greenhouse growers in Al Ain include Madar Farms, Pure Harvest and Badia Farms.
As cannabis and hemp are banned in the UAE to date, the primary greenhouse crops grown are cucumbers, peppers and lettuce – micro greens. GROW has substantial grow and scientific trial data on peppers and lettuce – micro greens.
$272M Announced for Sustainable Ag Tech Research in the UAE
GROW met with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) that oversees investments into the UAE including the recently announced US$272M for Ag Technology investment support.
UAE Free Trade Zone
100% Foreign Ownership allowed
Zero taxes
Proposed Next Steps
Determine joint venture and/or licensing strategy and most likely partnerships with local CO2 gas supply companies, greenhouse manufacturers, irrigation companies and investment partners in the Middle East.
GROW is currently engaged with a number of these possible Ag Industrial partners to determine the optimal international market strategy for its patent protected CO2 Foliar Spray technology in 2020.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 416-315-7477.
CO2 GRO Provides A Summary of its Participation in The GFIA Global Forum Conference
TORONTO, ON – April 10, 2019 – Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) attendance at the GFIA Global Ag Tech Conference April 1-2 in Abu Dhabi was successful and productive. GFIA stated there were over 7000 delegates from 122 countries this year. This Middle East based Conference is the largest global showcase of Sustainable Agriculture Innovation.
GROW’s objectives in attending the conference were two fold.
To meet with potential Middle East and EU Agri Industrial Partners/Distributors which resulted in the following;
Aaron Archibald, COO, CO2 GRO Inc. attended the GFIA conference on behalf of GROW. Aaron’s presentation on CO2 Foliar Spray was very well received. GROW had a well-attended trade booth at the conference.
GROW will take the next step with a major EU greenhouse manufacturer concerning how to work together.
To meet potential Middle East, EU and other international customers the result of which is below;
Aaron identified numerous quality revenue opportunities at the Conference. In addition, Aaron visited major indoor greenhouses that had expressed interest in the CO2 Foliar Spray technology, reviewing initial installation requirements and terms. Currently, none of these facilities can use CO2 gas due to excessive heat that has to be vented. This leaves CO2 Foliar Spray as the only logical value added CO2 gas service that can be integrated into existing spray racks.
Aaron Archibald, COO, commented “we were fully booked with one on one meetings with potential Ag customers and clients. A very clear message from the conference is the great importance the Emirates government is placing on food security and sustainability, areas where we believe GROW can make a significant contribution. The GFIA Global Ag Tech Conference was tailor made to showcase our CO2 Foliar Spray technology”.
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patent pending CO2 Foliar Spray technology. GROW’s global target retail plant markets are food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco 2017), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate). Legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2023 (Statista) and legal US hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying water across the entire plant leaf surface which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine dissolves through human skin from a soluble nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying of water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW’s safer infused CO2 Foliar Spray can be used by both indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal dissolved CO2 gas lost and much greater CO2 plant bioavailability resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no gassing plant yields.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2 GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
Video: CEO of CO2 GRO Explains How Their Patented CO2 Foliar Spray Technology Accelerates Plant Growth
CO2 GRO’s outlook is based on an expanding clientele and increased acceptance of their technology.
Vertical Farming Conference Takes Place on June 26, 2019 in Venlo, The Netherlands.
Vertical Farming Conference
Focus topics:
Available technologies
LED lighting, sensors ,AI - Plant condition issues like:
CO2, Nutrients, Irrigation, Climate, Lighting | Food safety / HACCP | Robotics | Improved resource-use efficiency | Sustainable Buildings (design, green roof, energy) | Smart Cities / Architecture / Urban Design | From traditional farmer to vertical farmer
The conference is part of the two-day global Agri Food Innovation Event that includes a two-day expo, four conferences - 3D Food Printing Conference, Healthy Nutrition Conference, Vertical Farming Conference and Smart Farming Conference and more activities such as lab tours, demo corners.
Register Here
CO2 GRO Announces Dramatic Pathogen Reduction Results Using CO2 Foliar Spray on Cannabis
TORONTO, ON – February 25, 2019
Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to provide further dramatic results from scientific pathogen experiments using CO2 Foliar Spray at two separate U.S. commercial cannabis greenhouses on cannabis sativa plants. These commercial growers financially supported this research.
All experiments were designed and measured consistent with GROW’s Pathogen experiments on peppers that were press released December 6, 2018.
Results:
E. coli – Another excellent result of a two order of magnitude reduction in E.coli bacterial growth (99%) in the CO2 Foliar Sprayed cannabis plant group versus the control cannabis plant group. All plants were exposed to the E.Coli bacteria. Results are consistent with GROW’s pepper results.
Powdery Mildew – All plants were covered with a known dried powdery mildew pathogen and grown for a further 21 days. Results were scored visually at these commercial sites. All six plants in the control group developed powdery mildew disease while none of the CO2 Foliar Sprayed cannabis plants developed powdery mildew.
Grower Implications – CO2 Foliar Spray is gaining traction with commercial agreements and more successful plant science and trial data. Accoding to Global Organics, the fastest growing acreage is organic, up 20% to 70M hectares Y-O-Y. CO2 Foliar Spray is proving to have some natural pathogen resistance that may lead to reduced need for chemical fungicides and pesticides and faster adoption by organic growers that cannot use them.
John Archibald, CEO, commented “we are delighted with the cannabis E. coli and powdery mildew results. Each trial adds to our collective knowledge.These U.S. cannabis results should have significant positive impact on our commercial endeavors.
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patent pending CO2 Foliar Spray technology. GROW’s global target retail plant markets are food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), non- food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco 2017), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate). Legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2023 (Statista) and legal US hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying water across the entire plant leaf surface which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine dissolves through human skin from a soluble nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying of water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer infused CO2 Foliar Spray can be used by both indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal dissolved CO2 gas lost and much greater CO2 plant bioavailability resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no gassing plant yields.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca
Or contact Sam Kanes, VP Business Development at 416-315-7477.
CO2 GRO Inc. Is Pleased To Present An Audio Interview Conducted By The OTC Markets Group With John Archibald
CO2 GRO Inc. is pleased to present an interview conducted by the OTC Markets Group with John Archibald, CEO. John presents an overview of CO2 GRO, an outlook for 2019 and the significance to the Company of the recently enacted US Farm Bill.
CO2 GRO Inc. | Suite 2400 120 Adelaide Street West Toronto, Ontario M5H 1T1
CO2 GRO Provides A 2018 Review And 2019 Outlook
TORONTO, ON – January 15, 2019 – Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to provide a 2018 Review and 2019 Outlook:
2018 Grow Trials and 2019 Commercial Revenue
During 2018, GROW conducted scientific and commercial grow trials using CO2 Foliar Spray on high value plants including cannabis, flowers, lettuce, micro greens and peppers. All trials led to major value improvements in plant size, quality and growth speed.
GROW’s accumulated positive data was sufficient for our first two customers to sign Commercial Agreements to install CO2 Foliar Spray equipment in mid-Q1, 2019. Data to August 2018 was filed to take a provisional PCT CO2 Foliar Spray patent to pending status.
Site technology leasing revenue is expected start in late Q1, 2019.
GROW’s 2019 pipeline of companies and plant growers includes US hemp growers that can now grow unlimited acres as the US decriminalized US hemp growth in 2019.
Targeted geographic areas for CO2 Foliar Spray commercial development are primarily the Southwest, Southeast and Midwest US and Eastern Canada. In 2020, potential international CO2 Foliar Spray trials and commercial installations are being considered in the EU, South America and Africa.
Year-End 2019 Revenue and EBITDA Expectations
GROW is forecasting a site license lease revenue run rate of C$10M/year entering 2020 with EBITDA margins of 50%.
Use of Q4 2018 Equity Financing
In October 2018, $1.427M was raised from the exercise of 7.135M of GROW’s $0.20 warrants. Proceeds are being used to:
1) Retire a $200,000 secured three-year note resulting in the Company having no debt outstanding.
2) Hire key US and Canadian personnel to accelerate GROW’s CO2 Foliar Spray technology leasing revenue growth and,
3) General corporate purposes.
Business Development and Scientific Staff Appointments
US Appointments
1) Michigan based US Midwest Representative with 35 years of flower and vegetable based grower and greenhouse experience.
2) Florida based US Southeast and parts of Southwest Reperesentative with extensive hemp and medical cannabis market development expertise.
3) California based Market Representative with a plant micronutrient background.
4) Minnesota based Dr. Matt Julius who is a Biology Professor at St. Cloud State University, Minnesota – he will start as acting Chief Science Officer from April to December 2019
Canadian Appointments
5) Ontario based Representative for Ontario, Quebec and New York State with extensive greenhouse experience.
6) Ontario based Manager of Project Engineering.
John Archibald, CEO, commented “2018 was a pivotal year as we completed GROW’s restructuring and reorganization, conducted successful scientific and commercial trials and signed our first two site license agreements. For 2019, we are now staffed to execute on our highest impact trials and provide CO2 Foliar Spray solutions to customers that want to proceed directly to installations as our first two customers did.“
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patent pending CO2 Foliar Spray technology. GROW’s global target retail plant markets are food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco 2017), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate). Legal cannabis at $52.5 billion per year by 2023 (Statista) and legal US hemp CBD at $22B per year by 2022 (the Brightfield Group).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying water across the entire plant leaf surface which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine dissolves through human skin from a soluble nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying of water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years but 60% of the CO2 gas used is typically lost from ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer infused CO2 Foliar Spray can be used by both indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal dissolved CO2 gas lost and much greater CO2 plant bioavailability resulting in higher plant yields than both CO2 gassing and no gassing plant yields.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Business Development at 416-315-7477.
CO2 GRO Announces The Signing Of Its First Commercial Agreement
TORONTO, ON – December 12, 2018
Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF, Frankfurt: 4021) is pleased to announce the signing of its first Commercial Agreement.
GROW has granted a technology site license to US based Tumbleweed Farms a greenhouse grower for a patent protected CO2 Foliar Spray system. The technology site license term is perpetual. Engineering installation starts immediately for completion in January 2019. The date of the agreement is December 4, 2018.
Fees upon start-up will be paid monthly on a per square foot basis. Fees charged will cover engineering support, installation, monitoring and telemetry of GROW’s Foliar Spray technology as well as the technology site license.
This US grower was more than satisfied with all of GROW’s plant science research and commercial grow trial results so went directly to a commercial installation.
John Archibald, CEO, stated “This is the first of a series of expected Commercial Agreements in four plant verticals GROW is targeting for 2019 – indoor and outdoor cannabis, hemp, flowers and leafy vegetables in North America. While the revenues from this technology site license will be modest initially there is the potential for revenues to grow significantly over time”.
About http://www.co2gro.ca/
Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patented advanced CO2 Foliar Spray technologies. GROW’s global target plant markets are retail food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017) and retail non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 billion (BA Tobacco estimate), floriculture at $100 billion by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate) and legal cannabis at $50 billion per year by 2022 (Bay St. Analyst estimates).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems. GROW's proven crop yield enhancements and revenue model are compelling for growers and Agri-industrial partners.
GROW's sole focus is working with its plant grower and Agri-industrial partners in proving and adopting its CO2 technologies for specific growers’ plant yield needs.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying water across the entire plant leaf surface area, which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine naturally dissolves through human skin from a nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying of natural water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor plant growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor use of CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years. However, about 60% of the CO2 gas is typically lost through ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are also not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer infused CO2 foliar spray can be used by indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal CO2 gas lost and much greater plant bioavailability resulting in higher yields.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its 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.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Business Development at 416-315-7477.