Ask agritech startup Gravity Gardens what farming and space exploration have in common, and they’ll tell you: everything. This young company, which uses space technology to improve crop growth, has received a €25,000 donation from the Rabo Impact Fund to support its remarkable initiative. Rabobank is also issuing a €150,000 loan to support its future growth.
Ask agritech startup Gravity Gardens what farming and space exploration have in common, and they’ll tell you: everything. This young company, which uses space technology to improve crop growth, has received a €25,000 donation from the Rabo Impact Fund to support its remarkable initiative. Rabobank is also issuing a €150,000 loan to support its future growth.
Gravity Gardens was founded by Paulino Valdes. He studied engineering at HAN University of Applied Sciences and is passionate about agriculture. “Farmers play an essential role in our food supply, but they’re working to extremely tight margins and often lack the financial resources to invest in innovation,” says Valdes.
More for Less
Gravity Gardens is on a mission to boost yields while cutting waste. Something Valdes is found the solution by merging space technology and plant science. “We’ve applied for a patent, so I can’t discuss the details. The search for a breakthrough has going on for decades now, so competition is intense. What I can say, though, is that we’re focusing on early crop growth.”
Valdes and his colleagues are testing their technology in climatic chambers designed for precise control of light, temperature and air humidity. The plants themselves are grown in stacks. “While vertical farming isn’t new – it’s the way romaine lettuce is grown, for example – it doesn’t come cheap,” explains Valdes. “Our solution brings down the costs of vertical farming and makes it possible to grow a wider variety of crops.” The team is testing their technology on over a dozen different crops, from greens to grains.
EU Support
Gravity Gardens was personally funded by Valdes in its first year, using money from his previous successful start-up. The company’s further growth was supported by various European funds as well as a donation from the Rabo Impact Fund. “The €25,000 contribution was what we needed at that stage,” says Valdes. “It allowed us to tide over the last six months until we received a fresh round of funding.”
Open-Field Trial
The scale-up conducted three open-field trials last year as a follow-up to its climate chamber trials. “Despite it being a particularly dry year, the outcomes were positive,” says Valdes, visibly excited. “We’ll conduct more trials next year in South America, South Africa, the UK and Europe. All places with different climates, so we’ll be able to compare the results and refine our technology.”
Gravity Gardens is blooming. “Scaling up is a race against time. We’re working on research, tech, sales and recruiting talent – all at the same time,” says the young CEO. There are now eight members in the Gravity Gardens team, each of whom are fully committed to solving this complex challenge. “This new funding round, which also involves Rabobank, will keep us going for another 2.5 years.”