During the first half of 2019, Seedo has been working hard to fulfill the $5.5 million in advance orders for their first-of-its-kind AI-powered grow box. Now the grow systems are currently available for shipment to the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel.
Seedo produces the world’s first fully automated intelligent hydroponic indoor grow system for cannabis as well as other herbs and vegetables. No prior knowledge or experience is needed to start growing plants in Seedo’s device, as the system completely self-grows plants from seed to flower — completely sealed off from pests and plant diseases, which also means the crops are pesticide-free.
The company encourages the public to “think of Seedo as the first driverless car for hydroponic growing.”
To meet the growing demand of their automatic grow system, Seedo recently opened up a customer service center and logistics warehouse in the Netherlands that now serves as its European distribution hub.
At the end of March 2019, Seedo also announced a partnership with Kibbutz Dan in northern Israel to develop fully automated commercial cannabis farms within shipping containers.
We spoke with the CEO of Seedo, Zohar Levy, to get a better understanding of how their grow system works and what the future may hold for Seedo and their unique technology.
How the Technology Works
Seedo’s autonomous growing device, which looks similar to a mini-fridge, features built-in carbon filters, automated air conditioning, a patent-pending full spectrum LED lighting system that auto-adjusts to maintain optimal distance from growing plants, as well as a mineral delivery system, built-in cartridges for releasing CO2 during photosynthesis, and an internal camera for monitoring without intervention. Once plants are fully grown and ready to be harvested, the Seedo container turns into a smart post-harvest drying system as well.
“Seedo's hermetically sealed systems are controlled and managed by artificial intelligence software, which analyzes the plant's development and takes actions to optimize growing parameters based on its performance,” said Seedo CEO Zohar Levy. “Simply set a growth plan for your particular plant species and sit back and let it grow.”
Levy also noted that Seedo recently filed for a new patent to cover their unique AI technology and data analytic algorithms that increases yield, improves the plant feeding process, provides real-time recovery algorithms, and detects any issues that may arise.
The system pairs with a smartphone app that both tracks the progress of the plants as they grow and monitors the conditions in which they’re developing to optimize growth. Should anything go wrong, a notification will automatically be sent to the user’s phone alerting them of the issue.
What’s Next for Seedo
On top of applying their technology towards containers for commercial scale at Kibbutz Dan in Israel, Seedo is positioning themselves to keep up their momentum of global growth with strategic partnerships, including with retail innovation firm OutForm. This firm has strong ties with large retailers like Home Depot, Best Buy, and Bed Bath & Beyond — and Seedo has aspirations to potentially introduce their hydroponic grow systems across the U.S. through these retail giants.
Seedo notes that their grow systems can be used to cultivate a large variety of crops, not just cannabis. The company has welcomed the former head of the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs, Dr. Jendayi Frazer, onto their Board of Directors to assist Seedo with establishing a pilot program with the UN for the cultivation of herbs and vegetables where climate and seclusion are a serious barrier to agricultural development.
But when it comes to cannabis, Levy said that his ultimate vision and purpose of the Seedo system is to bring uniform standardized yield to the cannabis industry. “This is a major issue for pharmaceutical, food and beverage companies who want to include cannabis-derived products in their product lines,” Levy told us. “Our technology provides a highly controlled environment which allows for consistent standardized yields, which the biggest players in these industries require.”
As Seedo’s technology takes all the guesswork out of cannabis cultivation, their solution may prove to be very attractive to companies looking to get on board with offering cannabis-related products to consumers in the near future.
