A team of budding entrepreneurs from American University of Sharjah (AUS) recently won the Product of the Year award at the Injaz Company Programme 2020–2021. Competing against six other teams from four universities, the AUS team was required to conceptualise and form a start-up by developing a team, building products and prototypes, selling shares, and finally pitching the start-up idea to a panel of expert judges from a variety of sectors in UAE.
The main vision of the team’s winning start-up, entitled Hydroot, is to have a farmer in every house. It envisages selling small-scale sustainable hydroponic kits, similar in size to a medium household vase, to enable its customers to grow fruits and vegetables in their own homes. These Hydroot Kits feature completely customised full-spectrum LED lights and high-quality air pumps to provide the optimum growing conditions for the plants, allowing the kits to be placed in any type of home, ranging from a small apartment in a 100-floor skyscraper to an underground house.
With the start-up partnering with a hydroponic-run farm in Sharjah, its kits boast supplemental features. Once the “farmers”—the customers—have purchased the deluxe Hydroot Kit, the company will provide them with a subscription plan that provides weekly replenishment and servicing of the kits. This will include the transplantation of live fresh and fruits and vegetable plants with the roots attached from Hydroot’s partner hydroponic farm. This will allow customers to enjoy their yield from their very own crops any time between the second they receive delivery to up to a week later.
Read more at sharjah24.ae