“Our cutting edge technology was designed to collect data points on 50+ parameters of which we have noticed unexpected correlations between certain factors. This has ultimately guided us in making adjustments to help the plants grow better and as well as identify the input costs,” says Chris Bolton, Chief Executive Officer at Sprout AI.
Sprout AI is an agtech company that manufactures scalable controlled grow habitats that are controlled by artificial intelligence and can be installed in any existing or new indoor farms. Not only does Sprout AI provide cultivation systems, but the company also looks to develop strategic partnerships through which Sprout AI can provide the equipment and manage the farm remotely.
Chris Bolton
As Chris explains, Sprout AI’s cultivation system is actually a self-contained habitat that eliminates the need to retrofit the host building’s HVAC and lighting system, mitigating contaminant pressure and improving the overall efficiency.
“Separating each habitat became the biggest benefit of the system. In other systems, you have to manage the temperature of an entire warehouse, but we are only managing it per habitat which is more effective,” explains Chris.
A Sprout AI setup
Optimized growth
Sprout AI’s advanced habitats harness fogponics technology that uses a fraction of the water required by hydroponic systems, according to Chris. The “fog grow medium”, as it is referred to on the company website, provides more oxygen to the roots which increase nutrient uptake, accelerates root development and shortens the cultivation cycles.
As Chris explains, Sprout AI’s system has fewer moving parts than most hydroponic and aeroponic systems which results in lower maintenance needs. The system’s customized rolling rack technology allows Sprout AI to push the efficiencies even further by reducing the fixed aisle space.
“Having come from a manufacturing background, we examined the root causes of failure in aeroponics and hydroponics. We then redesigned fogponics to eliminate these failures,” explains Chris.
By incorporating artificial intelligence into its habitats, Sprout AI’s module learns over time and optimizes the growing conditions according to the crop. Among the 50+ measured and optimized parameters are air temperature and quality, humidity, water temperature, optimized content, light intensity and photoperiod and carbon dioxide dosing. Altogether, these parameters are enhanced to develop growth plans that can be replicated in any other Sprout AI habitat.
With headquarters in Panama and additional offices in Vancouver and Australia, Sprout AI is already an international company and has a strong mission to continue developing in the international vertical farming space.
Sprout AI's mission is to grow the most innovative vertical indoor cultivation company to ensure that every human can reliably have access to high quality, affordably priced produce, and in a way that directly benefits their local community by the year 2050. Their goal is to be an international company, not only domestic players. Most people used to live on a farm but now that everyone is in the city, they cannot access what they previously had.
"Our fundamental disruption to the food supply chain is to bring the farm into the City, close to the consumer themselves. In doing this we are making fundamental changes that include but are not limited to: ensuring food security and that it remain fresh longer, preserving the revenues generated from local food production within the local economy, and significantly reducing the impact that current foods supply chains have on the global environment,” Chris says.
For more information:
Chris Bolton, CEO and founder
support@sproutai.solutions
Sprout AI
https://sproutai.solutions