Agriculture 4.0: Israeli startup sets up smart urban farm for fresh green superfood
GreenOnyx has developed a sterile, fully autonomous modular tech farm to grow fresh ready-to-eat duckweed-based green superfood for daily intake
By Sharon Wrobel
the Times of Isreal
26 January 2023
Excerpt:
An Israeli agritech startup that set out on a mission to make highly nutritious superfoods as accessible to the masses as Diet Coke, on Thursday revealed what it called the first urban breeding farm to grow and produce fresh, affordable ready-to-eat duckweed-based green “caviar” all year round.
GreenOnyx has developed a sterile and fully autonomous AI-based cloud technology platform that uses advanced farming methods to bio-mimic the natural habitat conditions for growing highly nutritious crops from seed to plate in deep-tech modular farms. By using proprietary technology, the startup grows water-based lentil greens throughout the year in complete sterility without any human intervention, without requiring any agricultural land, and independent of weather conditions.
“My professional background in cancer research led to the recognition of the importance of wholesome fresh greens to promote cellular strength, prevent illness and disease, and promote longevity,” said Shoham. “Recognizing the tremendous potential health impact of greens phytonutrients, as well as the significant challenges, I changed my mission from oncology research to creating a breakthrough in the delivery and consumption of fresh greens.”
The Tel Aviv-based enclosed modular urban farm facility, which looks more like a data center with computer cabinets, can produce 40 tons a year of the tiny green grains which the startup has named Wanna Greens. The green superfood comes in pint-sized packaging, has a mild taste, and can be mixed with any dish or drink. They are richer in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other crucial phytonutrients than leafy green vegetables that are currently on the market as they are not exposed to industrialized farming or contamination.
