Sure, the latest initiatives from the Teslas, Apples and Googles of the industry tend to dominate the tech news space — and with good reason. Still, the tech titans aren’t the only ones bringing innovation to the sector.
In an effort to highlight up-and-coming startups, Built In has launched The Future 5 across 11 major U.S. tech hubs. Each quarter, we will feature five tech startups, nonprofits or entrepreneurs in each of these hubs who just might be working on the next big thing. Read our round-up of Denver’s rising startups from last quarter here.
* * *
Houseplants surged in popularity during the pandemic, but many new plant parents soon realized plant care can be harder than it looks.
Advanced Autoponics has designed an automated hydroponics system that ensures building owners will never have to worry about killing a plant again. The company’s automated system remotely grows, monitors and maintains plants for residential and commercial buildings.
Denver resident Sayon Chandrakanthan developed the technology while working as an electrical engineer. His interest in plants came from his mother, who tried unsuccessfully to grow plants in the basement. This inspired him to set up an automated grow light system. He also began to experiment with hydroponics.
Chandrakanthan eventually came up with the idea to create an automated hydroponics system. He was initially interested in hydroponic marijuana, which inspired him to move to Denver in 2018. In 2020, he pivoted away from marijuana to focus on growing and maintaining plants inside buildings.
Advanced Autoponics’ technology can remotely adjust the temperature and water level of each plant system. Its technology can also guide root systems in a way that prevents water from pooling up — a pitfall with other hydroponic techniques, according to Chandrakanthan.
This unique root-guiding approach allows Advanced Autoponics to grow larger plants, like Monsteras, that have large roots and would create water damming with other hydroponic methods.
“All you have to do is select the plant you want to grow, and our system takes care of the rest,” Chandrakanthan told Built In. “You don’t have to touch anything, basically ever. Our goal is to never physically do anything, just to let it run. It goes on for weeks and weeks [without maintenance].”
Advanced Autoponics is made up of a team of four people. The company has been bootstrapped so far, but Chandrakanthan said he hopes to raise funds soon to fuel future growth.
The flagship product, Geminy, is named after Chandrakanthan’s dog because the automated maintenance tech allows building owners to forget about plant upkeep and lay on the couch like a dog.
