Agritech startup Aerospring raises S$1m led by Sirius Venture Capital

AGRITECH startup Aerospring Gardens has raised S$1 million in a pre-Series A round led by Sirius Venture Capital.

Singapore-based Aerospring's patented vertical-gardening system uses aeroponics, a method of growing plants without soil and pesticides for year-round harvesting at home.

The automated system grows up to 27 edible plants at a time using 10 square feet of space. The plants grow twice as fast and use 90 per cent less water than traditional methods of gardening using soil.

Apart from root vegetables and trees, Aerospring can grow a range of produce such as leafy greens, herbs and cucumbers, tomatoes, passionfruit, strawberries and chillies in a compact system.

Aerospring will use the fresh funds to expand distribution and develop a new warehouse and showroom facility three times the existing capacity in Singapore. It will also be used for research on the existing product lines and create more compact and productive systems for space-constrained homes.

The startup is working on boosting sales and marketing efforts as it grows its presence in overseas markets such as the US, Europe and Japan.

"Disruptions to food-supply chains resulting from the Covid-19 outbreak has turned the spotlight on decentralised food systems to ensure safe, nutritious, cost-effective and sustainable food sources," said Eugene Wong, founder and managing director of Sirius Venture Capital.

"Using modern-day agri-garden technology, Aerospring's vertical aeroponic garden systems empower urban dwellers to be self-sufficient and gain access to nutritious produce, which is aligned with Sirius' placement in food innovations to grow resilient local food systems."