GROWSQUARES

Presented by
Zachary Witman

Nominated by
New York University

GrowSquares develops smart and personalised urban gardens for consumers. Founded in early 2016, they are a Brooklyn-based C-Corp comprised of soil & data scientists, engineers, and developers. Their first product, to be launched spring 2018 is a consumer-focused gardening system consisting of a modular garden and complimentary app.

Growing vegetables inside a city is tough. Buildings can create irregular and inconsistent shadows, scattered parks limit natural pollinators and crowded spaces often results in dirty air. GrowSquare’s platform marries remote microclimate and weather forecasts with a mobile app that captures on-site environmental data to tailor recommendations on what to grow. Once plant selection has decided, the app identifies the ideal mix of soil, nutrients, minerals and bacteria needed to make the plants grow and compact them into modular square-foot blocks delivered to the customer’s door.

GrowSquare’s mission is to help gardeners grow herbs and vegetables with ease. For urban dwellers without large gardens or landholdings, urban gardening can enhance quality of life in cities in general and create awareness for sustainably and locally produced fruits and vegetables.