WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.533 GEEKY 2 00:00:00.533 --> 00:00:06.406 ECONOMY. WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY. >> MARY RACHEL REDMAN, INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS. 3 00:00:06.406 --> 00:00:10.210 >> THANK YOU. >>GERRY: A PURDUE GRAD AND MIRA AWARDS NOMINEE WHO CREATED AN APPLIANCE, TO COMBAT HEALTH 4 00:00:10.210 --> 00:00:15.081 CRISES INCLUDING OBESITY AND FOOD INSECURITY, IS GETTING READY TO LAUNCH A KICK STARTER CAMPAIGN AND ALREADY HAS MORE 5 00:00:15.081 --> 00:00:23.423 THAN TWO-DOZEN PRE-ORDERS. THE STARTUP IS HELIPONIX AND IS GROPOD EARNED NEARLY $85,000 THROUGH BUSINESS PLAN 6 00:00:23.423 --> 00:00:29.562 COMPETITIONS BEFORE SCOTT MASSY HAD EVEN GRADUATED. HE'S THE SUBJECT OF THE INNOVATORS WITH DR. K. 7 00:00:29.562 --> 00:00:40.240 DR. K TAKE IT AWAY! >> WE HAVE A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR HERE AND INNOVATOR WHO GIVES US SOMETHING SPECIAL 8 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:47.380 SO I WELCOME SCOTT MASSEY WELCOME. GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS 9 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:54.053 IDEA OR WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA. >> I WORKED ON SOME RESEARCH STUDIES ON WAYS TO GROW PLANTS 10 00:00:54.053 --> 00:01:02.495 IN SPACE AND IT WAS A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO THE TECHNOLOGY OF HYDROPONICS, WHICH IS AN ADVANCED FORM OF GROWING PLANTS 11 00:01:02.495 --> 00:01:13.006 WITH NO DIRT ONLY USING WATER IN A CLOSED LOOP. MOST SYSTEMS ARE INDOOR MEETING THEY CAN YIELD CROPS YEAR-ROUND 12 00:01:13.006 --> 00:01:18.378 USING 95 PERCENT LESS WATER AND NO PESTICIDES. >> SO THIS CAME OUT OF A CLASSROOM PROJECT. 13 00:01:18.378 --> 00:01:24.317 >> THE INSPIRATION CAME FROM THERE. >> PHENOMENAL. SO, AGAIN, EXPLAIN THE SPECIFIC 14 00:01:24.317 --> 00:01:31.558 INNOVATION BEHIND HELIPONIX IT. >> THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN INDOOR AGRICULTURE IS THE INEFFICIENCY OF ENERGY IT'S 15 00:01:31.558 --> 00:01:37.764 INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO RUN GROW LIGHTS AS WELL AS A MULTI- MILLION-DOLLAR FACILITY TO GROW THIS. 16 00:01:37.764 --> 00:01:44.971 SO WE REALIZE THE APPLICATION AND TECHNOLOGY THAT A DECENTRALIZED APPROACH TO BUILDING THOUSANDS OF APPLIANCES 17 00:01:44.971 --> 00:01:52.378 AND CONSUMER'S HOMES WAS A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT APPLICATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENERGY AND THROUGH OUR DESIGN WE CAN 18 00:01:52.378 --> 00:01:57.183 YIELD MORE PRODUCE WITH LESS ENERGY. >> SO HYDROPONICS EXPLAINED TO US BUT THAT REALLY US. 19 00:01:57.183 --> 00:02:06.059 >> SO YOU USE NO DIRT AT ALL AND RECYCLE A NUTRIENT, WHICH -- RICH WATER OVER THE ROOTS, SO PLANTS TAKE THE ESSENTIAL 20 00:02:06.059 --> 00:02:15.535 NUTRIENTS THEY NEED WITHOUT EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER THAT ARE OTHERWISE LOST TO RUN OFF. >> WHAT IS THE MARKET FOR THIS 21 00:02:15.535 --> 00:02:21.808 INNOVATION? >> ULTIMATELY I ENVISION IT BEING IN EVERY HOME IN THE WORLD , BUT INITIALLY ORGANIC 22 00:02:21.808 --> 00:02:28.715 CONSUMERS STILL THINK OF THESE PEOPLE LIVING AND ORGANIC ENVIRONMENTS THAT WANT FRESHER TASTIER FOOD BUT DON'T HAVE THE 23 00:02:28.715 --> 00:02:36.789 TIME, THEN LABOR TO GIVE OR THE SPACE OR CLIMATE TO FARM. >> WHAT KINDS OF FOODS CAN THEY DEVELOP FROM THIS? 24 00:02:36.789 --> 00:02:44.964 >> LEAFY GREENS IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER'S AND EVEN SOME FRUITED VARIETIES SUCH AS CHERRY TOMATOES AND STRAWBERRIES. 25 00:02:44.964 --> 00:02:51.604 >> HAVE YOU RECEIVED CAPITAL FUNDING? >> WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME THROUGH PURDUE AND A 26 00:02:51.604 --> 00:02:58.278 NUMBER OF OTHER UNIVERSITIES, BUT THE MOST SIZABLE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ARE FROM THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION THROUGH 27 00:02:58.278 --> 00:03:05.451 THEIR EXCELERATOR FUND AND THE ELEVATE VENTURES AWARD. >> YOU ARE GOING TO DO CROWD FUNDING? 28 00:03:05.451 --> 00:03:11.758 >> WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE WESTGATE LOCATION IN INDIANA FOR THAT. >> WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE 29 00:03:11.758 --> 00:03:19.065 GROWTH POTENTIAL FOR THIS? >> ULTIMATELY I SEE US BECOMING THE WORLD'S LARGEST FARMING COMPANY WITHOUT OWNING A 30 00:03:19.065 --> 00:03:25.672 SINGLE ACRE OF LAND. THROUGH THIS DESIGN WITH THE POSSIBILITY TO CAUSE THE SAME DISRUPTION AND AGRICULTURE AS 31 00:03:25.672 --> 00:03:31.778 THE REFRIGERATOR IN THE ICE INDUSTRY. >> YOU HAVE PATENT PROTECTION ON THIS. 32 00:03:31.778 --> 00:03:36.983 >> MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL PATENTS PENDING ON THIS AND MANY MORE TO BE FILED. >> THAT'S FANTASTIC. 33 00:03:36.983 --> 00:03:42.889 WHAT YOUR NEXT STEPS IN THE VERY NEXT YEAR? >> RIGHT NOW WE ARE EXPANDING OUR PRODUCTION SO TO INCREASE 34 00:03:42.889 --> 00:03:52.398 VOLUME AND DECREASE COST TO MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR CONSUMERS AND INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF THE PODS THAT WE SELL IS A 35 00:03:52.398 --> 00:04:01.474 SUBSCRIPTION TO USER SO IT YIELDS A FULL HEAD OF LEAFY GREENS ON A DAILY BASIS. >> ON EACH AND EVERY SHOW I 36 00:04:01.474 --> 00:04:08.448 GIVE A PRESCRIPTION TO HELP YOU OUT SO I CAME UP WITH THE THREE KNOWLEDGE FACTORS FOR YOU. THE FIRST ONE WAS KNOWLEDGE FOR 37 00:04:08.448 --> 00:04:14.787 THE PUBLIC IN OTHER WORDS, AS YOU EXPLAINED THIS NOW AND EXPLAINED IT VERY WELL YOU HAVE TO GET OTHER INFORMATION TO HELP 38 00:04:14.787 --> 00:04:20.059 CONSUMERS UNDERSTAND HOW THE TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES THEIR GROWING EXPERIENCE. THE MORE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT 39 00:04:20.059 --> 00:04:25.798 THEY BETTER. THE SECOND IS KNOWLEDGE IN THE INDUSTRY IN WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YOU GIVE EXPERTISE TO THOSE 40 00:04:25.798 --> 00:04:31.804 THAT CANNOT BE A FINE DISTRIBUTION TO SCALE UP THE OPERATION TO GET TO THE GOAL YOU ARE SETTING FOR YOURSELF. 41 00:04:31.804 --> 00:04:37.944 AND THE THIRD KNOWLEDGES WITH INVESTORS AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I'M SURE YOU'RE GETTING ADVICE ON THIS IS GET 42 00:04:37.944 --> 00:04:44.684 EXPERIENCED INVESTORS THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CALL SMART MONEY TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE FOOD SPACE SO THEY CAN HELP YOU 43 00:04:44.684 --> 00:04:49.656 GROW THIS VENTURE. I HOPE THOSE THREE THINGS HELP YOU. >> ABSOLUTELY. 44 00:04:49.656 --> 00:04:57.897 >> WHERE CAN THEY FIND YOU? >> HELIPONIX.COM. >> THERE YOU HAVE IT.