Airponix Ltd

An incredible moment as Michael took the stage in Melbourne, pitching in front of the Honourable Ros Spence MP, Minister for Agriculture, alongside key industry leaders. Huge thanks to the British Consulate General and Invest Victoria for organizing such a fantastic event! Now in Adelaide, Michael is making the most of his final days in Australia with a visit to Flinders University—excited to keep the momentum going!

What an exciting journey it has been in Australia! As part of Innovate UK’s Agri-Tech Global Business Innovation Programme and AgriFutures evokeAG’s AgVenture Downunder, we’ve been engaging with key players in the Agri-Tech space. Michael and Barry have had a packed schedule—exploring cutting-edge controlled environment research at the University of Queensland, meeting potential partners, and discussing how our aeroponic fog technology can revolutionize seed potato production in the region. With demand for potatoes soaring, sustainable seed production is more crucial than ever. Our 1000 m² facility in Saudi Arabia is proof, and a similar-sized site could supply all of Australia’s seed potato needs for 1.4 million tonnes of annual production. We’re here to explore opportunities and collaborate—come find us at the event! UK in Australia 

Thrilled to be in Australia with @InnovateUK as part of their Agri-Tech Global Business Innovation Programme, and as a participant in AgriFutures evokeAG’s Startup Alley at AgVenture Downunder! We're exploring advancements in sustainable farming, including aeroponic technologies, and connecting with global innovators to shape the future of agriculture. Come find out more at the events! UK in Australia

We are thrilled to announce that Airponix has been selected as a delegate for @InnovateUK's Agri-Tech Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) in Australia and as a participant in AgriFutures evokeAG's Startup Alley within the AgVenture Downunder event! Michael Ruggier and Barry Robertson will be representing Airponix in person, bringing our cutting-edge aeroponic solutions to the forefront of these incredible opportunities. Both programs provide a platform to collaborate with global leaders in agricultural innovation, explore sustainable advancements in the Agri-Tech sector, and drive transformative change in farming—from soilless crop production to resilient agricultural practices. We are excited to connect with visionary organizations, share knowledge, and help shape the future of sustainable agriculture. UK in Australia

We are pleased to share our latest updates as we continue advancing towards our vision of sustainable agriculture. In Saudi Arabia, we have reached key milestones. 20 out of 22 frames in our greenhouse facility have now been planted, with crops demonstrating healthy, consistent and most importantly, even growth. The installation of a cold storage unit connected to the facility ensures optimal conditions for storing tubers, following the successful commissioning of stable electrical connection to the grid for the entire site. Our work continues to build momentum, and we are currently in discussions with the Client to explore future opportunities that could further enhance our impact in the region, supported by some recent additions forming an outstanding Board of Directors with multi-disciplinary experience. This progress complements our strategic transition as we shift focus toward global commercialization, scaling our aeroponic solutions, and pursuing key partnerships and funding. We extend our sincere gratitude to all stakeholders for their ongoing support as we work to revolutionize agriculture worldwide. Stay tuned for more updates, and wishing all our supporters well for the holiday season!

Our 2024 growing season has officially wrapped up at Reading, Norwich, and ProSeed, bringing us valuable insights, learnings and successes. At Reading, we saw promising results with raspberries, achieving an average of 4g per berry and 1120g per plant by season’s end. Our mini-tuber harvest proved the feasibility of growing seed from micro tubers <15mm diameter, usually a waste product. We yielded between 5–7 tubers per plant, though slightly smaller than expected due to late planting. Norwich has also completed its season, showing positive raspberry data with an average of 4 g per berry, and 1720g per plant. Our Hybrid True Potato Seeds (HTPS) which were grown in our systems in 2023 were then planted into grow bags to simulate a field trial in order to test trueness to type and yield data. We achieved a most encouraging average yield of 17 tubers per plant. ProSeed achieved a successful tuber harvest, with certification for sales, though with a slightly lower yield per plant than anticipated due to adverse environmental conditions, to which we have proposed solutions for the next growing season. Our Saudi project is going well, focusing on refining and optimising site systems, operating procedures and building team expertise. We’ve planted up 7 frames out of the total 22, thus over 10,000 plants to date, so moving steadily toward full-scale operations expected by the end of the year. Meanwhile encouraging discussions are ongoing with the client regarding follow-on projects. Thank you for following our journey this season!

Delighted to report the achievement of the key milestone for our Saudi project - handing over the facility to our operational team and sign-off by the client for this phase, signifying 90% project completion with remaining 10% due after operating the facility for the next 6 months. This included the hook up of all 22 A-frames, extensive sensor installation and commissioning of the whole facility. It was an amazing and impressive sight to have fog being produced from all 22 chambers, eerily creeping into the isle when the doors were opened. And even germinated and planted of our first potato plantlets. In the UK, progress at Reading and Norwich is slowing as we approach winter with raspberry harvest yields decreasing with the shorter days, while seed potato harvest continues at ProSeed. Thank you all for your continued interest and support.

Here is our August update: In Saudi Arabia, we’ve completed the assembly of all 22 A-frames, each 9m long to house over 1,500 plants. However, there has been a delay in securing permanent 3-phase power on site, postponing final commissioning and seed germination. At Reading, we have been harvesting raspberries with an average weight of 3.5g per Berry, despite only having been planted in June. The herbs have shown new root development, while the Potatoes are showing good growth in the size of their tubers. At ProSeed, we are currently trialing a new fogging timetable better suited to the Scottish climate, which will provide us with valuable insights into how to better refine our system for different conditions. Norwich has also delivered impressive results, particularly in raspberry production, with an average weight of 4g per berry. Thank you for your continued support as we progress with our projects.

Exciting updates from our various sites: Reading, our micro-tubers are beginning to produce tubers with great Vigor. Raspberries are beginning to produce their first fruit of the season, and strawberries are also showing good promise as we gain valuable insights from trialling these new crops. Norwich continues to perform well, having just made our 15th raspberry harvest of the season. Our potato mini-tubers, using seed we grew last year, are also growing steadily and showing great promise. ProSeed/Scotland site has also been making strides, with good plant and root development, and tuber production should be starting soon. Saudi Arabia project has had a slower month as we have experienced delays due to material delivery and some infrastructure issues. However, we are now underway with the fabrication of the first of the A-frames which are going really well. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to sharing further updates with you soon.

Our Saudi Arabia project is moving ahead with great momentum. Since finishing the structure of the greenhouse, we've installed and hooked up all the internal equipment such as the air compressor, tanks, pumps, etc, paperwork, electrical panels and cabling and the environmental control system consisting of fans and evaporative cooling walls. We’ve successfully tested these systems and proven that we can maintain the desired temperatures inside the greenhouse, even when external temperatures exceed 45 degrees Celsius! Check out this timelapse on Vimeo to see the fabrication of the greenhouse structure in action: https://lnkd.in/eVZHSdRA. Reading (where we are growing raspberries, strawberries and seed potatoes), ProSeed (seed potatoes) and Norwich (where we have already harvested 3rd crop of raspberries) are progressing nicely through the growing season, and we’ve already gained valuable learnings from this year’s trials. Stay tuned for more updates on this soon!