Profitable venture: Grobrix plans to expand its team of 15, having already established a presence in Malaysia and the United States.
SINGAPORE: For Mathew Howe, a classic pesto recipe is not complete without pine nuts, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and, most importantly, a healthy measure of fresh basil.
While the herb is readily available in local supermarkets, he found that growing his own is more cost-effective, and he could also produce varieties that are tastier and more fragrant.
His success in growing basil then inspired him to cultivate more types of herbs, vegetables and fruit, but Singapore’s tropical climate meant that most of these crops have to be grown indoors in a compact and well-equipped space.
“Growing plants is my passion, and I wanted to combine that with my desire to provide the freshest produce for my family,” said the 41-year-old Singapore permanent resident.
Howe’s success with growing basil and making pesto made him wonder if he could make it a community endeavour, and he found his answer during a trip to the barber.
“The idea of growing food on a wall came about when I was at my barber. I was staring at the wall behind me while my hair was being cut, and I just thought that maybe we could grow food there and also make the place look a lot prettier.”
Howe is the founder and chief executive of Grobrix, an agri-tech startup that builds modular, portable walls rigged with the firm’s proprietary technology to optimise light and water for growing indoor produce like basil, lettuce, tomatoes, sage and parsley.
Grobrix grows crops in its nursery at Singapore Science Park, nurturing them from seed to seedling for about three weeks before transferring them onto vertical walls.
These installations, which range in size from a medium wardrobe to a large floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet, can produce 2kg to 6kg of food per week.
The walls are leased to Grobrix’s 60 corporate clients, including GIC, Singtel, Marina Bay Sands and Nexus International School, on contracts ranging from 12 to 36 months, with prices starting at S$1,000 per month.
The firm, set up in 2020, handles all the maintenance, including weekly visits to clients to replenish the water and fertiliser mix, tailored to the produce on each wall.
Howe, who moved from Britain to Singapore in 2010 and spent over a decade working at a bank here, said Grobrix is not just about growing food for consumption but is also a “lifestyle service” designed to help organisations build a sense of community.
Grobrix’s “edible walls” are designed to be decorative, serving as a design statement, much like a natural work of art for offices, he said.
They are also a “measurable” sustainability initiative that can involve an organisation’s entire workforce.
“If you put solar panels on your roof, you can argue that they are a really good sustainability initiative, but nobody’s going to go upstairs and hang out with the solar panels. That’s not the case with edible walls,” Mr Howe said.
When asked about the viability of his startup, and how it intends to contribute to Singapore’s 30 by 30 goal, Howe said Grobrix’s business model is different as it does not supply produce, for example, to supermarkets, for mass consumption.
Looking ahead, Grobrix plans to expand its team of 15, depending on the company’s performance.
The firm is currently profitable and has no plans to seek venture capital funding.
It aims to enter the Middle East market, where there is strong demand for indoor farming, having established a presence in Malaysia and the United States.
His top three tips for aspiring young entrepreneurs: Do something that you’re passionate about as your business will ask a lot of your evenings and weekends; do it for the right reasons – don’t just start a business because you dislike your day job and want more flexibility; understand that there will be ups and downs, so stay the course and carry on. — The Straits Times/ANN
