Prior Funding
Comment 
We have been supporting the project with our private savings to date and no other funding, covering the business expenses and without taking a salary. We require seed funding to take our company to the next level by developing & proving the new growth enhancement design methods, separately and in concert. All equity is with Michael Ruggier and John Prewer.

Customer Pain and Solution
1). Problem - Please describe what problem (customer pain point) you are trying to solve.
The Airponix aeroponic system was conceived as an effective way to combat the growing threat of national and international food shortages, caused by any of the following problems: land shortages, soil loss and contamination, disease, insect pests, rodents, birds, weeds, water & labour shortages, excess heat and cold, flooding, high winds, lightning strikes, heavy rain, large hailstones, and climate change effects - all problems which need to be resolved cost-effectively and sustainably.

2). Solution - What is your solution? What is innovative about your solution, technology, business model, etc?
A highly effective horticultural system in terms of sustainability, affordability, resilience and requiring minimum inputs i.e. water, labour, chemicals, requires no soil, etc. 

Aeroponics system designed to be highly productive, remove grower risks with consistent or organic quality food crops e.g. wheat, rice, potatoes and perennial plants e.g. grapes. Uses low-cost suspended protective enclosures which function well under a wide range of environmental conditions sustainably and profitably

Overall Impact
3). Define the 1 year and 5 year impact that you hope to accomplish
Use whatever metrics are most appropriate for you (e.g., revenue, profit, jobs, societal benefits)

Year 1-prove concept with demonstrations growing wheat, rice potatoes and grape vines, each in 5m long growth chambers and prove operability of full-size 30m long system and develop working / licensing partnerships world-wide

Year 5 - System in commercial use in many countries to help solve world hunger and Britain's worsening food security situation (over 40% of its food is imported). Will give employment in non-farmable areas

Revenue & profitability expected from year 2 and grow exponentially

Customer Needs and Acquisition
4). How would you define your potential market and what is the addressable market size?
Use whatever metrics are most appropriate for you (e.g., dollars, people, devices)

Worldwide, particularly in soilless areas and barren regions where food crops are exposed to a broad range of mostly water-related threats, but can also include high winds, hailstones, insect pests, rodents, disease, lightning strikes, fires etc.

5). What traction have you made to date with market validation?
(e.g., users, paying customers, lab/trial data)

Jain Irrigation have expressed strong interest particularly for use in India - where 330 million people affected by current drought. Pepsico, InBev, etc. but all 1st need to see trial demos. Antecedent version of system used for growing PYO strawberries commercially

6). Marketing - What will be your messaging to users & customers and how do you plan to spread that message?
The Airponix system grows organic-quality foods in near sterile, chemical-free growing conditions which are safe and environmentally benign. Also the method's unique operating efficiencies permit low user prices and guaranteed yields year after year

7). Sales and Distribution - How will you reach your customers? Via which channels will you likely reach your customers/users?
(e.g., online, retail locations, inside sales, partnerships, direct sales, value-added resellers, franchise, licensing)

Customers are food producers therefore producing & selling systems directly to them or via partnerships with existing companies who can mass produce the systems and sell to farmers under license utilising their existing & new distribution networks

Industry and Competitors
8). Which organizations compete with your value offering now, and who might do so in the future?
None, now and for the foreseeable future.

Due to strong IPR and high tech nature of the most critical Airponix system components e.g. the novel (patented) fog generators, smart information based system for plants to control their own environment, etc

9). Which organizations complement your offering in the market? Do you know of or anticipate any value chain partners?
Airponix system is fully integrated & autonomous from automatic seeding to self-harvesting with min human intervention. Key international organisations can be involved in the design, development, supply & operation training of the system eg Syngenta

10). What are your primary advantages relative to existing or potential competitors? i.e., Why will you win?
Disruptive innovation in every respect taking agriculture into the 22nd century – system that ticks all the boxes including climate change resilience with expected yields up to 20 fold higher than those of conventional/any other, revolutionising crop production

Business Model / Financials
11). What are the key drivers of business economics (price points, margins, etc)?
i.e., what do you anticipate as the primary costs/revenue streams?

Key of system is its low capital & operating costs & expected reliability – reason that aeroponics has not taken off (apart from growing cannabis!)

Margins utilising the Airponix system are very high e.g. for potatoes profit per year per hectare expected to be £67,000 (2 crops with 5 fold yield less additional capex & opex) plus premium quality produce (organic & soil-less thus no cleaning required) as opposed to £8,900 less costs for conventional (1 crop). Capital cost of system paid off in 1 year

Regulation and IP
12). What IP (Intellectual Property) or regulatory requirements exist for your business or in your industry?
Who owns your IP currently? Do you foresee IP as a competitive advantage?

Airponix Ltd (we) own all the IP as follows:

US Patent 4,291,499 granted 29 Sept 1981 titled, "Propagation of Plants" (now expired)

Canada patent application no 2873166 titled "AEROPONICS SYSTEM" published on 22/11/2012 

UK Patent Application No. 1605610.3 titled "EFFICIENT FOG GENERATOR FOR AEROPONICS AND RNA DELIVERY SYSTEM" filed 1 April 2016

UK Patent Application No. 1605611.1 titled "SYSTEMS FOR INTERVENTION FREE CULTIVATION OF PLANTS" filed 1 April 2016

IP is key to competitive advantage

Founding Team and Advisors / Investors
13). Please share some background information on your team members, and tell us what makes your team special
John Prewer DA, MRI, FRSA “the father of aeroponics" (conceived under the mentorship of Buckminster Fuller), has developed the Airponix system over 40 years of pioneering research.

Michael Ruggier MSc, CEng, MIMechE has an impeccable track record of turning radically novel ideas into reality with his 24 years with Shell International incl 7 years with Shell GameChanger - with many rags-to-riches stories

14). Please tell us about current or anticipated advisors and investors
Once we have proved concept we expect advisors & investors will be queuing to work with us. Currently we have partnerships with Eden Project, John Innes Centre, Cambridge Consultants & interest from Dale Vince of Ecotricity, Pepsico, Jain Irrigation etc

What we require:
15). Please describe one or two specific things that could be done to accelerate the growth of your company

1. Funds to allow us to build and test prototypes to prove the systems performance potential

2. Support with commercial  aspects, licensing agreements (with large organisations) & policing/upholding IP

3. Help with 4-way agreement between collaborative partners (John Innes Centre & Cambridge Consultants)