Ground Vertical Farming: Supported by the WEEL Project to bring technology to farming

Ground Vertical FB

Ground Vertical Farming (GVF) brings a simple but affordable system, especially designed to offer the benefits of vertical farming to deprived agricultural areas. The startup uses existing and proven technologies, but in a novel way. Its patent-pending planting meshes consist of hydrophilic mediums containing pockets capable of handling a wide range of plants. In a greenhouse, the meshes are stretched over inclined frames. The vertical inclination of the frames, their orientation, spacings and sizes are optimized to maximize available sunlight, minimize electricity consumption, and be easily handled by standing workers.

We talked to the GVF Team about the impact of the support received through their participation in the WEEL project, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France.

Growth and Impact

“We applied to the WEEL Project because we knew that this project would allow us to develop our product and help us push forward. The grant that we received is helping us expand and accelerate our manufacturing process and eventually, this can improve our chances of success. The Project was a tremendous catalyst for Ground’s growth. 

GVF is a Lebanese-made solution with huge economic and social impact run by a dedicated team. We take minimal technical risks to ensure our growth and are fully aware that our solution has a large demand base in Lebanon and is the technology of the future.

Lebanon is shifting to a local production-based economy, in addition to having more export opportunities with the devaluation of the Lebanese pound. We are expecting to have donors and NGOs support the agricultural sector. Moreover, we are protecting our solution by filling a patent, as well as decreasing our cost by extending our reach to mass production.

Since June 22, our research and development phase started to reach optimization of our product. Thanks to the WEEL grant, our focus will be on decreasing our production costs to reach a larger client audience. To further improve our study and to attract more projects, we started by collecting data to shed light on the metrics and positive benefits. Our plan extends further than the Lebanese sector and thanks to WEEL’S grant we will soon be filing an international patent to strengthen our solution from being copied. The WEEL project is helping us strengthen our company’s governance and team to accelerate its transformation to expand our reach to the MENA, vulnerable regions, and beyond.”

About WEEL

WEEL is part of a larger programme, the EU for Women Empowerment (EU4WE), a 42-month programme (October 2019 – March 2023) funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France. It aims at promoting full and unconditional equality between men and women in Lebanon. The specific purpose of EU4WE is to reduce gender-based violence through women’s empowerment and enhance existing institutional mechanisms working towards gender equality.   

Nagham Barakat

Nagham Barakat

Nagham Barakat joined the Berytech team in July 2021 as a Communication & Outreach Coordinator. She has an extensive 7 years experience in corporate events planning within the healthcare field working in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE with leading medical devices manufacturers. Nagham is an enthusiastic high-energy professional with an eye for detail. She enjoys outdoor jogging and loves spending quality time with her family.

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