This interview details Ionaka, an indoor farming company based in France. The interview is with Magalie Rosso, President and Founder of Ionaka.
What is the origin story of Ionaka?
Ionaka means Oasis in Malgach because I had the urge during the confinement to bring sustainable vegetables back to town, by saving resources and cooling the city.
I focused on off-ground cultivation, and I found out aeroponics tower system that answers almost my requirements.
What types of crops or plants are most suitable for cultivation in an aeroponic farm, and how do you determine the optimal conditions for their growth?
Most vegetables can grow in aeroponic towers.
On the other hand, tubers such as carrots or potatoes are not possible.
The most common are: salads, tomatoes, strawberries, aromas, edible flowers.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing Ionaka in the future?
The first challenge Ionaka is facing is a psychological barrier for off-ground vegetables in France whereas many strawberries and tomatoes we eat in France come from hydroponics system!
Urban farming, secondly, is not really considered as a credible type of agriculture therefore we have to prove the crop yield.
Ionaka as a start-up has to get fastly new partnerships and customers in order to remain competitive and attractive.
What is unique about Ionaka compared to competitors?
Ionaka’s offer is not only based on producing vegetables and fruits but providing a CSR project to our customers.
We provide farming as a service that includes a turnkey towerfarm with maintenance, harvesting, team-building, and a marketplace for our customers.
Moreover, we have opened a new type of financing: donations and sponsorships.
What are the key steps involved in setting up a turnkey aeroponic farm, and how long does the process typically take from start to finish?
We have 4 main steps:
What kind of technology or equipment is involved in your turnkey aeroponic farm system, and how does it contribute to the overall success and efficiency of the operation?
Tower farms are a low-tech system: the merged pump comes from Italy and it works only 3 mn per quarter, Our towers (Towergarden in the USA) are made of Polycarbonate type PC/ABS, BPA-free. BPA is an endocrine disruptor. The manufacturing process of each tower gives us a carbon balance per tower of 18kg of CO2, including transport (sea transport).
How does your turnkey aeroponic farm system ensure efficient water usage and conservation?
Plants grow in a soilless substrate: squares of rock wool.
Instead of soil, the plants grow in a rock wool environment, which provides the roots of the plants with oxygen and constant moisture, promoting fast and healthy growth.
The tower tank stores water and nutrients for plants.
Nutrients are essential minerals for the proper development of plants. This mineral mix provides an all-natural "shortcut" for plants, which usually have to find their nutrients in the decomposing organic matter of the soil. This results in better nutrient uptake and higher growth for a wide variety of plants.
The solution cascades down each turn and feeds the plants.
A low-power submersible pump (50W), located in the tank, pushes the nutrient solution up the tower through a small central hose. The nutrient solution then flows into the tower, cascading down the roots of the plants.
Oxygen is the key to aeroponics! Oxygen is a carrier of nutrients. The droplets are filled with oxygen as they fall and thus allow the plants to better assimilate nutrients.
A timer allows this process to be repeated continuously, usually in 15-minute increments, to provide the plants with the right amount of oxygen, water, and nutrients at the right time.
How do you measure the impact of Ionaka so far? (Revenue, Employees, Customer Quantity, Production Volume) etc?
Could you provide examples of successful projects or clients who have implemented your turnkey aeroponic farm system and achieved significant results?
I have 2 successful projects really interesting to share:
How does your company provide ongoing support and maintenance services to clients who have established aeroponic farms using your turnkey system?
Our business model is based on hiring a new urban farmer as soon as we install 50-60 towers and one person is able to take care of 100 towers.
We get an annual redevance that enables us to provide our service.
The same urban farmer is responsible for maintenance, crops, and workshops.
Obviously, we work as a team. For example, our small farms (6 towers need only one passage per week) and our big farms need 2 or 3 days per week.
What have you learned that you wish you knew when you joined or started the company?
I would save money and time at the beginning if I knew my main trade targets for example hospitals or hotels.
How can people connect with you or learn more about Ionaka?
We are on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Our website includes our blog www.ionaka.fr
And don’t hesitate to contact us on the website to define your project.
This interview details Garden Stack, an indoor farming company based in the UK. The interview is with Daniel Matthews-Ferrero, CEO of Garden Stack. To learn more about Garden Stack and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Eden Grow Systems, an indoor farming company based in the United States. The interview is with Bart Womack, CEO of Eden Grow Systems. To learn more about Eden Grow Systems and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Space Farms, an indoor farming project based in Georgia. The interview is with Tusya Garibashvili, Head of Space Farms. To learn more about Space Farms and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details PermaFungi, an indoor farming company based in Belgium. The interview is with Stijn Roovers, COO and Co-Founder of PermaFungi. To learn more about PermaFungi and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Feed Earth Now (FEN) Terreplenish, an indoor farming (accelerated food scrap technology) company based in the United States. The interview is with Cathy Scratch, Founder & CEO of Feed Earth Now Terreplenish. To learn more about Terreplenish and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Victory Farm, an indoor farming company based in Malaysia. The interview is with Gary Law,Founder & CEO of Victory Farm. To learn more about Victory Farm and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Farm8, an indoor farming company based in Korea. The interview is with Yong Park, Chief Marketing Officer of Farm8. To learn more about Farm8 and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Artesian Farm, an indoor farming company based in the United States. The interview is with Milan Kluko, consultant and vertical system designer of Artesian Farm. To learn more about Milan Kluko Indoor Farming and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details GreenForges, an underground farming company based in Canada. The interview is with Nicola Maglio, Chief Marketing Officer of GreenForges. To learn more about GreenForges and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full InterviewThis interview details Trayplant Netherlands, a technology company working in the indoor farming industry based in the Netherlands. The interview is with Peter van Hulten, Head of Sales of Trayplant Netherlands. To learn more about Trayplant Netherlands and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!
View Full Interview