LYRATA INC
Toronto
Ontario
M5G0C6
Company Description (Required)
Lyrata Inc. is solving indoor farming emissions with our patent SmartSoil grow-media, a biodegradable, recyclable grow-media ("soil") system that drastically reduces indoor farming carbon emissions. Unlike traditional grow-media systems like Rockwool [1], which emit up to 2400kg-CO2e/ton of material produced - almost as polluting as clinker (one of the world's most carbon-intensive materials [5], SmartSoil reduces this emission by up to 65 times. By engineering plant-based biopolymers, 3D printing them into specific geometries, and creating novel coatings and processes to work alongside SmartSoil, Lyrata sets a new standard for hydroponic grow-media systems. Since 2020, Lyrata has been perfecting the SmartSoil technology with the support of various Canadian organizations, such as the University of Toronto & Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), to globally commercialize one of the world's lowest carbon-emitting lettuce production systems (up to 8 times less than traditional greenhouse production systems) [2] enabled by their PCT-patent pending SmartSoil technology [3]. To realize our solution in the market, Lyrata Inc. offers a Farming-as-a-Service (FaaS) model, where we design, construct, and maintain modular farms for commercial clients such as caterers and restaurants [4]. Our proprietary farms integrate our low-carbon, biodegradable SmartSoil technology into a hydroponic farming service for commercial food service businesses that value locally sourced produce.
Since 2020, Lyrata has (1) secured more than $1 million in entrepreneurial support, (2) created Canada's first urban farming research facility [2], (3) managed more than 60 UofT engineering interns, scientists, and legal externs as part of UofT-engineering's prestigious Go-To-Market startup program [4], (4) published two patents, (5) continuously develop novel intellectual property (IP) through multiple Canadian federal IP awards (close to $150K), and (6) the team is further supported by advisors and scientific collaborators from the University of Toronto, who contribute to developing and refining Lyrata's technology and business [4].
[1] https://www.grodan.com/global/solutions/
[2] https://x.com/UofTNews/status/1734619557644378424
[3] https://patents.google.com/patent/CA3238908A1/en?oq=CA3238908A1
[5] https://www.scientific.net/MSF.685.181.pdf