LumiGrow

About LumiGrow

Founded in 2008 by Caroline Wells and Kevin Wells, LumiGrow established itself as a key provider of LED lighting solutions tailored for the controlled environment agriculture sector. The company pioneered the introduction of smart LED grow lights to the North American market, focusing on enhancing profitability for growers through technological advancements. LumiGrow's business model revolved around the manufacturing and sale of specialized horticultural lighting hardware, complemented by a proprietary software platform. The company generated revenue through the sale of its lighting systems and associated control technology to commercial greenhouse operators and indoor farming businesses. Following a period of operation, the company is now listed as deadpooled after having raised a total of $5.6 million in funding over four rounds.

LumiGrow's core product offering included the TopLight and BarLight smart fixtures. These systems were engineered to replace traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, offering significant energy savings of 40% to 70% and running cooler to prevent plant damage. The lights were designed to deliver optimized light spectra, focusing on red and blue wavelengths crucial for photosynthesis, which could be adjusted to influence plant growth, yield, and quality. A distinguishing feature was the smartPAR software, a wireless control system that allowed growers to manage lighting zones, automate lighting schedules, and precisely adjust light intensity and spectrum from a computer or mobile device. To further refine performance in greenhouse settings, the company offered the smartPAR Light Sensor, which enabled the system to adapt to ambient light conditions, ensuring consistent light levels and minimizing energy consumption.

The company's systems were designed for scalability in large environments like commercial greenhouses. To overcome potential WiFi connectivity issues in such large spaces, LumiGrow developed a mesh communication architecture using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This setup involved 'Leader' devices with both WiFi and Bluetooth and 'Follower' devices with only Bluetooth, ensuring stable and reliable data flow for controlling a large number of lights. With a substantial installation base across North America and other parts of the world, LumiGrow catered to a market of commercial growers and agricultural research institutions seeking to improve crop consistency and operational efficiency.