Israeli Company Teaming Up With Hip Hop Artists To Market Cannabis Robot
Seedo’s product uses artificial intelligence to autonomously grow cannabis at home
By MAYA MARGIT/THE MEDIA LINEcannabis background macro close up(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
An Israeli company is partnering with several well-known hip hop artists in the United States to market its innovative product—a robot that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to autonomously grow marijuana plants at home. Seedo’s fully-automated device allows consumers to cultivate cannabis seeds in a special casing and then monitor the plant’s growth via a smartphone application, which notifies the individual when to harvest the product.“It’s an artificial intelligence algorithm that manages the entire process [of growing] autonomously, which means there is no need for human intervention,” Zohar Levy, CEO of Seedo, explained to The Media Line. He added that the in-home “robot” can also grow fruits and vegetables and is being marketed for personal use in countries worldwide.“In the unit, there is a camera that takes a snapshot of the plant every few hours and this photo is sent to a command center, whereupon the algorithm analyzes the picture to determine the condition of the plant,” Levy elaborated. “With this information, the AI changes the parameters in the cultivator to maximize [output].”Seedo currently is working to devise a major North American marketing campaign that will include notable rappers and launch in the coming two months.“We are working with Interscope Records and are now in the process of [negotiating] with hip hop artists who will represent our company in the U.S. and Canada,” Levy conveyed to The Media Line, though he withheld their identities. “Hip hop artists are recognized as supporters of the cannabis industry and they are familiar with it.”According to Seedo, collaborating with musicians was a natural fit.“Seedo is a lifestyle product [linked to music],” Uri Zeevi, the Chief Marketing Officer of Seedo, asserted to The Media Line. “It’s like Nike is to Michael Jordan.”Established in 2015, Seedo developed its innovative plant-growing system over a number of years after obtaining a medical cannabis research and development permit from Israel’s Health Ministry. The closed-loop system prevents insects and harmful pathogens from entering the container, meaning that growers can use limited amounts of water and forgo pesticides altogether.“The cost of the yield is 30 percent less than any other technology existing today in the world,” Levy said.The company has already signed a deal with US and Israel-based Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, which is developing treatments for cancer patients. Together, the companies will by the beginning of next year finalize a prototype that can be used by patients to grow their own medicinal marijuana at home.
Several other businesses in Canada—where cannabis will be legalized in October—as well as in the U.S. and Europe, have expressed interest in acquiring Seedo's technology, although the details have not been publicized.“We’ve already sold more than 3,500 units to private customers,” Levy noted, at a cost of $2,400 each.Last June, the company co-sponsored the 2018 BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards pre-party in West Hollywood. The popular event featured a wide array of artists, including several DJs and American rapper Machine Gun Kelly.“After this party, many actors and singers contacted us and asked to represent our product,” Zeevi revealed.“This is a very complicated and sophisticated product and [it was very hard] to produce and develop it as a start-up. It’s been a tough journey and we’re extremely excited that it’s happening.”
