Anu™, a health and wellness brand developing innovative controlled-environment agriculture systems, won first place and $20,000 among 10 small businesses at the national SCORE 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition in Des Moines, Iowa. SCORE, or Service Corps of Retired Executives, is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Purdue University alumni Scott Massey and Ivan Ball founded anu. The company has received financial support from the Purdue Research Foundation.

“This funding will support sales and the rapid growth of our intellectual property portfolio, focusing on AI computer vision control systems that optimize yield and energy efficiency in our cultivation containers,” said Massey, who acts as CEO.

Anu empowers individuals and communities to sustainably grow Pure Produce® with superior nutrition and flavor, enhanced food safety, and reduced waste.

“The easy-to-use anu seedpod subscription is like ‘Nespresso for plants,’ working in conjunction with our efficient Rotary Aeroponics® technology to effortlessly grow the widest variety of plants indoors,” Massey said.

Winning the competition

Ten small business owners competed in the SCORE competition; Massey was the only one from Indiana. All contestants received guidance from SCORE’s mentors to prepare and deliver their pitch.

Judging criteria included the effectiveness of the presentation, brand identification, uniqueness and viability of the product or service; the thoroughness of the business plan; scalability; and any sustainability or social impact. Financials were also assessed on overall potential.

Anu has completed the following key achievements:

• Received National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and II grants to develop AI computer vision control algorithms
• Received an Indiana Manufacturing Readiness Grant to mass manufacture its 100% compostable seedpods
• Received a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnerships program to accelerate manufacturing of the seedpods
• Won the AgriNovus HungerTech Challenge sponsored by Elevance Health
• Established a commercialization partnership with ekō Solutions, a subsidiary of Land Betterment Corp.; this partnership is bringing Pure Produce® Containers to market, offering the performance of a large vertical farm in a modular shipping container, making institutions, military bases, hospitals, schools and other food-serving environments self-sufficient without preservatives or pesticides.

Anu’s solution

Massey said indoor farming has the potential to combat nutrition insecurity by sustainably growing high-quality food closer to consumers, but poor strategies have limited its impact.

“The industry is like the early ice industry — costly and inefficient. Just as the shift toward refrigerators from ice factories made ice accessible, indoor farming must break free from facility constraints,” he said. “Like ice, produce is perishable and needs controlled environments. Success depends on a productive, energy-efficient system that maximizes space, reduces costs and works as simply as a Keurig — letting consumers Harvest When Hungry™ by replacing mature plants with new seedpods.”

Massey said anu’s pilot 20-foot container farm grows tons of produce annually, offering a full return on investment in the time it takes to plan and build a traditional vertical farm.

“Unlike fixed facilities, our containers are deployable in hours, planted that day and harvested within a month, letting operators focus on food prep,” he said. “Our Self-Nurturing™ seedpods, preloaded with nutrients, require no expertise. We maximize space and labor, exponentially increasing the market size to now include institutional markets, bypassing traditional suppliers.”