Roots - Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Ltd.
ROOTS - Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Ltd. develops and commercializes disruptive, modular, cutting-edge technologies to address critical problems faced by agriculture today, including plant climate management via root zone temperature optimization and the shortage of water for irrigation. Roots has developed proprietary know-how and patents to optimize performance, lower installation costs, and reduce energy consumption to a minimum - all in order to bring maximum benefit to farmers. Roots was established in 2012 and graduated in 2016 from the prestigious technology incubator program administered by the Israel Chief Scientist Office. Root zone temperature optimization (RZTO) technology worldwide: Europe, North America, Asia, and more.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Horticulture
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Year Founded:
- 2009
- Employees:
- 11-100
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
Please, visit the following links for more info:
Key Technologies
Root Zone Temperature Optimization (RZTO)
Significantly increases yield, improves quality, saves energy and mitigates extreme heat and cold stress.
- Root zone heating and cooling based on ground source heat exchange (GSHE), operated solely by circulation pumps.
- Root zone heating and cooling based on hybrid systems — GSHE with a circulation pump + heat pumps.
- Root zone heating and cooling based solely on heat pumps.
- Cooling and heating + growing solutions for hydroponic facilities.
- A combination of root zone heating and cooling systems with an existing irrigation system.
- A combination of root zone heating and cooling systems with ROOTS’s own irrigation and fertilization management.
- Multi-purpose, “all in one” pipes for heating/chilling and fertigation (fertilization & irrigation).
Irrigation by Condensation (IBC)
Provides water for irrigation from moisture in the air and soil and saves up to 100% in water irrigation consumption.
How is ROOTS different from other agritech companies?
- Graduate of a technology incubator under the supervision of the Israeli Chief Scientist Office.
- Two core technologies and multiple products targeting a broad international agricultural market.
- An innovation leader in root zone cooling.
- No regulatory barriers, as opposed to many agricultural companies in the chemical or biological sectors.
- International collaboration agreements with key players in Israel, Europe, andpending Asia.
- Early access to emerging Israeli technological development partners and to an advanced testing environment.
- Backed by a board of directors, management team and scientific advisory board whose members have strong track records in the agri-tech industry, innovation, international finances, and academia.
- Numerous positive citations in professional and popular media.
How is ROOTS different then other agritech companies?
ROOTS brings agricultural expertise and methodological rigor to the world of farming, and strives for the highest quality in its products.
Roots develops products that address critical problems in agriculture: how to influence the plant’s growing climate in an environmentally sustainable way and how to provide water for irrigation in an era of diminishing access to water sources. It also has granted and pending patents in major agricultural countries worldwide.
ROOTS’s technologies have been recognized as disruptive and important by the NASA Tech Briefs Magazine, which has chosen Irrigation by Condensation (IBC) as one of the ‘Technologies of the Month’.
The Guardian (UK) covered the ROOTS temperature optimization technology deemeding it as one of the very few existing technologies with the potential to impact hunger worldwide.
What is ROOTS's corporate structure?
ROOTS is an Israeli registered company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (Symbol ROO). It operates from an office with an adjunct 1-acre testing site in Moshav Beit Halevy located in central Israel. Following admission, the board will be comprised of one (1) non-executive director, two (2) executive directors (one of whom is the Company’s chief executive officer and the chairman), and two (2) outside non-executive directors. Sharon Devir will serve as an executive director, chairman of the board and the Company’s chief executive officer. Boaz Wachtel will serve as an executive director. Adam Blumenthal will serve as a non-executive director. Graeme Smith and Tal Misch Vered will serve as outside directors.
What products is ROOTS bringing to market?
ROOTS is currently developing three distinct technologies and product lines (including their intellectual property) in order to meet the challenges of global agriculture:
- Root zone temperature optimization, the Company’s key technology focus, is sold in three configurations: (1) Basic – Ground Source Heat Exchange (GSHE) with a circulation pump only, (2) hybrid – GSHE with heat pump, and (3) heat pump only.
- Irrigation by Condensation – which provides water for irrigation from moisture existing in the air and soil. Currently in Alpha testing after a successful POC stage.
- An integrated, all in one, multi-function pipe designed to emit water and fertilizers coupled with root zone cooling/heating at the root zone area. This product is intended to decrease fertilization by incorporating root zone heating and cooling within the “all in one” pipe.
Vision and Strategy
The Company
ROOTS was incorporated on 20 April 2009 in Israel and commenced its operations in January 2013. It is an agricultural technology company focused on developing, producing and commercializing sustainable precision agriculture technologies that address and enhance plant performance under difficult weather conditions, improve crop yield and quality, and provide off-grid (electricity and water) irrigation solutions in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.
- Increases yield and improves crop quality
- One system for root zone heating or cooling
- Helps protect against cold and heat stress
- Significant energy and cost savings
- Rapid return on investment (ROI)
Vision and Strategy
ROOTS’s vision is to become a significant player in the world of global agricultural technology by developing technologies that assist growers
in meeting the ever-increasing global demand for food and water, and mitigate the impact of extreme weather temperature conditions on both indoor and open-field crops with minimal energy and environmental signatures. The Company’s vision also includes producing technologies that are accessible to low-income farmers around the world.
ROOTS seeks to address five major issues in modern agriculture:
- How to enhance plant yield, quality and life cycle, in the most economically efficient and beneficial way by sustainably influencing and optimizing plant root temperatures.
- How to grow food in locations with limited or no access to water grids or wells by providing water for irrigation from air/soil humidity
- How to increase fertilization efficiency by incorporating heating
and cooling of the root zone - How to reduce the usage of pesticides and prevent disease in
plants by incorporating heating and cooling of the root zone - How to reduce plastic waste and improve profitability for farmers
by combining multiple functions (root zone heating/cooling,
fertigation, watering) in one multi-purpose pipe
Corporate Governance
This Corporate Governance Statement explains how the Board will manage the Company’s business.
Roots has adopted comprehensive systems of control and accountability as the basis for the administration of corporate governance. The Board is committed to administering the policies and procedures with openness and integrity, pursuing the true spirit of corporate governance commensurate with the Company’s needs.
The Board oversees the Company’s business an...
The Board oversees the Company’s business and is responsible for the overall corporate governance of the Company.
It monitors the operational, financial position and performance of the Company and oversees its business strategy, including approving the strategy and performance objectives of the Company.
The Board is committed to maximizing performance and generating value and financial returns for Shareholders. To further these objectives, the Board has created a framework for managing the Company, including the adoption of relevant internal controls, risk management processes and corporate governance policies and practices which the Board believes are appropriate for the business and which are designed to promote the responsible management and conduct of the Company. The main policies and practices adopted by the Company, are summarised below. Please refer to the detailed policies and procedures contained in the Company’s Corporate Governance Plan for full details.
There are also important governance requirements set out in the Company’s Articles of Association (Refer to the Company’s Articles of Association lodged with ASX on 6 December 2017).
Composition of the Board of Directors
The Board comprises of one (1) non-executive Director, two (2) executive Directors (one of them is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman), one (1) non-executive independent director and two (2) external non-executive Directors. Biographies of the Directors are set out in the Company’s Annual Report.
Boaz Wachtel serves as an Executive Director, Chai...
Boaz Wachtel serves as an Executive Director, Chairman of the Board as well as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Sharon Devir serves as an Executive Director. Adam Blumenthal serves as a non-executive Director and is not considered by the Board to be an independent director. Graeme Smith, Dafna Shalev-flamm serve as independent external non-executive Directors in compliance with the Israeli corporate law, and following his appointment on 24 February 2020, James Wallingford serves as a non-executive, independent director. Each Director has confirmed to the Company that he or she anticipates being available to perform his or her duties as a Director, without constraint from other commitments.
Independence of the Board
The Board is responsible for the overall governance of the Company. The Board considers issues of substance affecting the Company, with advice from external advisers as required. Each Director must bring an independent view and judgement to the Board and must declare all actual or potential conflicts of interest on an ongoing basis. Any issue concerning a Director’s ability to properly act as a Director must be discussed at a Board meeting as soon as practicable, and a Director may not participate in discussions or resolutions pertaining to any matter for which the Director has a material personal interest.
Board Charter
The responsibilities of the Board are set out in the Company’s Board Charter, which has been prepared having regard to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations and to the Companies Law.