(Newswire.net — June 29, 2015) Milpitas, CA — Based in Milpitas, California startup Osmo Systems has just launched their beta test for their cloud-based hydroponic and aquaponic monitor, OsmoBot. Priced at $499 and continuously monitoring eight parameters, OsmoBot has received interest from hydroponic and aquaponic farmers ranging from backyard hobbyists to vertical garden startups to large commercial farms. To channel that interest, the Osmo Systems team added an application for the beta test to their website during 2014.
Out of the 100 candidates who applied, the Osmo Systems team selected 50 to include in its initial beta test. Participants include a number of large commercial hydroponics, aquaculture, and aquaponics operations, dedicated hobbyists, entrepreneurs, university professors, and industry consultants.
The team will send out the first round of units in July, 2015. According to CEO and co-founder, Zach Stein, this beta test will represent a major milestone for the company:
“We started working on Osmo Systems two and a half years ago knowing that affordable, automated monitoring was an issue in hydroponics, aquaculture, and aquaponics, but we had no idea it would take this long to offer a real solution. We still have a lot of work in front of us to make OsmoBot as good as it can be, but this version of the product works, and we’re very excited to demonstrate that.”
The Osmo Systems team plans to run the test for six months. In exchange for their feedback and support, testers will receive a free updated unit following the beta period. The company plans to launch a pre-sale for OsmoBot after collecting feedback from beta testers.
Osmo Systems was founded in early 2013 by Paul Holowko and Zach Stein after Paul built the first prototype of OsmoBot in his garage as a monitoring and control apparatus, not for his hydroponic or aquaponic system, but for his biospheres. Prior to OsmoBot, Paul spent his nights and weekends building a series of hermetically sealed-terrariums in his garage, complete with fish and plants, to better understand the microbiology necessary to grow food in space. The team has spent the past 2.5 years translating the technological lessons he learned into OsmoBot.
If you would like to learn more about OsmoBot or get on the pre-sale waitlist, head over to the Osmo Systems website – www.osmobot.com.
About Osmo Systems Inc.
Osmo Systems offers hydroponic, aquaculture, and aquaponic farmers automated monitoring systems at a fraction of the cost. Their flagship monitor, OsmoBot, tracks nine key parameters and wirelessly uploads them to the cloud every 15 minutes. From there, users can access both live and historical data to make informed decisions to maximize yields and avoid catastrophe.