About

Just Vertical Inc. is an agricultural technology company operating at the intersection of hardware manufacturing and intelligent software. Founded seven years ago, the company established their market presence by designing and manufacturing patented indoor vertical farming systems. While Just Vertical’s roots are in hardware, scaling from the AEVA and EVE home models to their current focus on modular, mid-sized commercial (B2B) installations, with a strategy to build data-driven, efficient farms. The company serves a “middle ground” of B2B clients, including educational institutions and healthcare facilities, with customizable hardware for installations ranging from 50 to 20,000 square feet.

Project

With support from the Development and Commercialization program, Just Vertical  looks to develop, validate, and demonstrate a commercially ready, AI-driven lighting optimization module for indoor farms. This project serves as the first step in our broader, multi-year vision to create a fully intelligent and adaptive end-to-end farm management platform. The ultimate goal of this larger platform is to autonomously adjust all key environmental variables, including lighting, nutrients, irrigation, HVAC, and CO2, based on crop type, growth stage, and real-time sensor feedback.  Just Vertical will be using the ventureLAB TDS for AI infrastructure and advisory services in the development of their solution.

Impact & Outcomes

Upon successful commercialization, this project will generate significant and quantifiable economic benefits for Just Vertical within an anticipated 12-24 month timeline post-project. The primary benefit will be the creation of a new, high-margin software product. Just Vertical projects that this AI Lighting Optimization Module will generate over $250,000 in new, direct revenue within the first 24 months. This solution will also support Ontario’s food security by providing farmers with a tool to address their high energy costs.