Innovative Greenhouse Technology Wins SXSW Innovation Award

Posted by Brian Sparks|March 22, 2024

UbiQD, Inc., the New Mexico-based leader in quantum dot (QD) technology and manufacturing, was named winner in the “What the Future” (WTF) category of the 25th Annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Innovation Awards competition. The company showcased its new UbiGro Cover greenhouse film product for enhancing crop yield using fluorescence.

The SXSW Innovation Awards recognize the most exciting creative developments in the connected world, celebrating a variety of technological advancements, achievements, and discoveries. According to SXSW organizers, UbiQD’s ‘WTF’ category collects “futuristic projects that don’t fit elsewhere. From quantum physics to nanotech to bio-engineering moonshots, this category pulls together all the amazing endeavors that make us excited about tomorrow.”

“The Innovation Award is highly competitive, especially in our futuristic catch-all category. We are honored by the recognition and commend all the finalists for pushing the boundaries of their respective fields,” says Dr. Hunter McDaniel, CEO at UbiQD. “Our team is humbled, and yet hungry to deliver more innovation.”

Also this week week, the USDA awarded UbiQD a Phase I Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) grant to develop a glass version of its award-winning UbiGro greenhouse technology. The $175,000 grant will also support plant trials for the new QD-glass product at University of California-Davis later this year.

“Less than 10% of global greenhouse acreage is covered with glass; however more, than 40% of the industry revenue is associated with glass greenhouses, so it’s a high-value segment,” says Dr. Matt Bergren, Chief Product Officer at UbiQD. “Our SXSW-winning UbiGro Cover product is a great offering for 90% of the market, and now we are thrilled to receive new funding from the USDA to develop QD-glass for the rest.”