A must-see at TNW Conference
Barbara Belvisi, award-winning innovator and entrepreneur, will be speaking at the TNW Conference, taking place on June 15 and 16 in Amsterdam. If you’d like to join the event (and say hello to our editors!), we’ve got something special for our loyal readers. Use the promotional code READ-TNW-25 and receive a 25% discount on your business pass for TNW Conference. See you in Amsterdam!
Imagine a future where technology enables sustainable life on Earth, while preparing for life in space. That’s exactly the mission Interstellar laboratory – and this future is happening now! So if you share my excitement about humanity’s prospect of becoming a multiplanetary species, you’re in for a treat at the TNW Conference.
On the first day of the event, Barbara Belvisi, founder and CEO of the company, will tell the audience how the startup’s BioPod is the next-generation greenhouse for the Earth and beyond.
It all started in 2018, when Belvisi founded Interstellar Lab, driven by her youthful passion for nature and space.
The French-American startup entered the industry with a visionary project: the development of mini alien cities called Experimental Bio-regenerative Stations (Ebios). The concept includes a series of modules that, independently or combined, contain all the infrastructure and resources necessary to support and sustain human life on Mars and the Moon.
The first developed module is a sustainable farming system called BioPod. But the goal isn’t just to prepare for life in space; it can also alleviate the climate crisis we are currently facing.
We did it! The first full-scale BioPod is out and operational. 🌱🚀
Our first BioPod is inspired by space and designed for Earth. BioPod provides sustainable farming solutions for agriculture, natural ingredient sourcing and bioconservation.
Space for the earth 🚀🌎 pic.twitter.com/tZ70mvvekn— Interstellar Lab (@InterstellarLA) September 29, 2022
According to Belvisi, the team first came up with the idea of a dome structure that could provide the nutritional needs of four astronauts on the moon. They then turned this design into a product for the Earth.
Built to withstand extreme climates, BioPod is a 55m2 bubble-shaped greenhouse made from an inflatable membrane and composite base. It is a fully autonomous controlled environment module that, thanks to AI and its aeroponics system, can create any type of climate, ensuring ideal conditions for plants to grow.
🏆 We won the #BOLDAward in the #SpaceFrontier category 🚀! Congratulations to all nominees and winners of the @Bold_Awards and hope to continue to boldly innovate the way we grow food and protect life on Earth and beyond! 🌏🌿
➡ Read more: https://t.co/lhl7zxRFBg pic.twitter.com/lkir8XIJfm— Interstellar Lab (@InterstellarLA) April 4, 2023
The benefits of this technology are great and far-reaching. BioPod’s ability to cultivate virtually any plant and explore their hidden potential – such as producing fruits with a higher nutrient concentration or cosmetic plants with a specific oil concentration – makes it a breakthrough solution for a variety of purposes: from agriculture, research and cosmetics to medicines and biopreservation.
Notably, Interstellar Lab claims that each BioPod can increase yield by approximately 300 times, reduce water consumption by 98%, reduce energy consumption by approximately 20 times, and capture 1 ton of CO2 annually.
At the TNW conference on June 15, Barbara Belvisi will talk about how Interstellar Lab is disrupting sustainable agriculture on Earth while providing a testing ground for future life support in space.
For example, I can’t wait to hear how merging space and Earth technology can help us live better lives on this planet and beyond.
Barbara Belvisi’s insights into multiplanetary life are just one attraction of the TNW Conference. You can find more on the events calendar – and remember: for a 25% discount on corporate passes, use promo code READ-TNW-25.