This was the starting point for Matthäus Kircher and the other founders of Solos, a specialist aquaponics start-up that grows lettuce and breeds fish in a closed-loop system. 

Incubated at NOI, Solos has created a project that benefits our planet in the present and, above all, aims to protect the future. The model, which is now being used in an 8,000 m2 greenhouse in Termeno, uses 90% less water than conventional farming methods and does not require chemicals. In addition, productivity is also greater. By growing lettuce in water, the start-up can produce up to 12 times more per square metre than intensive industrial farming. 

As with every seed, though, the Solos idea needed nurturing to grow. NOI provided what they were looking for, largely thanks to the EU Opportunities team, who helped the start-up secure EU funding to support its development and innovation. 
 
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