# Verdi

> Verdi is a Vancouver-based agtech company building affordable, retrofit-ready irrigation automation systems for orchards, vineyards, and specialty crop farms. Founded in 2020 by UBC Engineering Physics graduates Arthur Chen and Roman Kozak, the company makes wireless IoT controllers and soil moisture sensors that install in minutes on existing irrigation infrastructure. Its AI-powered platform gives farmers real-time monitoring, leak detection, variable rate irrigation, and fertigation control from a mobile app - delivering documented results of up to 70% water savings, 90% labor reduction, and 10-20% yield increases. Backed by $9.5M total funding including a $6.5M CAD seed round in May 2025, Verdi counts E&J Gallo, Arterra Wines, and UC Davis among its customers, with 16,000+ acres automated across North America.

- **Founded:** 2020
- **Headquarters:** Vancouver, Canada
- **Founders:** Arthur Chen (Co-founder & CEO), Roman Kozak (Co-founder & CTO), Jacky Jiang (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~58 employees
- **Products:** Block Controller, Micro Block Controller, Wireless Soil Moisture Sensors, Verdi Platform (SaaS)
- **Notable:** WINnovation Award 2024 - Wine Industry Network, for making irrigation automation accessible to all growers, Overall Smart Irrigation Company of the Year - 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards, Featured in Techcouver's '10 Homegrown B.C. Startups to Watch' (2024)

## Products & services

- **Block Controller** — Wireless, battery-powered IoT device that automates irrigation valves and pumps. Installs in under 5 minutes on existing infrastructure. Features flow monitoring, pressure sensors, leak detection, and 12-16 month battery life.
- **Micro Block Controller** — Compact wireless controller designed specifically for drip irrigation automation in vineyards and orchards.
- **Wireless Soil Moisture Sensors** — Plug-and-play SDI-12 and analog-compatible sensors that provide real-time soil moisture data to drive irrigation decisions.
- **Verdi Platform (SaaS)** — Cloud-based software with mobile and desktop dashboard for real-time monitoring, automated scheduling, variable rate irrigation, fertigation control, AI-driven analytics, leak alerts, satellite imagery integration, and multi-location farm management.

## Achievements

- WINnovation Award 2024 - Wine Industry Network, for making irrigation automation accessible to all growers
- Overall Smart Irrigation Company of the Year - 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards
- Featured in Techcouver's '10 Homegrown B.C. Startups to Watch' (2024)
- Featured at TechCrunch Disrupt 2021
- Over 5,000+ devices deployed across North America
- 16,000+ acres automated by end of 2025
- Saved customers over $1M CAD in irrigation labor in 2024
- Conserved 100+ million liters of water in 2024
- $9.5M total funding raised
- Grew from 3-person founding team to ~58 employees

## Latest updates

- **2025-05** — Raised $6.5M CAD oversubscribed seed round led by SVG Ventures, with 13 investors participating. Plans to expand into new geographic regions and advance AI platform capabilities.
- **2025-01** — Named Overall Smart Irrigation Company of the Year at the 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards.
- **2024-11** — Won WINnovation Award 2024 from the Wine Industry Network for making irrigation automation accessible to all growers.
- **2024-05** — NEC X announced strategic investment and partnership to integrate Verdi into its CropScope smart farming initiative.
- **2024-12** — Crossed 16,000 acres automated and doubled team size to approximately 60 employees.

## Links

- Website: https://verdi.ag
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verdi-ag
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/irrigationai
- GitHub: https://github.com/Verdi-Agriculture

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/verdi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-18