Warwick-based RIPE Building Services Ltd (RIPE) has secured a £250k investment from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) West Midlands Equity Fund, managed by Midven.
The funding is set to support the firm’s ground-breaking greenhouse system, which enables growers to increase output by capitalising on full-spectrum natural daylight.
The MEIF funding will enable RIPE to begin its sales and marketing activities, where the company will demonstrate the greenhouse system in full action at the UK Natural Light Growing Centre at the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne Campus. This will give growers and other interested parties an opportunity to get a better understanding of how changing greenhouse systems can improve their overall crop performance.
RIPE has created an advanced greenhouse structure replacing outdated glass design with a patented nano surface treated ETFE glazing material which is not only 100% recyclable but fully reusable. It also utilises lightweight, specially designed aluminium frames with patented ground anchors that eliminates the need for concrete foundations.
This new greenhouse structure offers growers and farmers better light transmission, increased yields, and greater plant health compared to traditional glass greenhouses. Utilising ETFE, RIPE brings sustainable improvements to global food production – enhancing growth and harvest in a natural way. ETFE can also be used in polytunnels which means the business can address all of its customers’ growth requirements.
RIPE was founded by Phillip Lee and Thomas Smith in 2017. With a PhD in Advanced Greenhouse System Design, Lee was determined to replace outdated glass design with ETFE to create better growing environments while having sustainability at the forefront.