Key Takeaways:
- Canobi is a modular farm management platform focused on monitoring, automation, and ERP for mid-sized farms.
- CEO Robin Vincent brings a deep technical background, combining infrastructure architecture and a hands-on approach.
- Canobi evolved from aquarium monitoring tools to a scalable CEA solution used across food and cannabis operations globally.
- The company has a strong R&D focus, including an in-house vertical farm to test energy systems, crop combinations, and fail points.
- Vincent emphasizes affordability, farmer education, and the importance of scalable, decentralized farming models.
From Aquariums to Agriculture: The Origins of Canobi
Robin Vincent, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of Canobi Technologies, joined The Vertical Farming Podcast to share how a personal interest in aquariums and a technical career in infrastructure architecture led to the creation of Canobi (Profile), a modular platform for managing controlled-environment farms.
“Back in 2001, I started developing software to help reduce fish mortality rates in saltwater tanks,” Vincent explained. “That work laid the foundation for everything we do now—monitoring, managing, and automating complex biological systems.”
Originally built to run aquariums, Vincent’s software evolved into a consulting toolkit, and later into a commercial product used in vertical farms, greenhouses, and container operations worldwide.
What Canobi Offers: A Modular Platform for Smarter Farming
Today, Canobi is primarily a software company, offering three core modules:
- Environmental Monitoring: Tracks air quality, nutrients, and system performance.
- Industrial Automation (PLC): Controls HVAC, fans, and lighting based on real-time data.
- ERP & Business Tools: Helps farms manage workflows, inventories, and compliance.
“We’re not interested in replacing what works. We identify gaps in farm systems and fill them with our platform,” Vincent said.
Canobi is built to scale with farms, from initial proof-of-concept to 250,000 sq. ft. operations. Its modularity allows growers to adopt only what they need, avoiding lock-in or costly system overhauls.
A Hands-On Approach: Learning Through Failure
The company also operates a 2,500 sq. ft. in-house vertical farm, where the team experiments with energy optimization, crop compatibility, and infrastructure failures.
“We spend a lot of time trying to break things,” Vincent noted. “We grow weird crops—beans, strawberries, eggplants—just to see what works and what doesn’t in shared environments.”
This iterative approach allows Canobi to gather real-world data on diverse farm setups and develop energy-saving protocols, including the integration of lasers and solar-powered systems.
Focus on Mid-Sized Farms and Food Sovereignty
While Canobi originally served the medical cannabis sector, COVID-19 accelerated its pivot to food-focused operations, which now represent 70% of its client base.
“We believe the future is millions of small to mid-sized farms, not just a few massive ones,” Vincent said. “That’s where the jobs, innovation, and local food ecosystems will thrive.”
Through partnerships with agri-agents and educational institutions, Canobi is also active in South Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Canada—supporting localized production and food security.
Educational Commitment: Building Farmers, Not Just Farms
Vincent highlighted the importance of education in sustaining the indoor farming sector. The company’s Canobi Academy provides open access training and professional development, with users joining globally—even in underserved regions.
“We’re growing more than crops—we’re growing farmers,” he said. “We can now technically grow food anywhere. The next step is training people to do it.”
Canobi also collaborates with organizations like Ubuntu Wellness to grow crops aligned with nutrition and wellness goals, integrating health and sustainability at the community level.
Realism on Energy and Environmental Impact
Vincent was candid about the energy footprint of vertical farming, noting that early setups were inefficient, but that innovation in lighting, HVAC, and system design is changing that quickly.
“With LEDs and lasers, we’ve reduced energy use by more than 50%. Absorption chillers, smarter HVAC, and local solar all contribute. It’s not one silver bullet—it’s the combination that matters.”
He emphasized the importance of avoiding “greenwashing” and prioritizing real reductions in environmental impact, including reduced reliance on single-use materials and streamlined supply chains.
Final Thoughts: The Path Forward for Vertical Farming
For Vincent, the goal is clear: support the decentralization of agriculture by making high-quality tools more accessible and more modular.
“Start small, focus on quality, and grow from there. Our clients who do that are consistently sold out,” he said.
As the industry matures, Vincent encouraged leaders to focus on collaboration over consolidation and remain open to lower-cost, flexible technologies emerging from smaller vendors.
“There’s a perception that this is expensive and only the big guys can play. That’s just not true anymore.”
Read the company’s most recent news here.
Listen or Watch The Entire Episode With Robin Vincent Below
