Global Neighbor Awarded $750K Phase 2+ SBIR
February 19, 2018
Global Neighbor, Inc. recently was awarded $750,000 from a Phase 2+ SBIR. The company is driven by founder Jon Jackson’s passion for creating environmentally safe and transformational products associated with the lawn and garden market.
The company has brought in $3.25M in grants since it was founded, including university grants associated with their technology, and private investment made to the company, Global Neighbor Inc. employs five full-time employees and three part-time. These include over $1.5M in SBIR grants and $800K for Central State University to build capacity to research directed energy and agriculture projects.
Jon and the Global Neighbor team are taking a different approach than many of their SBIR counterparts. They’re actively looking to leverage the funding they received to create a product that can also be used by consumers.
Their first product, the NatureZap DE, is a hand-held device that has successfully demonstrated that directed energy, in the correct spectra and power level combinations, is an effective alternative to chemical treatment for killing weeds and is part of an overall integrated pest management strategy. Their directed light energy products use two forms of light and heat, penetrating to the roots of plants. This environmentally safe technology sees results in under a week.
Global Neighbor, Inc. is currently working toward a beta release of a new product that will attach to a lawn mower. This product will utilize technology that can identify weeds using simple cameras, computer and sensors. Once identified as a weed, the device will spray a natural herbicide (or traditional) automatically while the user is mowing the lawn. The development of this new product is expected to be done by summer.Want a NatureZap DE to kill those pesky weeds this spring? Visit this website:
