AeroGrowth: Invest in Urban Farms, Earn Real Yield

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

AeroGrowth: Invest in Urban Farms, Earn Real Yield

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

100000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

7

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Urban food supply chains are fragile, creating food deserts and economic exclusion. Meanwhile, everyday investors lack access to meaningful, real-world assets that can combat inflation & build wealth.

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

Our project will be fully open source, released under the MIT License. This ensures that the entire codebase of the project will be publicly accessible and available for community contributions. The open-source repository will be hosted on GitHub, where all development stages, including documentation, issue tracking, and feature updates, will be transparently managed.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal.

RWA

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).

Our innovation lies in grounding a Real-World Asset (RWA) project in a physically proven and de-risked asset first, and then building the blockchain layer. Unlike many speculative RWA concepts, we have already validated the hardware and agricultural model for our aeroponic towers. This proposal is not to test an idea, but to build the digital rails for an already-working physical business.

What makes AeroGrowth distinct is:

• Reverse-engineered risk
• Tangible, 1-to-1 ownership
• Productive, non-speculative yield
• An Open-Source Blueprint

Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.

The PoC will demonstrate the ability for a user to:

• Invest: Browse a selection of available aeroponic towers, view their metrics (cost, projected yield), and execute a simulated investment.
• Receive Ownership: Automatically receive a unique "Tower NFT" in their wallet upon a successful investment transaction.
• Earn Real (Simulated) Yield: Witness the final, crucial step where the smart contract automatically distributes simulated profits (tADA) from a harvest to their wallet.

Where it can be accessed: Live DApp, Cardano Testnet, GitHub Repository & Video Walkthrough

Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.

The success of this PoC project will be measured by the successful creation and validation of our core technology and economic model on the testnet.

Realistic Measures of Success:

• Smart Contract Deployment: The successful deployment and verification of our suite of Plutus smart contracts on the Cardano testnet.
• Community: Unique Wallet Interactions and Testnet NFTs Minted
• Automated distribution: The automated profit distribution transactions on a testnet explorer.
• Open-Source: The publication of our complete, well-documented codebase and a "Blueprint for RWA Tokenization" report.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

How we perceive the problem

The modern economy suffers from a fundamental disconnect. Everyday people are walled off from investing in tangible, productive assets, while our communities suffer from fragile food systems. We see this not as two separate problems, but as a single, interconnected challenge that can be solved by creating a new, transparent bridge between capital and community.

Our Proposed Solution: Building the AeroGrowth Digital Platform

While we have already successfully designed, built, and operated the physical aeroponic tower hardware with affordable materials, the digital infrastructure to connect these towers to investors does not yet exist.

This proposal is to fund the creation of the AeroGrowth Platform: a decentralized application (DApp) and smart contract suite on the Cardano blockchain that will bring our vision to life. This project will build the core digital engine to manage the towers, mint ownership NFTs, and connect investors to real-world yield.

Do you know what an aeroponic tower looks like?

Figure 1: Example of a Modern Aeroponic Tower Used in Urban Agriculture (source: internet)

An aeroponic tower is a vertical farming system that grows plants without soil, using a nutrient-rich mist sprayed directly onto the roots. This method allows for highly efficient water and nutrient use, faster plant growth, and minimal space requirements—making it ideal for urban or indoor environments.

Our model will work as follows

• Build the Core Contracts: We will develop the Plutus smart contracts that govern the entire process. These contracts will handle investment, minting of "Tower NFTs" that represent ownership, and the automated distribution of profits.
• Develop the DApp (PoC): We will build a user-friendly web platform where investors can connect their Cardano wallets, browse available tower opportunities, invest in ADA to fund a tower, and see their holdings represented as NFTs.
• Onboard the First Towers: Once the platform is live, we will use it to "tokenize" our existing physical towers and fund the first new ones. Each tower will be represented by a unique Tower NFT.
• Automate the Yield: As the physical towers generate revenue from selling produce, our platform will enable the Cultivators to input sales data, with the smart contract automatically distributing profits to the wallets holding the Tower NFTs.

Who will this engage?

• Cardano Investors (Global): Anyone with an ADA wallet seeking access to a real-world, yield-generating asset.
• Urban Cultivators (Local): Initially our core team, expanding to other individuals who will operate the towers and earn a sustainable income.
• Local Consumers & Businesses: The community that benefits from access to fresh, locally-grown produce.

What is unique about our solution?

Our project is unique because it is grounded in a physically proven concept. The risk associated with the hardware and growing model has already been mitigated by our team. This proposal focuses on the digital layer, using Cardano's unique capabilities to tokenize these proven, real-world assets. The Tower NFT is not just a concept; it will be a digital deed to a physical piece of infrastructure that we have already mastered building and operating.

How we will demonstrate impact

The primary impact of this specific project will be the successful launch of the PoC platform on the Cardano preprod testnet. We will demonstrate success by delivering a fully operational DApp where users can connect a wallet and view the first towers available for investment. Our KPIs will be the deployment of the smart contracts, the launch of the DApp, and the successful tokenization of our first physical tower as a preprod testnet NFT.

Why this is important to Cardano

This project represents a crucial step in the Real-World Asset (RWA) narrative. By funding this proposal, the community is not just funding an idea, but funding the creation of the foundational software that will connect Cardano's digital world to tangible, productive, real-world business. It's a ground-floor opportunity to build a premier example of what Cardano's RealFi vision can achieve.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This project's impact will be to establish a clear, tangible, and replicable blueprint for Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization on Cardano. While our long-term vision is to scale globally, the primary impact of this specific PoC project is to build and validate the foundational digital infrastructure, providing immense value to the entire ecosystem.

In what way will the success of our project bring value to the Cardano Community?

• It Pioneers a Core Web3 Narrative: RWA tokenization is one of the most significant growth areas for blockchain. By successfully building this platform from the ground up, we will create a premier, easy-to-understand example of how Cardano can be used to manage ownership of physical, income-generating assets, placing the ecosystem at the forefront of this critical narrative.
• It Inspires and Enables Other Builders: Our open-source approach will provide not just code, but a proven model for other entrepreneurs. The success of AeroGrowth will lower the barrier for others to tokenize different assets like solar panels, community-owned equipment, or real estate, fostering a new wave of RealFi projects on Cardano.
• It Drives High-Quality Demand: This project will generate demand for blockspace driven by real-world economic activity—the sale of produce. This type of sustainable, non-speculative activity is vital for the long-term health and valuation of the Cardano network.

How will we measure this impact?

The success of this PoC project will be measured against clear, achievable deliverables that demonstrate we have successfully built the foundational platform. Our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for this 7-month funding period are:

• Technical Deliverable (Quantitative): The launch of a fully operational PoC DApp on the Cardano preprod testnet.
• Model Validation (Quantitative): The successful tokenization of our first 2-3 physical towers as NFTs on the preprod testnet, funded by early test investors through the DApp.
• First Yield Generation (Qualitative): A public report and transaction verification of the first successful, automated profit distribution cycle from a harvest to our initial investors' wallets.
• Community Traction (Quantitative): The successful onboarding of few early-adopter test investors who use the platform to fund our first preprod testnet towers.

How will we share the outputs and opportunities that result from our project?

Our commitment is to maximize the value of this PoC for the entire Cardano community through radical transparency and knowledge sharing.

• Fully Open-Source PoC: All code for the DApp front-end and the Plutus smart contracts will be published on GitHub under a permissive MIT license, allowing anyone to learn from, reuse, and build upon our work.
• The RWA Blueprint: We will publish a final project report titled "A Blueprint for RWA Tokenization on Cardano." This document will go beyond code and detail our journey, including the architectural decisions, the challenges of bridging the physical and digital worlds, and the legal framework for our pilot, serving as an invaluable guide for future projects.
• Transparent Progress Reporting: We will provide milestone updates and a detailed final report through Catalyst, ensuring the community is fully informed of our progress, and learnings throughout the development lifecycle.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team is uniquely positioned to deliver this project with excellence. Our capability is not just a promise; it is demonstrated by our established track record and strategic assets.

Our Existing Capabilities

• Proven Catalyst Delivery: Our capability is best proven by our successful delivery of the Fund 11 project, "Cardano for 100,000+ students." (50,000+ active users) https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/11/cardano-open-ecosystem/cardano-for-100000-students . We met our milestones, managed funds responsibly, and built a massive audience, establishing deep trust within the Catalyst community.
• Expert Local Team: Our blend of technical expertise (led by Tadesse), robust development is perfectly tailored to this project's needs.
• Cardano Certified: Our project lead is a Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate (CBCA), ensuring our technical implementation aligns perfectly with Cardano's principles and standards.

Trust & Accountability: Our Commitment to the Community

We understand that managing community funds is a great responsibility. We guarantee accountability through the following transparent processes:

• Transparent Fund Management: All project funds will be held in a dedicated, publicly disclosed Cardano wallet. We will maintain a detailed public ledger of all expenditures, linking each transaction to its corresponding budget item, ensuring any community member can verify how their funds are being used.
• Milestone Based Public Reporting: We will provide milestone based progress reports on our company Linkedin account and in the Project Catalyst Telegram group. These reports will detail our progress, key metrics achieved, challenges faced, and a clear breakdown of funds spent.
• Open Communication Channels: Our project lead will be consistently available through Telegram and Linkedin to answer community questions, provide updates, and ensure we remain accountable to our stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

How We Intend to Validate Feasibility

Our validation process is two-fold, addressing both the digital and physical aspects of the project:

1. Technical Feasibility (Our Responsibility): The feasibility of building the DApp and smart contracts is high due to our team's experience. We will validate this by delivering a functional PoC on the Cardano Testnet for public review.
2. Agricultural & Economic Feasibility (Validated by our Partners): The viability of the physical aeroponic towers—their cost, yield, and profitability—has already been validated by our subject matter expert partners through their existing operations and proof-of-concept tower. Our platform will be built upon their proven economic and agricultural data, ensuring the digital model is grounded in real-world performance.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Initial Platform Development

Milestone Outputs

• NFT mint SC: Smart contract development for Tower NFT minting, which is for real world asset tokenization.
• Basic functional Platform: A functional prototype of the entire DApp, showing the user journey for both investors and cultivators.
• Detailed Technical Specification: A comprehensive document outlining the architecture for the platform, including the logic for NFT minting, fund management, and profit distribution.
• Public Project Roadmap: A detailed development plan, published on GitHub, outlining the features and sprints for the upcoming milestones.

Acceptance Criteria

The website with the basic functionality prototype of the DApp is shared with the community for initial feedback, and the technical specification document shared. Github repo with all the above details

Evidence of Completion

• Link to smart contract code
• Link to platform code
• Demo video showing the functionalilites
• Link to project plan and other files

Delivery Month

3

Cost

25000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

PoC Development on Testnet

Milestone Outputs

• Functional Smart Contracts: The full suite of Plutus smart contracts will be developed, tested, and deployed on the Cardano preprod testnet.
• Platform and smart contract hosting: The functional platform and connected smart contracts will be deployed on AWS or other related hosting providers.
• Live DApp on Testnet: A functional DApp (front-end and back-end) connected to the testnet contracts, allowing users to perform core actions.
• Video Demonstration: A screen-recorded video showcasing the complete end-to-end user flow on the testnet (connecting a wallet, viewing towers, simulating an investment, and viewing a test NFT).

Acceptance Criteria

• PoC - platform hosted for testers
• The DApp is publicly accessible via a URL for community testing.
• The video demonstration is published, and
• All code for this milestone is available for review on GitHub.

Evidence of Completion

• Images/video of hosting proof
• Url of the publicly accessable site
• Link to the video demo
• Link to github repo code

Delivery Month

5

Cost

30000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Community Testing & Feedback Integration

Milestone Outputs

• Public Testing Campaign: A formal campaign to invite Cardano community members to test the PoC DApp on the testnet.
• Feedback Analysis Report: A published report summarizing the feedback, bug reports, and feature suggestions gathered from community testers.
• Platform Revisions: The DApp and smart contracts will be updated to incorporate the community's feedback and fix any identified bugs.

Acceptance Criteria

• Platform promoted on social media platforms
• The Feedback Analysis Report is published.
• A change-log demonstrating the implemented revisions is published on GitHub.
• Community members have participated in the testing program.

Evidence of Completion

• Link to feedback report
• Link to commit history on github
• Images/video of the testing session with the community members

Delivery Month

6

Cost

20000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Final PoC Showcase & Project Closeout

Milestone Outputs

• Polished Proof of Concept: The final, stable, and well-documented version of the Testnet DApp, ready to be used as a definitive showcase of the project's potential.
• Project Closeout Report: A full report detailing the project's journey, final budget expenditure, KPIs achieved, and key learnings.
• Final Project Video: A polished video demonstrating the full, final functionality of the POC and explaining the future vision.

Acceptance Criteria

• The final Testnet DApp is live.
• The final closeout report prepared including challenges and achievements
• Closeout ideo are prepared based on the project catalyst guideline, submitted to Project Catalyst and shared publicly.

Evidence of Completion

• Final Dapp platform link
• Link to the final closeout report
• Link to the final closeout video, published on youtube

Delivery Month

7

Cost

25000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

The total funding request for this project is 100,000 ADA. This budget is designed to fully cover the development of our high-quality Proof of Concept, from initial design to a community-tested final product on the Cardano testnet. Our experienced in-house team and lean operational model ensure every ADA is used efficiently to maximize value for the community.

**Cost Breakdown **

Milestone 1: Initial Platform Development (3 months - 25,000 ADA)

This covers the efforts of our senior team—including the Project Lead, Tech Lead, and basic front/back-end developers—to create detailed technical specifications, smart contracts, and a complete, clickable DApp prototype.

Milestone 2: Core Platform Development on Testnet (2 months - 30,000 ADA)

This is the most resource-intensive phase, supporting the development of the functional Proof-of-Concept DApp, smart contracts deployment on the Cardano preprod testnet, and platform hosting.

Milestone 3: Community Testing & Feedback Integration (1 month - 20,000 ADA)

It funds our team’s work in managing the public testing campaign, gathering and analyzing feedback, and implementing improvements and fixes to enhance the platform.

Milestone 4: Final POC Showcase & Project Closeout (1 month - 15,000 ADA)

It includes preparing the final deliverables such as a comprehensive closeout report and a final demonstration video.

Additionally, Overarching Project Costs, which span the entire 7-month duration, account for 5,000 ADA. This covers continuous efforts including project management, financial oversight, documentation, and community engagement through regular updates.

Contingency Fund of 5,000 ADA (5% of the total budget) is reserved to address any unexpected technical issues or costs that may arise, ensuring project delivery without scope reduction.

Total Budget: 100,000 ADA.

Third-Party Products and Services

For this Testnet-focused Proof of Concept phase, we will be utilizing our skilled in-house team for all development work. Therefore, we do not anticipate any major third-party costs.

Services like a formal, third-party security audit are absolutely critical for a mainnet launch but are not required for this Testnet PoC. This entire budget is for building and perfecting the core platform. However, we considered hosting and other minor third-party expenses.

The requested 100,000 ADA covers the full scope of work required to deliver the Testnet POC as described in our milestones. We have no alternative sources of funding for this specific phase.

Financial Management: All funds will be managed with strict oversight, and a detailed breakdown of expenditures will be provided in our final closeout report, ensuring full accountability to the Catalyst community.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project's 100,000 ADA budget represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem. We are not just building a single DApp; we are delivering a foundational, open-source blueprint for one of the most important future use cases for blockchain: Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization. The value is demonstrated through three key areas: strategic impact, extreme cost-effectiveness, and the long-term multiplier effect of our work.

1. Strategic Impact: A Foundational Asset for Cardano's Future

For a modest investment, this project will deliver a high-quality, community-tested, and fully documented Proof of Concept for a premier RealFi application. The true output is not just the DApp itself, but a tangible success story that proves Cardano's utility for connecting to the real-world economy. We are creating a foundational asset that will be used to attract future builders, partners, and investors to the ecosystem long after this initial project is complete.

2. Extreme Cost-Effectiveness and Justified Costs

Our budget is not just reasonable; it is exceptionally efficient. We achieve this through two main factors:

• Geographic Advantage: Our entire in-house development team is based on geographic location that provides a significant operational advantage, allowing us to field a full team of experienced project managers, designers, and developers for a 7 months project at a budget that would be impossible for teams based in North America or Western Europe. This allows us to dedicate the vast majority of funds directly to productive development work.
• In-House Efficiency: As an established software company, we have no overhead for recruitment or onboarding. For context, the cost of a single senior blockchain developer in the US or Europe can easily exceed 100,000 ADA for 7 months. Our proposal delivers a complete project team to produce a fully-realized PoC for that same price. This represents an unparalleled level of efficiency and value for the community's funds.

3. The Multiplier Effect: An Open-Source Gift to the Community

The value of this project extends far beyond AeroGrowth. We are building a public good.

• A Reusable Blueprint: The 100,000 ADA invested here creates a reusable template. By open-sourcing our entire codebase and publishing our "Go-to-Mainnet" strategy, we are drastically lowering the barrier to entry for other entrepreneurs. The next team that wants to tokenize an asset on Cardano won't have to start from scratch; they can fork our code, saving the community tens of thousands of ADA in future funding rounds.
• De-risking the Ecosystem: By tackling and documenting the challenges of building a RealFi DApp, we are de-risking the path for future projects. Our learnings, shared publicly, will make the entire Cardano ecosystem more capital-efficient and attractive to new builders.

In summary, our proposal asks for a lean investment to build a high-value, foundational tool that will empower not only our project but the broader Cardano community for years to come.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes