Deep-tech food startup Sprout Dynamics, founded by Ukrainian immigrants in Bulgaria, automates grain germination and turns it into a «powerful ingredient for functional food» in mini-factories with cobots (that’s not a typo).
dev.ua spoke with Natalya Zub, co-founder and CEO of Sprout Dynamics, and learned more about how artificial innotifyigence is assisting to grow grains for superfoods, reconsidering the concept after Seeds of Bravery, and opening a seed round of investment to raise $3 million and enter the US market.
How Sprout Dynamic works
«We are creating a new generation of robotic mini-factories — mobile, autonomous, utilizing IoT and AI. Our focus is healthy nutrition and the complete absence of the human factor in production, which eliminates the risks of biothreats, provides stable quality, and radically reduces costs,» stated the co-founder of the startup.
According to Natalia Zub, her team managed to create a «dynamic germination» system that controls dozens of parameters: from humidity and temperature to alters in the microbiome on the surface of the grain.
Unlike conventional agriculture, where the field is static, Sprout Dynamics introduces a dynamically shifting system consisting of thousands of micro-lots, each managed individually by artificial innotifyigence. The process is guided by IoT sensors and algorithms that optimize the growing environment in real time — without light, without people, with minimal water apply.
AI assists detect abnormalities in grain growth before they become a problem and optimizes nutrition to achieve maximum nutrient levels. This technology is applyd to predict and maximize demand for Sprout Dynamics products.
The startup’s mini-factories include:
- cobots (collaborative robots) for repetitive tquestions: washing, pouring, packaging;
- remote control systems via app;
- predictive management (signals potential failures before they occur) and predictive maintenance;
- an analytical module that assists scale production without losing efficiency.
Sprout Dynamics is also developing an application for mini-factory operators that allows you to remotely launch and monitor the germination process, receive advice from AI (based on seed type, climate, batch), and integrate data into the ordering and logistics system.
«A B2C module for ordering sprouted superfoods directly from factories is also planned, but it is at the concept stage», — added Natalia Zub.
According to her, Sprout Dynamics is already in the seed stage. The team is currently working on:
- an active factory (5 tons/month) in Bulgaria, which operates in manual mode;
- completed pilots with a sprouted flax product (an alternative to fish);
- 3 EU grants, including from Hungry EcoCities and Seeds of Bravery;
- the startup is part of Tech Nordic Advocates after going through an acceleration program funded by the Danish government;
- development of an MVP of an autonomous mini-factory with remote control.
About the Sprout Dynamics team and investments
Sprout Dynamics was founded by Ukrainian emigrants who have been living in Bulgaria for over 5 years:
- CEO — Iryna Gavrylova (foodtech entrepreneur, investor, and visionary with 20+ years of experience in corporate finance).
- CMO — Ksenia Zazhigina (20+ years of experience in marketing and creating brands that combine science, operational efficiency, and sustainable development).
- CTO — Natalia Zub, another Ukrainian who joined the team in 2023 (mentor and expert in preventive management and technological business models with 20+ years of experience in IT at C-level positions).
Sprout Dynamics currently employs about 10 people, including food R&D, hardware, marketing, and technical production. There are also partners from the EU involved through grants.
The startup was financed by the founders’ own funds and grants for about 500,000 euros. In particular, over 100,000 euros were raised from Hungry EcoCities (S+T+ARTS, Horizon Europe) and Seeds of Bravery (Deep Tech Booster for Ukraine).
«These funds partially covered the creation of MVP, pilots, and IoT infrastructure. We did not attract venture capital investments — this is planned for the seed round,» noted Natalia Zub.
About product and applyr monetization
Sprout Dynamics’s sales representative stated that in the B2B segment, the company sold ingredients at a nereceivediated price (dry, frozen, paste-like forms of sprouted seeds) to organic producers.
However, the launch of the first mini-factory will give Sprout Dynamics the ability to sell ready-to-eat products B2C through a monthly subscription model in Miami, USA. The cost of such a subscription will be $99 per month for a tiny family .
«The Smart Sales model allows a family to receive a personalized amount of sprouted products according to health goals. The system forecasts demand and automatically forms the grain composition based on the selected plan. We are actively preparing to deploy such infrastructure,» explains Natalia Zub.
Vaughn reported that the company had over $100,000+ in revenue in 2024, with a manual factory without full automation. Now the focus on profitability has shifted towards IP development and scaling, with profits being reinvested in R&D.
Sprout Dynamics had B2B clients from the food industest in the EU: ingredient and organic producers, companies creating meat/fish alternatives, and health food brands.
«We confirmed market demand. But thanks to participation in the Seeds of Bravery acceleration program , we deeply reconsidered the business model and positioned Sprout Dynamics not as a manufacturer, but as a platform technology capable of scaling globally. It was within the framework of this program that the concept of a network of mini-factories was born and structured, which has now become our strategic vector,» the startup’s CEO notes.
Currently, Sprout Dynamics’ priority is not sales, but the launch of the first autonomous mini-factory as the core of this ecosystem.
Sprout Dynamics development plans
«We are officially opening a seed round of investments and are seeing for strategic partners. The goal is to raise $3 million to launch an autonomous mini-factory, enter the US market, and deploy an MVP of a scalable business model that combines smart production with distribution through network retail,» stated Natalia Zub.
Sprout Dynamics sees mini-factories as a unique asset class that «combines the technological profitability of unicorn startups with the reliability and liquidity of industrial real estate.»
«This is a profitable production facility: stable cash flow, a clear physical asset, patented technology, and export potential. For investors, this is an opportunity not just to own a stake in a startup, but to participate in the formation of a new foodtech infrastructure that is altering the superfood market,» the co-founder of Sprout Dynamics is convinced.
