Alberto Aguilar joins the show for a raw look at his journey from a contentious pitch on Dragons' Den to becoming a major player in global food security. He reveals Plantaform's massive B2B expansion into Saudi Arabia and the GCC, fresh off winning the CES Award. Learn about his AI-enabled approach using advanced fogponics technology, the reality of profit margins in controlled environment agriculture, and why the next billionaires will rise in the Middle East.​

Connect with Plantaform and Alberto Aguilar:​

Website: https://plantaform.com/​

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantaform/​

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/plantaform/

Alberto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alberto-aguilar-a2138aa4/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Plantaform and Its Mission

02:50 The Technology Behind Fogponics

06:13 Challenges in Canadian Agriculture

09:01 Expanding to the Middle East

11:46 Innovative Business Strategies and Partnerships

14:51 The Journey to Dragons' Den and CES

17:44 Navigating the GCC Market

21:08 Sustainable Solutions for Food Security

24:00 Future Prospects and North American Expansion

32:03 The Grind: Commitment to Business Success

32:58 Mentorship and Passion: The Key to Starting Up

34:49 Identifying Problems: The Foundation of Business

35:48 AI: The Future of Business and Its Challenges

39:32 Farming: Balancing Technology and Human Labor

42:47 Entrepreneurial Journey: Learning from Failures

46:09 Raising Capital: The Importance of the Team

49:29 Consistency and Resilience: Keys to Success

52:58 Customer Feedback: The Heart of Innovation

56:16 Networking: The Power of Connections

01:01:57 Opportunities in Saudi Arabia: The New Frontier