The AgTech Breakthrough Awards has once again highlighted the innovations reshaping modern agriculture, this time recognizing KAPPA AgTech for its Ventilated Lighting system. The technology, named ‘Lighting System of the Year’ in the 2025 awards, merges LED lighting with dynamic airflow control, offering a unified solution for climate management in greenhouses and vertical farms.
Traditionally, indoor growing operations rely on separate lighting and HVAC systems, which can be energy-intensive and slow to respond to microclimate fluctuations. KAPPA AgTech’s approach integrates reversible axial fans directly into LED fixtures, creating a network of thousands of microclimate control points. Each unit can adjust airflow direction and speed independently, allowing growers—or AI-driven platforms—to fine-tune conditions in real time. This level of precision helps maintain optimal vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and boundary layer conditions, reducing disease risk, eliminating hotspots, and improving energy efficiency.
For AI-powered cultivation systems, the technology provides a direct actuator to manipulate airflow, temperature, and humidity at the plant canopy level. Whether entraining cooler air into high-humidity zones or reversing airflow seasonally, the system enables rapid, localized adjustments that conventional HVAC setups struggle to achieve. Schuyler Milton, founder of KAPPA AgTech, emphasized the sustainability angle, noting that the solution was designed for “mass customization,” allowing growers to optimize conditions based on facility-specific needs and energy constraints.
The recognition from AgTech Breakthrough underscores the broader shift toward smarter, more efficient agricultural infrastructure. Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of AgTech Breakthrough, described the Ventilated Lighting system as a “paradigm shift,” moving away from centralized, redundant HVAC systems toward a more responsive, integrated approach. By reducing reliance on traditional climate control methods, the technology not only cuts operational costs but also aligns with the industry’s push for greater sustainability.
The AgTech sector continues to evolve, with innovations like KAPPA’s Ventilated Lighting reflecting the growing demand for precision, automation, and resource efficiency. As controlled environment agriculture expands, solutions that merge lighting, climate control, and AI-driven optimization are likely to play a key role in shaping the future of indoor farming.
KAPPA AgTech, based in Los Angeles, focuses on developing technologies that reduce cultivator costs while improving energy efficiency. Alongside Ventilated Lighting, the company offers solutions like Silicone Substrate, further reinforcing its commitment to sustainable growing practices. The AgTech Breakthrough Awards, now in its fifth year, evaluates thousands of nominations annually, spotlighting advancements that drive the industry toward a more intelligent and sustainable future.