SodaStream CEO Invests In Cannabis Tech Startup Seedo

SodaStream’s CEO Daniel Birnbaum, who oversaw the acquisition of the sparkling water company by PepsiCo for over $3 billion last year, is investing two million shekels ($550,000) in Seedo, an Israeli startup that developed a fully automated and controlled indoor growing machine, with a first focus on cannabis but with wider applications

Resemblant of a mini-fridge, Seedo is powered by algorithms to analyze growth and optimize conditions for cannabis and other plants. It’s geared toward pesticide-free agriculture markets.

Haaretz reported that Birnbaum will be joining Seedo’s board of directors.

Last month, Seedo announced that it began delivering the first pre-sale home-grow units to customers in California and named Dr. Jendayi Frazer, former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, to its board of directors to help facilitate its expansion into markets in Africa.

Founded in 2013, Seedo is headquartered in Haifa. In September, the startup raised $2 million from Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, a US-Israeli company that develops personalized cannabinoid medicine focused on cancer and its side effects.