Technology
Anu Smart Gardens Let Evansville Residents Grow Fresh Produce Indoors
Rotary Aeroponics technology from the local startup is making it easier for city households to access homegrown vegetables without outdoor space.
How we reported this
Evansville startup Anu, formerly known as GroPod, captured the 2025 TechPoint Mira Award for Tech Innovation of the Year along with the $25,000 HungerTech Innovation Challenge for its Rotary Aeroponics smart garden appliance.
The appliance allows residents to grow herbs and vegetables inside apartments and homes year-round. Anu traces its start to 2016 when local entrepreneur Scott Massey launched the system as a subscription-based indoor gardening product.
Everyday access to fresh food
Residents in Evansville neighborhoods without yard space can now maintain small-scale gardens on countertops or in living rooms. The technology reduces reliance on store-bought produce that travels long distances before reaching local stores.
MakeMyMove has already helped more than 2,000 remote workers relocate to Evansville, and some of those new households are adopting the indoor systems to maintain fresh food routines after moving from larger cities.
Local startup support and results
Anu also placed first in the SCORE 60th Anniversary National Pitch Competition, adding visibility that has drawn attention from other Indiana-based investors. The company operates alongside peers such as Curvo Labs and ZeroCarb LYFE in an ecosystem that ranks 192nd in the United States for startup activity.
Intertwined Finance LLC, co-founded by Signature School student Kerry Ao, raised $36,000 in pre-seed capital after winning Student Entrepreneur of the Year at the same 2025 Mira Awards, showing how student-led ventures complement hardware efforts like Anu.
Evansville households interested in the appliance can contact Anu directly through its website or local entrepreneurship programs listed on the Evansville Region site to learn about current models and setup options.