Eco-friendly Warwickshire weed control firm receives university grant to scale-up operation

A Warwickshire weed control company is scaling up its operation after receiving a grant from Coventry University.

RootWave, founded by Andy Diprose and based in Kineton, applies an electrical current to weeds which causes their roots to heat up and die.

It avoids the use of conventional herbicides which have a high carbon footprint and can dam age the environment.

The inspiration for the company came from Andy’s father, Dr Mike Diprose, who has a PhD in electrical and electronic engineering.

He demonstrated the effectiveness of the technology in the 1970s – although the procedure was much more expensive at the time.

Andy took up his father’s mantle and developed the idea into a start-up, with the potential to revolutionise weed control on small and large scales.

The firm had initial success with its hand-weeder ‘RootWave Pro’, which is used in parks and gardens across the UK and Europe to control unwanted plants.

Coventry University helped RootWave earn grants worth more than £30,000 to refine its hand-weeder products and purchase software to help it design systems for larger-scale weed control.

Andy said: “There are so many reasons why an alternative system of weed control is needed today.

“The initial support and the grants awarded to us through Coventry University were a hugely significant part of our growth as a company.

"All start-ups need money, so it was fantastic that our potential has been recognised.”

https://rootwave.com/