Fluence Bioengineering announces the appointment of Kurt Davis to Director of Fluence Capital and Dr. Theoharis Ouzounis to Business Development, Europe for their respective leadership and expertise in solving complex financial issues and plant growth challenges in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Both roles will serve as new gateways to speed the adoption rate of LED horticulture lighting solutions across commercial produce, cannabis and ornamental crop production worldwide.

(Image: Fluence Bioengineering)

“Kurt and Theoharis bring new capabilities which will help our customers overcome the historical barriers to widespread adoption of LED lighting solutions in the horticulture industry,” said Nick Klase, Co-Founder and CEO of Fluence Bioengineering. “We have spent years developing world-class horticulture lighting solutions, and we are excited to make them more accessible to commercial growers with our investment into financing options and international expansion.”

Davis brings 30 years of professional experience developing financial instruments to help companies solve complex issues and improve financial performance. Building on experience from GE Healthcare, Synopsys, multiple startup companies, and most recently Somerset Capital, Davis will work with Fluence customers to help them secure financing options for Fluence LED lighting solutions and other agriculture equipment needs. Davis holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

“It is clear the commercial horticulture industry is at a tipping point, moving away from antiquated lighting technologies like HPS to LED solutions as more growers realize the positive impact to their crop growth, the environment and their financial performance,” said Davis. “I look forward to helping as many growers as possible make the transition to Fluence LED solutions with financing options which will help them achieve their business goals.”

Dr. Ouzounis is a plant physiologist with a specialization in light responses to improve plant growth and development in greenhouse and indoor grow facilities. Following his recent Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Dr. Ouzounis will work with European universities, research institutions and commercial growers to drive regional photobiology research and assist growers with their horticulture lighting needs. Dr. Ouzounis holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture, Energy and Environmentally Efficient Technologies from the University of Southern Denmark in collaboration with Aarhus University, a Master of Science in Horticulture from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Dr. Ouzounis will be based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“The future of sustainable crop production resides on the mass adoption of energy-efficient technologies like LED lighting solutions,” said Dr. Ouzounis. “Fluence is the clear leader in horticulture lighting, and I look forward to helping growers transition to LED technology as we enter a new era of controlled environment agriculture which increases crop outputs while reducing resource inputs.”