Canadian High School Student Revolutionizes Plant Care with Award-Winning Smart Irrigation System
Burnaby, British Columbia – A remarkable innovation in home gardening has emerged from a Canadian high school, as Grade 12 student Tiya Aggarwal of Burnaby South Secondary has clinched the top prize at a prestigious provincial entrepreneurship competition for her groundbreaking smart irrigation system, Aquora150. This intelligent device promises to simplify plant care for over 150 species while championing sustainability.
Aggarwal’s invention, Aquora150, took first place and a $3,000 award at the 8th annual Discover Your Pitch Provincial Finals in May. Hosted by JA British Columbia, the program empowers high school students to identify real-world problems, devise innovative solutions, and present their ideas to a panel of industry leaders. This year’s finals saw six exceptional teams from across British Columbia vie for top honors.
Aquora150: The Future of Eco-Conscious Plant Hydration
At its core, Aquora150 is a sophisticated smart irrigation system designed to address a common challenge faced by plant enthusiasts: the varied hydration needs of different plant species. Utilizing advanced humidity-capturing technology, the system automatically adjusts watering cycles to cater to the specific requirements of more than 150 plant types. This intuitive design liberates busy plant owners from the guesswork of watering, ensuring optimal plant health with minimal effort.
Beyond its convenience, Aquora150 strongly emphasizes environmental responsibility. By precisely regulating water distribution, the system significantly reduces water consumption. Furthermore, it aims to decrease the reliance on plastic and glass associated with traditional plant care, offering a more sustainable approach to nurturing houseplants.
A Platform for Innovation and Personal Growth
The Discover Your Pitch Provincial Finals showcased a diverse array of student-led innovations spanning sustainability, food waste, agriculture, education, productivity, and responsible consumer products. After presenting their concepts and fielding questions from a discerning judging panel, Tiya Aggarwal’s Aquora150 was lauded for its ingenuity and potential impact.
For Aggarwal, the experience transcended the development of a winning product. She reflected on the transformative nature of participating in the program, stating that it "built a lot of confidence and how much I believe in myself." This sentiment was echoed by other finalists, highlighting the significant personal growth fostered by the competition. Olivia Colaco, a Grade 11 student who presented CareerCompass, emphasized, “You don’t have to be confident or comfortable to be successful. It’s more important to just stand up there and do it.”
Celebrating Young Innovators: Other Top Award Winners
While Aquora150 secured the coveted first-place position, two other student projects also received well-deserved recognition and prizes.
Second Place ($1,500): CareerCompass
Presented by Olivia Colaco of St. Johns Academy Shawnigan Lake, CareerCompass is a vital platform designed to guide young people through the complexities of post-secondary education and career pathways, offering clarity on various educational options available after high school.- Third Place ($500): GroundWork
Anushka Jain of North Surrey Secondary and Erin Sweeney of McMath Secondary, both Grade 10 students, collaborated on GroundWork. Their innovative project proposes a biodegradable alternative to plastic mulch, aiming to curtail agricultural waste and microplastic pollution while simultaneously enhancing soil health.
In a rare turn of events, both CareerCompass and GroundWork shared the $500 Fan Favourite Award after the audience vote concluded in an unprecedented tie – the first in Discover Your Pitch history.
The event was expertly emceed by JA Alumni BC members Bennett Chiu and Saliha Shajani, who themselves are former Discover Your Pitch competitors. Their venture, Seedlet, previously earned them second place in the 2025 Provincial Finals, underscoring the enduring impact and opportunities provided by this significant platform for young Canadian innovators.
