[Interview] $29 Monthly Subscription AI Plant Appliance... US Startup Challenges LG [CES 2026]

Francisco Wang, Founder of Luya AI
US Startup Develops Innovative Plant Appliance
AI-Powered, Personalized Nutrition and Taste

"This is the world's first product that not only grows vegetables inside a box, but also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the user's preferences and health and cultivates vegetables accordingly."

On January 7 (local time), at CES 2026, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, Francisco Wang, founder and CEO of the US food tech startup Luya AI, pointed to the plant appliance "AI Vegetable Cultivation Box" and made this statement.

Ruya AI

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on January 7 (local time), CEO Wang said, "Luya AI's product is not just a cultivation box, but a personalized nutrition system," adding, "It is the world's first product that not only grows vegetables inside a box, but also uses AI to analyze the user's preferences and health and cultivates vegetables accordingly."

Luya AI's product works by placing a tray with microgreen seeds and adding water, after which the AI analyzes the user and completes cultivation in 7 to 14 days. Currently, a total of 30 types of seeds can be cultivated, including radish sprouts, kale, and basil. The product can produce up to 6 kilograms of pea shoots per month, and most leafy greens can be produced in quantities of 2.5 kilograms. They explain that 2.5 kilograms of vegetables is equivalent to about 38 vegetable boxes sold at Whole Foods, a major supermarket in the United States.

Francisco Wang, founder and CEO of the US startup Luya AI, is interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at CES 2026, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, on the 9th (local time). Photo by Jeon Youngjoo

The product is differentiated from LG Electronics' "LG tiiun" plant appliance, which was launched in 2021, by its use of AI. CEO Wang emphasized, "It is fundamentally different from other products that grow plants based on a timer."

He explained, "If the AI learns that the user prefers crispy microgreens, it will adjust the airflow, growth rate, and blue light intensity to make the leaves even crispier to suit their taste." He added, "If a doctor advises that more iron is needed, the AI can recommend 'Komatsuna,' a Japanese leafy vegetable high in iron, and enhance the nutritional value accordingly."

Luya AI's product is scheduled to launch in the US market next month with a monthly subscription fee of around $29. In addition to the home version, a commercial model is planned for release toward the end of the year, and currently, caf?, restaurant, and organic market operators are on the waiting list. The company plans to expand to the Asian market in the future, where it is expected to compete with LG Electronics.

Francisco Wang, founder and CEO of the US startup Luya AI, manually adjusts the blue light intensity of the "AI Vegetable Cultivation Box" at CES 2026, the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition, on the 9th (local time). Photo by Jeon Youngjoo

CEO Wang cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the motivation for founding Luya AI. He said, "During the lockdown, it was difficult to access fresh vegetables, and I started thinking about ways to grow nutritious vegetables in the kitchen." He added, "I learned that 9 out of 10 Americans consume excess calories but are nutritionally deficient, which led me to start the company."

He explained that Luya AI's product can be used in areas where water and energy are scarce but nutrition is needed, such as deserts, Africa, or abandoned mining regions. The company also targets people who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and consumers who want to eat a variety of vegetables but have limited options.

Before founding the company, CEO Wang was affiliated with the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers University, a prestigious university in New Jersey, where he researched AI systems for large-scale infrastructure. He later founded Luya AI in collaboration with plant scientists and engineers from Rutgers and Princeton University. The company is based in Princeton, New Jersey.