Innovation

BIOS is a new entrepreneurial company based in Barcelona, Spain. It currently has one product that it offers and is working on another project that is soon to launch. Both products are great examples of UN Global Goals initiatives.

The first product is called the BIOS Urn. This is a biodegradable option for yourself or a loved one after passing on. After cremation, the deceased's ashes are placed in the BIOS Urn. Upon planting it, the urn and ashes are used as fertilizer for a tree to grow. BIOS offers several options of trees but is open to your choosing any tree or plant you would like. You do not have to plant the BIOS Urn right away; the system has no expiration date and can be planted any time. The company markets the BIOS Urn as fulfilling one of its overall goals which is "turning cemeteries into forests."

The BIOS Urn was created by Gerard Moline who launched the company with his brother Roger in 2013. Since then, they have worked together to create an accompanying product called the BIOS InCube. This innovation resembles a large vase in which you can plant your BIOS Urn. The “Smart Flower Pot” as Roger lovingly referred to it as, is just that. In addition to the InCube vase, you also receive the InCube sensor. This U shaped sensor sits on top of the soil at the surface from where the seedling is sprouting. The sensor can communicate, not only with the InCube vase, but with your smart phone as well. When properly set up, the sensor can send a message to your phone that a storm is coming and, perhaps, you want to move your InCube indoors. It also sends data to your phone regarding the plants needs, such as for light and water. The InCube vase portion holds several gallons of water and will water the plant for you. It also sends a message to your phone telling you when it is time to refill the InCube.

The InCube emerged as a gift to the customers, many of whom were not “settled down” yet with homes of their own, but wanted to use the BIOS Urn to honor loved ones. This allows users to plant their urn and grow the tree in whatever kind of setting they live in; a rental, an apartment, condo, or pretty much anywhere! Co-founder Roger, learned it also helps people through the transition of accepting their loss. He specifically mentioned traditional burial ceremonies; there is a funeral, the body is laid to rest in a cemetery across town, and that is the end. Using the BIOS Urn and InCube, a family member is able to process the loss every day if they choose to honor their loved one right in their own home. It allows them to do so without having to get in their car and drive to a cemetery.

One of the greatest potentials is the sensor itself. I specifically asked Roger, if the sensor was sized accordingly and with proper adjustments, could it possibly provide an acre of corn or something like it. He took a few minutes and decided it could be possible. This intuition came to me after Roger mentioned that the InCube can be used with “regular” plants as well as with the urns.

The BIOS Urn and InCube are the basis for the entire company. They choose to be a company that makes things that make the world a better place.

Inspiration

Gerard Moline was working with his grandmother in her garden. During their planting and weeding, they came across a dead bird. Roger told me that their grandmother took the dead bird, made a larger hole in the ground and placed the dead bird inside along with the seeds she had in her had. She then covered it up with dirt and went about her gardening. Gerard shared that his grandmother had always worked in the garden or field in her small community. Roger Moline noted differences in the views that we hold today, especially in a big city, about death. His grandmother demonstrated to them that the remains of something that passed away can be used to help new life. This was the inspiration for the BIOS Urn product.

The BIOS Incube idea came after the urn and from the customers themselves. Many people wanted to plant their urn, but were unable to for various reasons. Some planted them in large flower pots. The feedback BIOS was getting was that people wanted the urn near them. They wanted to take care of the plant. Roger said what was important to the family members wasn't about the urn, the seed or the incubator any more, it was about the grief process. It takes time to accept the loss of a loved one. However, with the urn and Incube family members were able to take care of the new seedling and watch it grow. One of the customers with tears in her eyes joyfully said “There she is!” as the plant sprouted.

Gerard and Roger started BIOS officially in 2013 however the idea itself originated in 1997. BIOS Incube officially came to the market in 2016 after a Kickstarter campaign and much research.

Overall impact

The impact of the BIOS products and, perhaps, the company itself have monumental implications for the world today. With company slogans such as #LifeAfterLife, BIOS Urn has become more than an urn. It’s a catalyst for changing the way we view our inevitable future. The world population shows no sign of declining. When the time comes for all of us to be laid to rest, where will we go? Where will we be placed? The Bios ideas are a respectful, creative, economical, and eco-friendly alternative to what will become a large problem soon.

Another impact comes from the sensor connected to the Bios Incube. Its ability to read and communicate the plant's needs is extraordinary. It sends a notification to your phone letting you know it needs more water, sun, etc. This could have significant implications for farming. On a smaller scale, it could help those who wish they had a "green thumb"; those who want more plants in their life but can’t seem to figure out how to maintain them. This will add just a bit more green to the world which is always a good thing. There are economic possibilities as well as the plant industry could really use any form of boost.

On a larger scale, could it help with drought or starving people? I asked one of the co-founders, Roger, if we built one of the sensors the size of the football field, could it feasibly take care of an acre of corn? He said he did not know why it couldn’t. While we cannot change Mother Nature, we sure can be more educated about her. This sensor would help farmers with their crops, and or teach others how to grow food.

Business benefit

BIOS is an excellent small business run not only with great leadership and an excellent staff turning out great products, but with a clear mission and values. They are entirely devoted to doing good things for the environment and the world. Roger told me the several ideals that BIOS is clear about as a company and I was blown away at their clarity:

Innovative - Creativity can solve problems.

Usefulness - Have a purpose, do something.

Ascetics - Things need to be beautiful. Beautiful things have meaning. Beautiful things relate to us.

Understandable - Is it something the customer wants, needs, and can understand?

Discreet - It does not have to be flashy or big. Small things are ok too.

Honesty - Don't promise what you can't deliver.

Long Lasting - The business needs to relate to the end users, not to governments or other companies.

Democratic - Prices need to be fair and not based on margins or markets

Sustainable - Everything we do is to improve society in an economic and environmental ways.

Simple - Do small things the very best way we can.

The afterlife market, if you will, is a business with no recession in sight. The cost of a funeral, burial, services and the like are astounding. They are only increasing as there are so few alternatives. Almost none of the options are eco-friendly and there are so many laws and regulations when it comes to taking care of human remains. This is an excellent business and service to offer the human race. It is a choice like anything else, but an alternative to the status quo is always worth seeking out.

The more BIOS grows, the more funds it will have to invest in more inventions and products, all of which must be for the good of the earth and customer-focused, as Roger outlined in describing the company's values.

The company has used Kickstarter for the BIOS Incube funds to get that product to market. You can purchase an Bios Urn for $145 which will last till you are ready to plant it. There are no expiration dates on the product. The Incube costs $550 and can be used with or without a Bios Urn. It is also reusable if you elect to re-pot or plant your tree in a yard, etc.

I asked Roger how they succeeded with their marketing; making something so negative into such a positive thing. His answer made me smile. “We don’t market, we tell a story”.

Social and environmental benefit

There have been many examples and benefits mentioned in describing the company and they tie directly to the Global Goals:

Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption: We now realize the cost of our actions and have initiated robust changes such as banning plastic bags in states, promoting recycling, carpooling, and more. We have not addressed this need of space or our own narcissistic tendencies to have our own space forever, even after we die. We recycle so much, why not ourselves? It is not for everyone, but until now, it hasn’t really been an option.

Goal 15: Life on Land. We are running low on space on this planet. As previously mentioned, population growth shows no evidence of slowing. We are literally killing off other species via hunting, poaching, and by eliminating their environments. By not burying ourselves with others, all with large headstones on a few acres, we could help save more space to actually live on instead of using the space to be buried.

Population growth also has led to an increase in the killing of trees and plants. How many parking lots can you think of? Now ask yourself "How many forest areas?" Are those numbers equal? BIOS' mission of turning cemeteries into forests is an excellent example of how we can help life on land. Give it more room, replenish the life and environments we destroy.

Interview

Roger Moline, COO, Co-Founder