Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi Fluence and its history Fluence, founded in Austin, Texas in 2013, was the first to build custom-spectrum LED solutions and introduce white light that mimics sunlight to the horticulture industry, a stark departure from the inefficient lighting systems cultivators previously relied on. This created a watershed moment across the global horticulture industry. Fluence lights used less energy, lasted longer and ran cooler, enabling tiered setups that multiplied indoor grow spaces while achieving impressive savings in energy, HVAC and water costs. "It's a very interesting story because about 10 years ago, you could not find quality e LED lights on the market. I remember I was working at a grow shop as a shop assistant and then as a shop leader. We had overpriced lights with very bad quality and the wrong spectrum for cannabis," Sima says.