Innovators in Action: Green Evolution Technology

Written by: Peggy Cromwell, Content Writer and Media Specialist Intern

Pictured: Zarzand Alaverdyan, Co- CEO of Green Evolution Technologies

For this edition of Innovators in Action, we are excited to spotlight Green Evolution Technology, winner of the 2025 Start Grow Stay Pitch Competition and our recommendation for a $75,000 Innovation Grant from the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

We had the opportunity to learn more from CEO Zarzand Alaverdyan about what inspired their company, the technology behind it, and their plans to make an impact on water use in agriculture.

Hydrogels are water-absorbing materials that have been used since the 1960s, mainly in the medical field. They are what make soft contact lenses work and are also used in wound care due to their ability to retain moisture. Although hydrogels can retain large amounts of water, they have not been widely used in various fields, such as agriculture, because producing them at a real scale has been expensive and complex.

Green Evolution Technology is addressing that challenge through a process developed by Zarzand and his father. They utilize repurposed equipment designed initially for laboratory sapphire production to heat hydrogel compounds with precise control. That precision enables scaling production in a more cost-efficient manner.

Their breakthrough lies in forming the hydrogel without the use of additional binding agents. Traditional methods rely on combustion to bind polymers together, which requires exact heating that is difficult to achieve at scale. By eliminating that step, Green Evolution Technology has created a cleaner and more efficient hydrogel specifically designed for soil and water retention.

The technology they are developing aims to enhance water retention in agricultural soil, which is particularly crucial in drought-prone regions like California. In other countries, such as India and China, the use of unregulated hydrogels has already demonstrated success in farming. Green Evolution Technology is working to create a version that is clean, stable, and ready for broader use in the United States.

The company was founded in 2022 in California’s Central Valley. This location was chosen intentionally, with the goal of introducing water-saving innovations directly into one of the country’s most important agricultural regions.

Since winning the Start Grow Stay Pitch Competition, Green Evolution Technology has expanded its network, made new connections, and introduced its work to a broader audience. They have been working closely with the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation and are in conversations with Fresno State’s Center for Irrigation Technology to begin third-party testing.

They also hope to collaborate with Fresno State to help educate students on the chemistry behind their approach to hydrogel and the scientific processes used to make this advancement, and demonstrate how innovation can directly support environmental challenges in the field.

Green Evolution Technology is an example of how local entrepreneurs are creating real-world solutions to global issues, starting right here in the Central Valley.