The 19 Biggest Companies in Vertical Farming Today
Updated April 2024.
Vertical farming is an exciting industry that seeks to feed our increasingly urbanized population with locally grown produce. It’s no wonder then that investors are excited about vertical farming investments. But who are the biggest vertical farming companies in the space? And how can you invest in vertical farming companies’ stock? Read on to find out.
Bowery Farming Inc.
https://boweryfarming.com/
Bowery Farming, though one of the biggest and most influential vertical farming companies, is still privately owned, so there is no chance of investing through the stock exchange just yet. The NYC-based company offers vertically-grown lettuces, salad mixes, dark leafy greens, and herbs.
In November 2023, Bowery underwent it’s second round of significant layoffs and a steep valuation markdown in less than five months.
BrightFarms
https://www.brightfarms.com/
BrightFarms specializes in growing fresh baby greens locally, emphasizing clean and pesticide-free produce. They focus on sustainable, non-GMO farming methods, using only seeds, water, and sunshine, avoiding chlorine baths, sprays, or gas flushes. They offer a range of products, including baby greens, with an emphasis on environmental consciousness and community involvement.
CubicFarm Systems
https://cubicfarms.com/
CubicFarm Systems is traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol CUBXF. The company provides AgTech solutions to vertical farms and other localized food suppliers. In addition to leafy greens, microgreens, and herbs, they also offer solutions for “vertical pastures”—a solution aimed to provide hydroponic animal feed. They also have their own brand of fresh produce called ALLWays Local.
In March 2024, CubicFarm Systems Corp. finished the last part of a litigation, collecting about $2.06 million by selling pieces of the company. They sold over 10 million parts at 20 cents each, which include a share and a half-share option to buy another share later at 25 cents. This money will help the company keep running and manage its expenses.
Dream Harvest Farms
http://dreamharvestfarms.com/
Dream Harvest is another private vertical farming company. Their farms are carbon negative and completely earth-friendly. They offer blends with fun names like “Kale-ing Me Softly” and “You Butter Beleaf It” by delivery in the Houston, TX area.
In February 2024, Dream Harvest made their website private and inaccessable to the public.
Eden Green Technology
Eden Green Technology pioneers in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) space, emphasizing a harmonious blend of sustainability, innovation, and community engagement. Here’s an overview of what makes Eden Green a leader in its field:
Vertical Farming and Hydroponic Technology: At the heart of Eden Green's operation is their cutting-edge vertical farming and hydroponic systems. This setup enables year-round production (24/7/365) of fresh produce, using significantly less land and water compared to traditional farming methods. This technology is the backbone of their promise to deliver freshest, safest, and most affordable produce.
Customizable Partner Experience: Eden Green stands out by offering retailers and partners the flexibility to customize their orders. Partners can choose the types of produce, quantities, and even packaging styles and sizes, ensuring that the products align perfectly with their brand and customer needs.
Short Supply Chain: Produce is promised to reach store shelves within 48 hours of harvest, thanks to local growing and processing. This not only ensures peak freshness but also contributes to reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-haul transportation.
Environmental Sustainability and Community Support: Beyond just farming, Eden Green is deeply committed to sustainability and community involvement. By using drastically less water and land, they not only set new standards in eco-friendly produce but also engage in donating a portion of their harvests to local nonprofits, demonstrating a strong commitment to social responsibility.
Solving Industry Pain Points: Eden Green addresses common challenges in the food supply chain, such as the inconsistency of produce supply due to recalls, diseases, extreme weather, and the lack of hydroponic options for private labeling. Their model offers a reliable, high-quality source of greens, mitigating these issues for their partners.
Eden Green Technology is not just about growing food; it's about cultivating a healthier planet and communities. Their approach combines the efficiency of modern farming techniques with the needs of today’s food industry and consumer expectations for sustainability and quality.
By focusing on customization, efficiency, and sustainability, Eden Green Technology provides a compelling solution for retailers, influencers, and investors alike, looking to make a positive impact on the food system and the environment.
Farm.One
https://farm.one/
Farm.One likewise is a privately held company, with neighborhood farms in Tribeca and Brooklyn. They offer weekly subscription plans for New Yorkers wanting baby greens, microgreens, herbs, flowers, mushrooms, and smoothies. Each product comes in a reusable container, creating less plastic waste, and is delivered by a bicycle delivery person, producing no vehicle emissions in transit.
In February 2024, Farm.One’s founder, Rob Laing, left the company.
Freight Farms
https://www.freightfarms.com/
Freight Farms offers a complete vertical farming solution that enables anyone to grow food anywhere, any time. Their products include the Greenery™ S, a modular hydroponic farm built inside a shipping container, Farmhand® Software for farm automation, and a variety of farm supplies. They aim to make farming accessible to a wide range of individuals and organizations, from small businesses and nonprofits to educational institutions.
GP Solutions
https://www.growpodsolutions.com/
The GP in GP Solutions stands for Grow Pod, and this company offers modular, stackable, and mobile farms built inside shipping containers. In addition to their full systems, they also sell Easy Leafy Green Fertilizer for use in water culture and other soilless growing systems. The company is publicly traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol GWPD.
Hydrofarm Holdings
https://www.hydrofarm.com/
Hydrofarm Holdings offers solutions for indoor growers, including a full range of equipment and supplies. They have nutrients and additives, growing media and containers, lighting, atmospheric automation, and more.
This company is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol, HYFM.
Little Leaf Farms
https://www.littleleaffarms.com/
Little Leaf Farms offers a range of locally grown baby greens, including various lettuce types and salad kits. They pride themselves on producing fresh, sustainable, and crispy lettuce all year round from their greenhouse located in Devens, Massachusetts. Their product lineup includes Baby Crispy Green Leaf, Baby Red & Green Leaf, Baby Spring Mix, Sweet Baby Butter Leaf, and salad kits like the Southwest Salad Kit and Crispy Caesar Salad Kit.
Local Bounti
https://localbounti.com/
Local Bounti is focused on providing local, fresh, and sustainable produce throughout the year. They brand themselves as the "Farm of the Future™," highlighting a commitment to innovative agriculture practices. They have five locations across the United States.
Plenty
https://www.plenty.ag/
Privately owned Plenty is a vertical farm that grows leafy greens and sells them in flavorful blends and single-variety packs. Their resealable packs stand out in grocery stores because of their bright colors and bold fonts. They’re also available through delivery services like Instacart and Amazon Fresh.
Revol Greens
https://www.revolgreens.com/
Revol Greens offers a range of fresh produce, focusing on lettuce and greens. Their offerings include salad blends, salad kits, and head lettuces, cultivated with a commitment to sustainability, water conservation, and using clean, plant-based nutrients.
Smallhold
https://www.smallhold.com/
Smallhold is a private company that is a little unique in the vertical farming world. That’s because they don’t carry the usual leafy greens and herbs. Instead, they grow only specialty mushrooms. They offer varieties like royal trumpet, miatake, and lions mane. Since their products can be grown in a small space, they offer mini farms that can be placed anywhere, including inside of grocery stores and restaurants or in the back corner of the warehouse or basement.
Soli Organic
https://www.soliorganic.com/
Soli Organic specializes in offering a variety of organic products, including leafy greens, living herbs, organic basil, and herb bunches. Their products are highlighted for being fresh, flavorful, and grown in organic soil, ensuring the best taste without the use of artificial pesticides or fertilizers.
Square Roots
https://squarerootsgrow.com/
Square Roots is another private enterprise that offers fresh, local greens for communities near their facilities in Brooklyn and Grand Rapids. They offer a unique transparency solution that allows consumers to enter a lot number into their website and trace the life of the exact greens they’ve purchased.
In July 2023, the CEO of Square Roots announced they would be laying off most of the staff and closing all but one farm.
Vertical Harvest
https://verticalharvestfarms.com/
The folks at Vertical Harvest have created a system designed to produce fresh, local produce in urban settings everywhere. They grow microgreens, lettuces, and tomatoes in quarter-acre hydroponic farms and are currently looking for partnership opportunities to allow them to further expand their reach.
Vertical Roots
https://www.verticalroots.com/
Vertical Roots is a vertical farming company that offers both direct-to-consumer and wholesale fresh produce. They have single variety offerings like romaine and green butter lettuce as well as leafy green mixes and living lettuces. While they are not currently publicly traded, you can find their products in more than 1,800 retail grocery stores across the country.
Village Farms International
https://villagefarms.com/
Finally, Village Farms International is a Nasdaq-traded company, found under the symbol VFF. This controlled environment agriculture company has several brands, including Pure Sunfarms, Rose LifeScienceVie, and Balanced Health Botanicals. They directly run greenhouses in British Columbia and Texas, along with partner greenhouses in Canada and Mexico.
Companies No Longer on the List
App Harvest
https://www.appharvest.com/
AppHarvest was a certified B corporation traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol APPH. The company offered sustainable vegan salsas online and fresh vertically grown tomatoes in stores like Kroger and Meijer. Their two 60-acre Appalachian indoor farms were some of the world’s largest high-tech greenhouses.
App Harvest filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2023 with more than $300m in funded debt and lease obligations. Mastronardi Produce, a Canada-based fruit-and-veg supplier now operates from the Richmond and Morehead, Kentucky locations.
Aero Farms
https://www.aerofarms.com/
Founded in 2004, AeroFarms is an AgTech company that boasts crops with no pesticide exposure and 95% less water than traditional soil-based growing methods. The company offers baby greens and microgreens through stores like FreshDirect, Whole Foods, Walmart, and even Amazon Fresh.
Aero Farms filed for bankruptcy on 6/13/23.
Kalera
https://kalera.com/
Kalera creates cutting-edge hydroponic production facilities designed for rapid rollout. Their primary differentiator is that they optimize their operations to create the most affordable hydroponic vegetables possible. Kalera growers produce leafy greens and microgreens, including some unusual varieties such as popcorn shoots. The brand is traded on OTC Markets under the symbol KSLLF.
Kalera filed for bankruptcy in April 2023 and were later acquired by Sandton Capital Partners in October 2023.
Upward Farms
https://eatupwardfarms.com/
Privately-owned Upward Farms is an aquaculture company that offers delicious fresh greens. They will soon be launching freshwater striped bass for sale as well, from a sustainable, symbiotic environment that is free of antibiotics, hormones, and mercury. Their products are available in New York City and its surrounding areas.
In March 2023, their website expired and they ceased all operations.