10 Top Vertical Farming Companies and Startups to Watch in 2025

The vertical farming industry is experiencing remarkable growth, driven by technological advances and increasing demand for sustainable agriculture. This includes factors like water scarcity concerns, climate and seasonal independence, and the preference for locally sourced produce.

Projections indicate that the global vertical farming market is expected to reach USD 13.7 billion in 2029, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.0%.  In this article, we highlight 10 top vertical farming companies to watch in 2025, showcasing their contributions to the future of sustainable agriculture.​

Global Startup Heat Map highlights 10 Vertical Farming Startups to Watch

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 7M+ startups, 20K+ technology trends, plus 150M+ patents, news articles & market reports, we identified 163 vertical farming startups.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 10 vertical farming startups you should watch in 2025, as well as the geo-distribution of 163 vertical farming startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.

According to our data, we observe high startup activity in the US and India, followed by Germany and the UK. The top 5 Startup Hubs for vertical farming are Singapore, Bangalore, London, Calgary, and Dubai.

Discover Emerging Vertical Farming Startups to Watch in 2025

We hand-picked startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics.

These vertical farming startups work on solutions ranging from vending machines and autonomous farms to plug-and-play systems and on-site production.

1. iPlant – Indoor Vertical Farming
2. replantin’ – Fresh Produce Vending Machine (PVM)
3. Metro Farms – Autonomous Farms
4. farmie – Plug & Play Hydroponic Vertical Farm
5. Arable Grow – Pesticide and Fungicide-Free Farming
6. Acregreen – On-Site Animal Feed Production
7. Vegg – Climate-Smart Produce
8. Syan Farms – Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
9. OrbiLoop – Controlled Cultivation and Harvesting
10. Vertical Agri – Greentech & Vertical Farming Technology

1. iPlant

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Amman, Jordan
• Use For: Indoor Vertical Farming

Jordanian startup iPlant creates indoor vertical farming systems that offer productive and high-yield farming in cities. It uses hydroponic systems to grow crops without soil using a regulated, nutrient-rich water supply that maximizes plant growth and preserves freshwater resources. The solution mainly supports exotic plant species, high-value cash crops, and instructional hydroponic systems.

This technique is beneficial for areas experiencing water scarcity as it ensures year-round cultivation, consistent crop yields, and less dependence on arable land. The startup also integrates energy-efficient technologies into its agricultural solutions for corporations, government agencies, and private sector initiatives to improve crop quality and optimize output.

2. replantin’

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Hod Hasharon, Israel
• Use For: Fresh Produce Vending Machine

Israeli startup replantin’ creates an autonomous fresh produce vending machine, Produce Integrated Cultivation Instrument (PICI). PICI consolidates the supply chain by using patented growth capsules and advanced conveyance platforms to grow food from seeds to harvest in a single unit.

It also utilizes intelligent algorithms, sensors, and equipment to track the stages of growth while a robotic arm gathers and packages the produce. PICI improves food safety and sustainability in urban areas by removing the need for manpower and lowering transportation costs.

3. Metro Farms

• Founding Year: 2022
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Use For: Autonomous Farms

UK-based startup Metro Farms combines cloud computing, machine learning, and the internet of things (IoT) to create self-sufficient farming solutions. The company’s vertical farms are housed inside networked shipping containers with autonomous climate, water, nutrients, CO₂ levels, ventilation, and humidity control to maximize crop growth.

This design enables installation in diverse locations and provides farmers with year-round access to consistent, high-quality harvests. These technologies are more efficient than conventional farming techniques as they free up space for rewilding projects. Each unit uses a smaller area while producing the same amount of food as a seven-acre farm.

Additionally, the company’s hydroponic method does not require pesticides and uses less water. This way, Metro Farms enhances local food production, encourages environmental sustainability, and accelerates the adoption of agri-tech.

4. farmie

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Use For: Plug & Play Hydroponic Vertical Farm

German startup Farmie offers a plug-and-play hydroponic vertical farming solution that occupies less space. It uses a closed-loop hydroponic system that recirculates water and nutrients to grow plants without supply or waste water connections.

The solution also features a cloud-based platform that optimizes growing conditions through continuous learning, a built-in seedling drawer for smooth growth from seed to plant, and a modular design with adjustable height.

Farmie offers more than 30 organic seed varieties, including rare and heirloom, and uses less than 200 kWh of energy. This provides workplaces, restaurants, shops, and enterprises an easy-to-use and sustainable means to source fresh vegetables on site while reducing the environmental impact and promoting food transparency.

5. Arable Grow

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Somerset West, South Africa
• Use For: Pesticides and Fungicides Free Farming

South African startup Arable Grow creates a vertical farming technology for pesticide and fungicide-free cultivation. The company’s systems cultivate crops in vertically stacked layers using techniques like climate control, hydroponics, aeroponics, and artificial lighting.

This method reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides while enabling year-round cultivation in a controlled setting. The startup also offers germination cabinets for optimized seed growth, grow racks for space-efficient vertical farming, grow lights that improve plant health, and IoT grow sensors for real-time monitoring.

This technology offers higher yields, ensures less water usage, and improves space utilization. Additionally, it lowers carbon emissions and provides consumers access to fresher products by eliminating long-distance transportation.

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6. Acregreen

• Founding Year: 2022
• Location: Thurles, Ireland
• Use For: On-Site Animal Feed

Irish startup Acregreen creates sustainable, nutrient-dense animal feed on site with its automated vertical farming technology. The company leverages energy-efficient HVAC systems, specialized LED lighting, and water recycling techniques.

The technology develops feed from seed to be harvested in a few days. It also reduces labor costs through simplified automation, works in various climates, and promotes multi-crop development. This allows customers and food businesses to reduce reliance on external supply chains.

Further, Acregreen improves cattle digestion and energy usage by supplying fresh feed all year round. This promotes better weight gain and reproduction. The startup’s technology uses less water and space, addressing concerns about food security and greenhouse gas emissions.

7. Vegg

• Founding Year: 2022
• Location: Pulaski, Virginia, USA
• Use For: Climate-Smart Certified Produce

US-based startup Vegg combines carbon-capture and sustainable indoor farming to provide climate-smart certified produce. It minimizes environmental effects and creates regulated settings that maximize agricultural development by converting abandoned school buildings into vertical farms.

The startup utilises solar panels to supplement climate-smart farming by reducing electricity dependence and ensuring backup power during grid downtimes. The system also includes rainwater capture systems that collect, filter, and store water. This minimizes reliance on municipal systems and increases facility resilience.

Additionally, recycled ammonia and CO2 replace fossil-fuel-based inputs to ensure fossil-fuel-free vertical farming operations. This closed-loop approach enhances plant growth while repurposing pollutants from livestock operations into beneficial fertilizers.

Vegg received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy, as well as state funding and private investment.

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8. Syan Farms

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Northampton, UK
• Use For: Controlled Environment Agriculture Technology

UK-based startup Syan Farms enables multi-level vertical farming using controlled environment agriculture. The company’s solution controls temperature, light, humidity, and water to produce suitable circumstances for crop stacks irrespective of soil quality or external weather.

Further, this closed-loop irrigation solution utilizes only a fraction of the water needed for open-field farming while still providing crops with the moisture they need. The startup’s farms also use solar energy, air source heat pumps, and rainwater harvesting systems to ensure sustainable operations.

Syan Farms produces pesticide-free crops while emphasizing sustainably cultivated alternative proteins with its automated growing technologies that aid the plant-based food industry.

Syan Farms, in partnership with Vertical Future, the University of York, Crop Health & Protection (CHAP), and Eat Curious, was awarded a USD 940 000 grant by Innovate UK.

9. OrbiLoop

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Aachen, Germany
• Use For: Controlled Cultivation and Harvesting

German startup OrbiLoop creates automated plant cultivation and harvesting systems. Its technology ensures ideal conditions for aeroponic plants by controlling the light, temperature, humidity, and nutrient delivery.

Its rotating aeroponic system also ensures that plant roots receive a fine nutrient spray while they are optimally exposed to light to accelerate growth and enhance efficiency. The system’s vertically oriented rotating conveyor belt maximizes yield in a small area and utilizes the gravitropic effect to encourage uniform plant development.

This technology ensures that the plants receive precise wavelengths for different growth stages, reduces energy consumption, and maximizes photosynthesis with LED-optimized lighting. OrbiLoop focuses on sustainable agriculture with its CO₂-neutral operation enabled by intelligent energy management.

10. Vertical Agri

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Bergen, Norway
• Use For: Vertical Farming Technology

Norwegian startup Vertical Agri creates a vertical farming technology to ensure sustainable food production for future generations. It generates more output in controlled growing environments and encourages the use of locally grown food.

The technology also reduces pesticide and additive applications and advances sustainable agriculture. The startup also integrates renewable energy sources – including solar, wind, and hydrogen – to accommodate rising food consumption.

Discover All Emerging AgriTech Startups

The AgriTech startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free AgriTech Innovation Report for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2025!