U.S. indoor farming startup Plenty eyes rollout in China, Japan: CEO

Dominique Patton for Reuters:   Ambitious U.S. indoor farming startup Plenty Inc is seeking urban sites for new farms in Chinese cities as part of a global drive to set up high-tech facilities growing organic vegetables in warehouses under banks of LED lights.

Matt Barnard, chief executive of the San Francisco-based firm which counts Amazon Inc. (AMZN.O) founder Jeff Bezos and Japanese tech player SoftBank Corp (9984.T) among its backers, told Reuters on Wednesday that China could potentially host at least 300 of Plenty’s farms.

Plenty is currently hiring in China and scouting for locations and distributors in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, Barnard said in an interview in Beijing. The company has already hired a team in Japan and has “locked down” a few farm sites there, according to Barnard, also a co-founder.

He did not disclose financial or investment targets for the expansion of the firm which currently operates just one farm, in San Francisco, with another due to open in Seattle in the first-half of 2018.  Full Article:

Comments (0)

This post does not have any comments. Be the first to leave a comment below.


Post A Comment

You must be logged in before you can post a comment. Login now.

Featured Product

Advanced Mid-Power and High-Power LEDs for Horticulture Lighting

Advanced Mid-Power and High-Power LEDs for Horticulture Lighting

Cree LED's J Series® family offers a comprehensive portfolio of mid-power and high-power LEDs engineered specifically for horticulture lighting. The lineup includes high-efficacy 2835, 3030 and 5050 platforms designed to maximize photon output, energy efficiency, and long-term reliability in demanding grow environments. Photophyllâ„¢ Select options in the JB3030C and 2835 platforms deliver industry-leading efficiency with excellent sulfur resistance and footprint compatibility with 301B/H devices - making design-in seamless for horticulture luminaires. The 2835 N-Class color portfolio adds even greater flexibility with 15 high-efficacy spectral options that support precise spectrum tuning. For high-power applications, the JR5050C provides the industry's highest efficacy in its class and can reduce system costs by up to 40%. The JR5050B complements this with best-in-class efficacy in both 6V and 30V configurations. The J Series portfolio also features top-performing white LEDs. The JB3030C delivers up to 3.33 PPF/W (typical), while the JB2835B offers the highest efficacy available in a 2835 white platform. Together, these solutions give horticulture lighting manufacturers exceptional efficiency, broad spectral versatility and unmatched design flexibility.