SoftBank-Backed Vertical Farm Is Opening Middle Eastern Facility
- Startup Plenty plans to begin selling produce in early 2019
- Company says technology is ideally suited for harsh climates
Basil plants grow on towers in the grow room at the Plenty, Inc. office in South San Francisco, Calif.
Photographer: Jeff Chiu/APThis article is for subscribers only.
A vertical-farming startup backed by Masayoshi Son’s Vision Fund is building its first overseas outpost -- in the United Arab Emirates.
Plenty Inc. plans to start selling locally grown produce, including kale and other leafy greens, to communities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai early next year. The startup, which has a farm in its hometown of San Francisco, says the company’s indoor technology is more efficient than traditional operations and well suited to harsh climates.