Futuristic Vertical Farming Startups Are Struggling in the Tech Downturn
These companies promised a revolutionary way to deliver fresh food to cities. It turns out that’s very expensive.
When the market was booming, tech investors poured billions into companies designing new ways of farming. Now some of those bets appear to be wilting.
Fifth Season, a Pittsburgh-based vertical farming company, told employees this fall it was shutting down. Berlin-based Indoor Urban Farming GmbH, valued at more than $1 billion, laid off about 500 employees last month. And greenhouse startup AppHarvest, which went public through a special purpose acquisition company last year, has seen its stock sink more than 90% since its 2022 high. After telling investors it was low on funds, AppHarvest recently sold one of its farms and plans to rent it back.