Ljusgarda

Ljusgarda is a Swedish hydroponic vertical farming company that produces and sells vertically produced lettuce. The company’s vertical farms use renewable energy, circular water irrigation while replacing the use of soil by using a nutrient mix in its water system, where enzymes, minerals, pH, and oxygen levels can be monitored and changed according to the plant’s needs. The company also uses LED lighting technology for each plant, using 99% less water compared to outdoor farms. As of May 2021, the company’s vertically produced lettuce is served in 60 ICA retail supermarkets in Sweden, covering the Västra Götaland and Småland regions. The company also has plans to grow fruits and vegetables in the future, which aligns with its objective of making Sweden self-sufficient. This is part of its “Bring the food home” initiative, where they aim for all lettuce sold in stores to be produced in Sweden by 2025.

As of January 2022, the company operates a 75,000 sq ft facility in Tibro, Sweden, with another 194,000 sq ft facility, also located in Tibro under construction. Ljusgarda plans to start commissioning the new facility by Spring 2022. The Tibro facility is capable of producing 60 tons of salad per month, an equivalent of 1 million bags, using 27,000 sq ft of growing area. Ljusgarda uses 2.5 meter long vertical pipes to grow the crops. The system is able to hold 300,000 plants at maximum capacity.

In December 2023, the company won the "Best Product Marketing” award at the Vertical Farming World Awards.

Key customers and partnerships

Ljusgarda entered into partnerships with a range of solutions suppliers to the Tibro facility. For instance, for the farm’s lighting systems, Ljusgarda partnered with Heliospectra (ELIXIA LED lighting systems and light control systems helioCORE), and with Signify (Philips GreenPower LED lighting systems and GrowWise control software). Ljusgarda also partnered with OCS to obtain automated transport solutions for its pipe cultivation system. 

Funding and financials

In January 2022, Ljusgarda raised SEK 170 million (USD 19.6 million) in a new funding round, which included participation from Swedish companies Philian Invest, Back in Black Capital, and Jula Holding. The funds will finance its expansion into Europe, where it aims to become the largest vertical farming company in the region.