Amplified Ag

Based in South Carolina, Amplified Ag is an agritech startup that focuses on vertical farming via its Vertical Roots subsidiary. Vertical Roots produces leafy greens using hydroponic containers for retailers, food service providers, restaurants, and healthcare institutions. Vertical Roots claims that its hydroponic system can grow crops 25% faster than traditional methods while using 25% less water. The company’s 320 sq. ft. containers are capable of producing 3,400 plants per harvest and around 17 harvests per year. As of January 2022, the company provides its leafy greens to more than 2,000 grocery stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

The company operates two farms in South Carolina and one farm in Georgia. In June 2021, the company reported that it is building a third indoor farm in Atlanta, Georgia to reduce distribution costs and expand sales of its leafy greens across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Produce from the new farm was made available in select grocery stores as of July 2021 with a total of 500,000 heads of lettuce likely to be produced over the year. The company reports that it will be able to distribute the produce within one to three days of harvest. To keep up with the demand, the company has also partnered with two suppliers (Collins Brothers Produce and Wholesale Foodservice) to acquire more hydroponic containers. In December 2022 , the company started to work on a vertical farm laboratory for an international CEA wastewater research project being conducted by Clemson University in South Carolina and Gyeongsang National University (GNU) in South Korea.

In September 2023, Amplified Ag was awarded a a contract from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Fort Pierce, Florida, to supply vertical farming research labs to the agency's Horticultural Research Laboratory. Additionally the company has supplied 16 AmpLABs, Amplified Ag’s purpose-build research module vertical farming labs to the USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Research Lab in Charleston, South Carolina, designed to support its wide range of CEA research in vegetable growing processes, LED spectrum analysis, renewable energy, plant pathology, and plant breeding and selection for controlled environments. 

Key customers and partnerships

In December 2023, Amplified Ag partnered with Senn Brothers to provide the modular farm infrastructure, software platform and farm management advisory services to establish Senn Brothers’ farm operations. Previously, In October 2023, The company partnered with The S.C.Department of Corrections and The S.C. Department of Agriculture to build a vertical farming facility and training program at Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution, a women’s prison located in Columbia, South California. This USD 1.2 million project has received legislative approval and USD 350,000 in state funds from the State Fiscal Accountability Authority while remaining funds is expected from private donations. It is expected that the farm will produce 48,000 pounds of lettuce annually for the institution’s cafeteria and food program.

 Some of the partnered stores also include Food Lion , Publix, Harris Teeter and Whole Foods.

Funding and financials

In August 2021, Amplified Ag raised USD 40 million in equity finance, expecting to use the funds to support Vertical Roots with its expansion plans, and to also support further development of its AmpEDGE platform (a complete indoor farm management software solution, that is being developed by the company’s other businesses- Boxcar Central and Tiger Corner Farms).