iFarm

iFarm is a Finnish company that develops IT-driven indoor farming systems and software solutions for hydroponics vertical farming systems in controlled environments. The company works with indoor farm projects of varying sizes, from 500 sq m to 20,000 sq m, and advanced vertical farming solutions for commercial production of leafy greens, strawberries, and vegetables using farm management software. These solutions include iFarm Leafy Greens for growing salads and herbs, iFarm StackGrow for ultimate plant density and energy savings, iFarm Microgreens for industrial-scale cultivation of microgreens, iFarm Growtune for managing automated vertical farms, and iFarm Berries for year-round growth of strawberries. iFarm Container is a compact system for hyperlocal production of salads and herbs that can be installed as an individual spot or container cluster. iFarm claims to offer pesticide-free vertical farms with advanced technology that consumes 90%–95% less water than traditional agriculture, and its automated climate control, smart power control, and proprietary LED lighting ensure rapid crop growth.

iFarm also provides a range of other services including financial modeling, market research, consulting on vertical farming business plans, concept design, and technological design solutions. As of April 2023, the company had launched 15 farms across 13 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In October 2023, the company opened Green Farm, Dubai's first vertical farm using iFarm's technologies, with a total growing area of 712 sq m, growing over three tons of produce per month.

Key customers and partnerships

iFarm partnered with companies worldwide including Yasai, Logiqs (February 2021), Sadarah (May 2021), and Green Basket (May 2022) to build vertical farms with iFarm tech. iFarm became an official vendor and partner with Contain in February 2021, enabling growers to lease iFarm's vertical farms through Contain Inc. In December 2021, the company partnered with Karls Erdbeerhof to launch a joint R&D project to grow strawberries on vertical farms. The company also partnered with Agritecture in early 2023 to deliver cost-effective indoor farming technologies to global customers.

In April 2023, the company partnered with Opus 2G Group to build the world’s largest automated high-tech vertical farm in the Smart City of Tehuantepec, Mexico. It was expected to be launched in 2024 using iFarm's StackGrow technology. and a hydroponics vertical farming system to grow over 35 types of leafy greens and microgreens.

Funding and financials

In August 2020, iFarm raised USD 4 million in funding led by Gagarin Capital to develop its “iFarm Growtune” tech platform, allowing operations of multiple vertical farms and increasing the number of plants available.