<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        LettUs Grow, a UK-based company that produces and sells aeroponic container farms, has announced that it has delivered the first &ldquo;DROP &amp; GROW&rdquo; aeroponic container farm to HM Prison Hewell, a UK-based prison, which will be used as part of a prisoner&rsquo;s rehabilitation program.&nbsp;
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        DROP &amp; GROW will be used to educate and train prisoners about indoor farming practices such as plant husbandry skills, aeroponics technology, using farm management software, operating procedures, and HACCP and Food Safety standards with the aim of preparing them for employment upon release. The prisoners will also learn growing produce using ultrasonic aeroponic technology, which is a soilless growing method and spraying a nutrient-rich mix to the roots.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        This is reportedly the first governmental prison system in the UK to use controlled environmental agriculture systems. Food grown in the farm such as lettuce, herbs, and vegetables will also be used in prisoner meals.&nbsp;
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    <b>Analyst QuickTake</b>
    : LettUs Grow has been taking different routes to expand its presence in the vertical farming industry. Towards the end of last year the company partnered with
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/6845">
       Contain Inc
    </a>
     to offer financing solutions to farmers with the aim of expanding sales of its DROP &amp; GROW container farm. During the same time, LettUs Grow also partnered with 
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/sectors/sustainability/updates/6126">
      La Serra
    </a>
    , a commercial greenhouse grower, to launch aeroponic tomato propagation trials.
    &lt;/ul&gt;
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.lettusgrow.com/blog/aeroponic-vertical-farming-prisons-hmp">
      LettUs Grow Blog
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9449040/uk-lettus-grow-partners-with-prison-to-farm-behind-bars/">
      Vertical Farming Daily
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


Vertical Farming

LettUs Grow supplies its vertical farming systems for prisoner rehabilitation program

<div>
 
 <p>LettUs Grow, an aeroponic container farming company, has formed a partnership with the greenhouse equipment producer, Innovative Growers Equipment (IGE), to introduce ultrasonic aeroponics to greenhouse farmers in the US and Canada.</p>
 <p>As part of the collaboration, IGE will manufacture LettUs Grow's patented irrigation systems. The first reference site will be built in the US in June 2024, where the new technology will be employed for special crop trials.</p>
 <p>The partners anticipate that the primary advantage of incorporating this technology will be decreased maintenance needs and increased productivity for greenhouse growers.</p>
 
</div>

LettUs Grow partners with Innovative Growers Equipment to introduce ultrasonic aeroponics to North America

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 <p>Vertical Future, a vertical farming technology company in the UK, has raised GBP 1.5 million from The UK Space Agency. The funds will be used to build an autonomous farm in space as part of the first commercial space station being developed by Axiom Space, scheduled to be operational in 2026.</p>
 <p>The company develops, manufactures, and operates fully automated vertical farms where plants grow under LED lights in metallic containers, with robots overseeing the growth from seeding to harvesting. Vertical Future plans to construct the first prototype space farm this year and will test its system at the International Space Station before full implementation at the commercial space station.</p>
 
</div>

Vertical Future secures GBP 1.5 million to build autonomous farm in space

<div>

 <p>UK vertical farming company, Ro-Gro, has launched its first vitamin B12-fortified microgreens, developed with ultrasonic aeroponic technology from Lettus Grow, at their vertical farm in Kent. The development was also in collaboration with the John Innes Centre and the Quandram Institute. These pea shoots have a 14-day shelf life, and each serving meets the recommended dietary intake of vitamins, fiber, and protein. The product will be available in retailers and hospitality businesses.</p>
 <p>Ro-Gro plans to expand its product line to include salad options with enhanced nutritional value, catering to consumer preferences.</p>

</div>

Ro-Gro unveils vitamin B12-fortified microgreens

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

<div>
 <p>CubicFarm Systems, a company specializing in vertical farming technology for growing fresh produce and livestock feed, has completed the final phase of its private placement without a broker. The company issued 5,792,688 units at CAD 0.20 (~USD 0.15) each, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately CAD 1.16 million (~USD 0.85 million).</p>
 <p>In total, the company has now issued around 10.3 million units at CAD 0.20 (~USD 0.15) per unit. This has generated total gross proceeds of roughly CAD 2.06 million (~USD 1.53 million) from its private placement.</p> 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> CubicFarm closed the <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26652"> first tranche </a> of its non-brokered private placement last month, raising approximately CAD 900,000 (~USD 664,000). Earlier this month, the company received an <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/27425"> extension </a> from the TSX Venture Exchange for the second tranche.&nbsp;</p>

CubicFarm closes final tranche of private placement

<div>
 <p>HYVE, a brand under DASCOM Americas that produces controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems, has been purchased by AGEYE, a platform specializing in automated monitoring of vertical farms and greenhouses.</p>
 <p>The acquisition will integrate AGEYE's artificial intelligence technology with HYVE's automated vertical farming system to offer an all-inclusive system for commercial farming operations. Post-acquisition, AGEYE is set to take over leadership roles in sales, installation, and support of HYVE.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> The acquisition follows a partnership between the two companies in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/16717"> February 2023 </a> , when they announced their first joint project to build a 13,000 sq ft indoor farm facility in Nebraska focused on leafy greens.</p>

AGEYE acquires DASCOM Americas' HYVE brand

<div>
 <p>CubicFarm Systems, a provider of vertical farming technology solutions for growing fresh produce and livestock feed, has received an extension from the TSX Venture Exchange for the second tranche of its private placement, aiming for gross proceeds of up to CAD 2.5 million (~USD 1.8 million).</p>
 <p>The second tranche is expected to close on or about March 15, 2024.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> CubicFarm Systems closed the <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26652"> first tranche </a> of its non-brokered private placement last month, raising ~CAD 900,000 (~USD 664,000), which is to be used for general working capital, partial repayment of secured debt (~CAD 360,000/~USD 266,000), and general administrative purposes.</p>

CubicFarm Systems receives private placement extension

<div>
 <p>Agrify, a company dedicated to developing proprietary growing solutions for indoor farming, recently disclosed the pricing of its public offering. The gross proceeds are expected to be around USD 2.6 million prior to the deduction of placement agent fees and other related expenses. Agrify plans to issue about 6,723,684 shares of common stock at a public offering price of USD 0.38 per share.</p>
 <p>The net proceeds are intended for general corporate use and working capital, which includes capital expenditures and debt repayment.</p>
 <p>Customary closing conditions permitting, the offering is set to close on February 28, 2024.</p>
</div>

Agrify announces USD 2.6 million public offering for working capital and corporate purposes

<div>
<p>Oishii, a vertical farming company that produces Japanese omakase strawberries, has raised USD 134 million in a Series B funding round. The round was headed by NTT and saw participation from Bloom8, McWin Capital Partners, the Japan Green Investment Corporation for Carbon Neutrality, and Yaskawa Electric Corporation.</p>
<p>The company intends to utilize these funds to establish a solar-powered facility, broaden its distribution to fresh markets, and make significant investments in advanced robotics and energy-efficient technologies.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> The funding comes from Oishii's launch of its <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/24828"> Rubī Tomato </a> in select Whole Foods stores in the US in December 2023, following the unveiling of its second strawberry, the <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/16619"> Koyo Berry </a> , in February 2023. Yaskawa, one of the investors in this round, also partnered with the company in May 2023 to provide Oishii plant factories with automation systems based on <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/19013"> Yaskawa's i3-Mechatronics </a> solution concept.</p>

Oishii raises USD 134 million in Series B funding to expand distribution

<div>
 <p>UK hydroponic vertical farm, GrowUp Farms, has secured a listing for its Fresh Leaf Co. bagged salad with SPAR. The salad will be initially available in over 400 SPAR stores around the UK.</p>
</div>

GrowUp Farms' Fresh Leaf Co. bagged salad now available at SPAR

<div>
 <p>A Montana-based controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company, Local Bounti, has been granted a patent for its Stack &amp; Flow technology. This unique technology, a blend of vertical farming and hydroponic greenhouse farming methods, is being utilized in four out of the company's six growing facilities.</p>
</div>

All Updates