Top 20 Technology-Driven Vertical Farming Companies in 2026

Introduction

Food production is under increasing pressure from urbanization, climate volatility, and resource constraints. While traditional farming remains essential, it faces growing challenges related to land availability, water use, and supply chain reliability. As a result, vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) have moved from experimental concepts to practical solutions in specific contexts.

Vertical farming focuses on growing crops in vertically stacked systems within controlled indoor environments, while CEA enables precise management of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients. These approaches support year-round production with lower water use, reduced land requirements, and minimal reliance on chemical pesticides. Rather than replacing conventional agriculture, they address clear needs such as local production, efficiency, and predictability.

Over the past decade, the industry has matured through necessary correction cycles. In 2026, the companies that matter are those operating at scale, shipping produce consistently, and refining systems that work in real-world conditions. This list highlights vertical farming companies that actively use AI, automation, and controlled environment technologies in live commercial operations, rather than experimental or conceptual projects.

Why Vertical Farming and Controlled Environment Agriculture Matter

Vertical farming and controlled environment systems offer practical advantages for sustainable and efficient food production, particularly in urban and resource-constrained regions.

• Space Efficiency: Vertical systems maximize land use by growing crops in stacked layers, making them well-suited for cities and areas with limited arable land.
• Water Conservation: Technologies such as hydroponics and closed-loop irrigation systems can reduce water use by up to 90% compared to traditional farming.
• Reduced Carbon Footprint: Localized production shortens supply chains, lowering transportation needs and associated emissions.
• Year-Round Production: Controlled environments enable consistent crop cultivation regardless of season or weather conditions.
• Improved Resource Efficiency: Energy-efficient lighting, precise nutrient delivery, and environmental controls help minimize inputs while maintaining crop quality.

As the sector matures, automation, AI-driven monitoring, and data-driven decision-making are improving reliability, consistency, and operational efficiency across vertical farming. Rather than disrupting agriculture broadly, these systems increasingly complement traditional models where predictability, proximity, and efficient resource use matter most.

Criteria for Leading Vertical Farming Companies

The companies featured in this list stand out based on practical, execution-focused criteria. Specifically, they demonstrate strength across the following areas:

1. Technology-Driven Operations: Demonstrated use of controlled environments, automation, and precision growing systems in active production.
2. Sustainability Focus: Measurable reductions in water use, land footprint, and chemical inputs compared to conventional agriculture.
3. Scalability: Systems and business models designed to expand from pilots to commercial or industrial scale operations.
4. Operational Consistency: Proven ability to deliver reliable yields, quality, and supply over time.
5. Efficiency in Resource Use: Efficient use of water and energy, supported by ongoing production and real market participation.

Together, these companies reflect the current phase of vertical farming, which is less experimental, more disciplined, and increasingly focused on what works in real-world food production.

20 Leading Vertical Farming and Controlled Environment Agriculture Companies in 2026

These 20 startups and SMEs are leading the charge in vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture. From small-scale urban farms to expansive, high-tech agricultural operations, these companies are revolutionizing food production through innovation, sustainability, and efficiency.

While this list is not ranked, it highlights the diversity of players in the field, each making significant contributions toward building a more sustainable, resilient, and food-secure future.

1. AeroFarms

Aerofarms

AeroFarms operates advanced indoor vertical farms built around proprietary aeroponic technology to grow leafy greens and microgreens in fully controlled environments. By suspending plant roots in air and delivering precise amounts of water, nutrients, and oxygen, the company creates optimized growing conditions that prioritize yield consistency, flavor, and nutritional density. Its farming systems enable year-round production without soil or chemical pesticides, making them well suited for urban and regional food systems.

At the core of AeroFarms’ approach is a technology-driven platform that integrates plant science, AI, and data analytics to continuously refine growing conditions. This controlled environment model significantly reduces water and land use compared to traditional farming while supporting repeatable quality and food safety. AeroFarms demonstrates how data-intensive vertical farming can deliver reliable, scalable, and sustainable food production.

• Founder(s): David Rosenberg, Marc Oshima, and Dr. Ed Harwood
• Founding Year: 2004
• Headquarter: Danville, Virginia

2. Bowery Farming

Bowery Farming

Bowery Farming operates large-scale indoor vertical farms designed to produce leafy greens and herbs in fully controlled environments near major cities. Using hydroponic systems, vertically stacked growing racks, and climate automation, Bowery enables consistent, pesticide-free production throughout the year while using significantly less water and land than conventional agriculture.

Central to Bowery’s operations is BoweryOS, a proprietary farm operating system that integrates sensors, machine learning, and automation to manage crop growth from seed to harvest. This software-driven approach allows precise control over light, nutrients, and environmental conditions, ensuring uniform quality and food safety at scale. Bowery illustrates how vertically integrated, data-driven farming can support resilient local food systems.

• Founder(s): Irving Fain, David Golden, and Brian Falther,
• Founding Year: 2015
• Headquarter: New York, USA

3. Plenty

Plenty

Plenty designs large-scale indoor vertical farms built around plant-specific growing environments rather than traditional agricultural layouts. Its vertically stacked systems use proprietary lighting, optimized airflow, robotics, and AI-driven controls to grow leafy greens and fruiting crops year-round without chemical pesticides.

Plenty’s farming platform emphasizes precision environmental control to maximize flavor, consistency, and resource efficiency. By locating farms close to urban population centers, the company reduces supply chain complexity while delivering fresh produce with minimal land and water use. Plenty demonstrates how advanced engineering and automation can redefine indoor food production at commercial scale.

• Founder(s): Matt Barnard, Nate Storey, Jack Oslan, and Nate Mazonson.
• Founding Year: 2014
• Headquarter: South San Francisco, California, USA

4. Oishii

Oishii

Oishii operates indoor vertical farms purpose-built for growing premium fruit within fully controlled environments. Using stacked growing systems, precise climate management, and automation, the company produces strawberries year-round without soil or chemical pesticides, maintaining consistent flavor and quality independent of seasonal conditions.

The company’s proprietary technology integrates plant science, environmental sensing, and data-driven cultivation techniques developed through research in Japan and the United States. By extending vertical farming beyond leafy greens to fruit crops, Oishii demonstrates how controlled environments can support high-value, quality-driven food production in urban and regional markets.

• Founder(s): Hiroki Koga and Brendan Somerville.
• Founding Year: 2016
• Headquarter: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

5. Intelligent Growth Solutions

Intelligent Growth Solutions

Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) develops modular vertical farming towers designed for industrial-scale food production. Its systems operate in fully controlled environments, combining stacked growing columns, LED lighting, automation, and software-based climate management to support year-round cultivation of leafy greens and herbs.

IGS focuses on deploying large vertical farms globally, particularly in regions facing land, climate, or supply chain constraints. By integrating automation and data-driven controls into standardized infrastructure, the company demonstrates how vertical farming can function as a scalable food production infrastructure supporting national and regional food security.

• Founder(s): David Scott, David Farquhar, and Dave Scott
• Founding Year: 2013
• Headquarter: Inverkeithing, Fife, United Kingdom.

6. Sustenir Agriculture

Sustenir Agriculture

Sustenir Agriculture operates indoor vertical farms designed to supply leafy greens to retail and foodservice markets in land-constrained urban regions. Its farming systems use vertically stacked hydroponic racks within controlled environments where light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients are precisely managed to enable consistent year-round production.

Built for high-volume local supply, Sustenir focuses on operational efficiency, food safety, and resource optimization. By producing fresh greens close to consumers and minimizing reliance on imports, the company demonstrates how vertical farming can strengthen urban food resilience in densely populated regions.

• Founder(s): Benjamin Swan and Dr. Martin van Rensburg
• Founding Year: 2013
• Headquarter: Singapore

7. Planet Farms

Planet Farms

Planet Farms operates one of Europe’s largest indoor vertical farming facilities, producing leafy greens and herbs in fully controlled environments. Its farms rely on vertically stacked hydroponic systems, energy-efficient LED lighting, and advanced climate automation to maintain consistent, pesticide-free output throughout the year.

Designed for large-scale retail supply, Planet Farms integrates production, packaging, and logistics into a highly automated operation. By reducing food miles and optimizing resource use, the company demonstrates how industrial vertical farming can support resilient and sustainable food systems in European markets.

• Founder(s): Daniele Benatoff and Luca Travaglini
• Founding Year: 2018
• Headquarter: Milan, Italy

8. YesHealth Group

YesHealth Group

YesHealth Group operates some of the largest indoor vertical farms in Asia, using fully controlled environments to produce leafy greens at high density. Its systems integrate vertical hydroponics, robotics, and AI-driven environmental management to support year-round production without chemical pesticides.

The company’s focus on automation, food safety, and consistency positions it as a major supplier within regional urban food systems. YesHealth Group illustrates how vertically integrated indoor farming can deliver large-scale, sustainable fresh food production for metropolitan markets.

• Founder(s): Winston Tsai
• Founding Year: 2013
• Headquarter: Taipei, Taiwan

While these companies differ in scale and geography, their success increasingly depends on how effectively they use AI to stabilize costs, optimize energy use, and maintain consistent yields an operational reality explored in Vertical Farming with AI: From Controlled Environments to Operational Economics.

9. Nordic Harvest 

Nordic Harvest Logo

Nordic Harvest operates industrial-scale indoor vertical farms designed to enable year-round food production in northern climates. Its facilities use multi-level hydroponic systems, automated climate control, and energy-efficient LED lighting to maintain stable output regardless of seasonal light and temperature conditions.

Built with scalability in mind, Nordic Harvest’s farms are engineered to supply regional and national markets with reliable volumes of pesticide-free produce. The company demonstrates how vertical farming can function as climate-resilient food infrastructure in regions with limited agricultural growing seasons.

• Founder(s): Anders Riemann
• Founding Year: 2016
• Headquarter: Taastrup, Denmark.

10. Gotham Greens

Gotham Greens

Gotham Greens operates high-capacity urban controlled environment farms that combine vertical growing systems with advanced greenhouse technology. Its facilities use hydroponics, climate automation, and environmental monitoring to produce leafy greens year-round with reduced water and land use.

The company’s vertically integrated model spans production, packaging, and distribution, allowing it to scale efficiently across multiple metropolitan regions. Gotham Greens demonstrates how CEA and vertical farming principles can support reliable, large-scale urban food supply.

• Founder(s): Viraj Puri and Eric Haley
• Founding Year: 2009
• Headquarter: Brooklyn, New York, USA

11. LettUs Grow

LettUs Grow Logo

LettUs Grow develops aeroponic systems for vertical farms and controlled environment agriculture, enabling soil-free cultivation using nutrient mist delivered directly to plant roots. This approach allows crops to grow faster while using significantly less water than traditional hydroponic or soil-based methods.

Its solutions range from modular container farms to large-scale aeroponic rolling bench systems used in commercial facilities. Integrated farm management software enables precise control of growing conditions, demonstrating how aeroponic technology can support efficient, scalable indoor farming.

• Founder(s): Charlie Guy, Jack Farmer, and Ben Crowther
• Founding Year: 2015
• Headquarter: Bristol, United Kingdom

12. Urban Crop Solutions

Urban Crop Solutions

Urban Crop Solutions designs and delivers turnkey vertical farming systems for commercial indoor food production. Its solutions combine stacked hydroponic environments, LED lighting, climate control, and software-driven farm management to enable predictable, year-round crop output.

Rather than operating farms directly, the company focuses on enabling enterprises, institutions, and governments to deploy vertical farms at scale. Through standardized engineering and data led design, Urban Crop Solutions supports reliable indoor farming operations across diverse global markets.

• Founder(s): Maarten Vandecruys, Frederic Bulcaen, and Franc Bogovic
• Founding Year: 2014
• Headquarter: Waregem, Belgium

13. CubicFarm Systems

CubicFarm Systems

CubicFarm Systems develops automated, modular vertical farming platforms designed for efficient indoor food production. Its patented Crop Motion Technology™ moves plants through a controlled growing path beneath a single optimized light layer, reducing energy use compared to traditional stacked shelf systems.

The platform operates in fully controlled environments with automation managing planting, growth, and harvesting. By optimizing space, energy, and water use, CubicFarm demonstrates how engineering-driven vertical farming systems can deliver predictable yields and scalable local food production.

• Founder(s): Jack Benne and Leo Benne
• Founding Year: 2015
• Headquarter: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

14. OnePointOne

OnePointOne

OnePointOne designs high-tech indoor vertical farms using aeroponic cultivation within fully controlled environments. By suspending plant roots in air and misting them with nutrient-rich solutions, the company enables precise growth control while minimizing water use and eliminating pesticides.

Automation and AI are central to its operations, with robotics and machine learning managing planting, monitoring, and optimization through the Opollo™ platform. OnePointOne demonstrates how data-driven aeroponic systems can support scalable, efficient, and resilient indoor food production.

• Founder(s): Samuel Bertram and John Bertram
• Founding Year: 2017
• Headquarter: Avondale, Arizona, USA

15. Vertical Harvest

Vertical Harvest

Vertical Harvest operates indoor vertical farms that integrate hydroponic controlled environment agriculture with a strong community-centered mission. Its vertically stacked systems produce leafy greens year-round in urban settings while significantly reducing water use and food miles.

Beyond production, Vertical Harvest emphasizes inclusive employment by creating jobs for people with disabilities. By combining advanced vertical farming technology with social impact, the company demonstrates how CEA can support both sustainable food systems and community development.

• Founder(s): Nona Yehia, Caroline Croft Estay, and Penny McBride
• Founding Year: 2016
• Headquarter: Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

16. GrowUp Farms

GrowUp Farms

GrowUp Farms operates commercial-scale vertical and controlled environment farms focused on supplying fresh leafy greens to national retailers. Its production systems integrate vertical growing structures, hydroponics, automation, and renewable energy to support consistent year-round output.

The company emphasizes long-term commercial viability and regional food resilience. GrowUp Farms demonstrates how vertically integrated indoor farming can scale sustainably while serving mainstream grocery supply chains.

• Founder(s): Kate Hofman and Tom Webster
• Founding Year: 2013
• Headquarter: London, United Kingdom

17. SweGreen

SweGreen

SweGreen develops large indoor vertical farms designed to support regional food security through year-round production. Its systems use stacked hydroponic environments, LED lighting, and automated climate control to deliver consistent output with reduced environmental impact.

Focused on supplying retailers and foodservice providers, SweGreen illustrates how vertical farming can function as critical food infrastructure within low-carbon, resilient food systems.

Founder(s): Andreas Rylander, Joakim Rytterborn and Pierre Mohlin

Founding Year: 2019

Headquarter: Stockholm, Sweden

18. Sananbio 

Sananbio

Sananbio operates industrial-scale indoor vertical farms using LED-powered controlled environments to produce leafy greens and specialty crops. Its vertically stacked hydroponic systems enable precise control over climate, nutrients, and lighting at manufacturing-scale volumes.

As one of Asia’s largest vertical farming operators, Sananbio demonstrates how indoor farming can be deployed at national scale to support food security and urban supply chains.

• Founder(s): Sanan Group
• Founding Year: 2015
• Headquarter: Fujian, China

19. Lufa Farms

Lufa Farms

Lufa Farms operates urban rooftop greenhouses that integrate hydroponic growing systems within controlled environments. Crops are produced year-round using recirculating water systems and biological pest control, reducing environmental impact while improving freshness.

By placing farms directly within cities, Lufa Farms shortens supply chains and strengthens urban food security. Its model demonstrates how CEA can be integrated into existing urban infrastructure at commercial scale.

• Founder(s): Mohamed Hage
• Founding Year: 2009
• Headquarter: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

20. GreenState AG

GreenState AG

GreenState AG develops modular indoor vertical farming systems combining automated hardware with AI-driven software to optimize crop production. Its platform integrates IoT sensors, data analytics, and digital growing recipes to manage climate, lighting, and nutrients with high precision.

By focusing on automation and cost reduction, GreenState AG aims to make vertical farming more accessible and scalable. The company demonstrates how intelligent, data-driven systems can lower operational complexity while maintaining consistent yields and quality.

• Founder(s): Arsenije Grgur
• Founding Year: 2021
• Headquarter: Winterthur, Switzerland

Vertical Farming: Cultivating a Sustainable Future with Innovation

Vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture are increasingly shaping how food is produced in urban, land-constrained, and climate-challenged regions. By combining controlled growing environments with technologies such as AI, automation, and precision agriculture, these systems enable more predictable, resource-efficient food production closer to consumers.

Across the sector, leading companies are applying innovation with a clear focus on practical outcomes. Their efforts center on a few critical priorities:

• Maximize Crop Yields: Use AI, automation, and precision growing systems to optimize environmental conditions, improve consistency, and maintain crop quality at scale.
• Minimize Resource Use: Deploy water-efficient, energy-aware, and closed-loop growing technologies to reduce inputs while maintaining stable output.
• Strengthen Local Food Availability: Enable year-round production in controlled environments, reducing reliance on long-distance supply chains and increasing resilience against climate and logistical disruptions.

The companies featured in this list represent those actively executing on these priorities. Rather than experimental concepts, they are operating systems that demonstrate where vertical farming delivers real, repeatable value today.

Conclusion

Vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture are no longer defined by ambition alone. The companies highlighted here show how disciplined use of technology from AI-driven monitoring to hydroponics and automation can support reliable and resource-efficient food production in the right contexts.

As the industry continues to mature, success will depend on operational efficiency, cost control, and systems that perform consistently across different regions and use cases. Vertical farming is not a replacement for traditional agriculture, but it is becoming an increasingly important complement in building resilient and modern food production ecosystems.

If you’re exploring how vertical farming fits into your sustainability or food production strategy, connect with Omdena to see how applied AI and data-driven systems can help turn controlled environments into scalable, economically viable operations.