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iFarm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iFarm
IndustryVertical farming, hydroponics, circular economy, agricultural technology
Founded2017
Headquarters,
Key people
Alexander Lyskovsky, Maxim Chizhov, Konstantin Ulyanov
ProductsSoftware, technologies and equipment for vertical farming
Websiteifarm.fi

iFarm (iFarm corp.) is an international company that develops software and hardware for vertical farming and hydroponics.[1][2] Its technologies are used for automatedd pesticide-free growing of salads, strawberries, and microgreens. It's headquartered in Helsinki, Finland with an office in the US.[3][4]

History

[edit]

It was founded in 2017 by Alex Lyskovsky,[5] the founder of video game publisher Alawar,[6] and his friends.[7]

In 2018, the company expanded its facilities with a large-scale salad farm and a laboratory for strawberry production.[8]

In 2019, iFarm raised $1 million in a round led by Gagarin Capital.[9][10] The same year, the company moved its headquarters to Helsinki, Finland. It opened 8 laboratories and launched a small point-of-sale herb cultivation module production.[11]

In 2020, the company opened an office in the Netherlands. In July 2020, company became a member of the international Association for Vertical Farming. In August 2020, the company announced the raise of $4 million in seed funding from a group of investors.[12][13][14] In the same year, iFarm partnered with YASAI AG and Logiqs B.V. to launch Zurich's first vertical farm.[15]

iFarm inside

In 2021, a partnership with the AlSadarah Group was announced to use iFarm technology in a pilot vertical farm in Al Khor, Qatar.[16][17]

In January 2022, iFarm and French scientific cosmetics company Capsum launched a sustainable vertical farming research project to create innovative cosmetics in France.[18][19]

IFarm elevator

As of 2022, the company helped clients create farms based on iFarm technology in 14 countries, including Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Andorra, Finland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.[20][21][22]

Technology

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iFarm technology relies on automation, sensors[23] and a proprietary farm management software, Growtune, to monitor and automate crop care, applying computer vision and machine learning and drawing on data on "thousands" of plants collected from a distributed network of farms, per iFarm.[24]

In 2022, firm released fully automated solution, that reduces the overall energy bill compared to traditional type of vertical farms due to a system that automatically "transplants" (refits) the grow space for the plants.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Agtech startup iFarm bags $4M to help vertical farms grow more tasty stuff". TechCrunch. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  2. ^ Burroughs, Callum. "We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck indoor farming startup iFarm used to raise $4 million". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Automated vertical indoor farming set to sprout". ZDNet. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Finland-based Startup iFarm and Capsum Launch Sustainable Vertical Farming R&D Project to Create Innovative Cosmetics | AgriTechTomorrow". www.agritechtomorrow.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  5. ^ Cat Ellis (13 February 2019). "How vertical farming tech could bring fresh greens to the world's food deserts". TechRadar. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  6. ^ "¿Qué ha pasado con Akademgorodok, la "aldea académica" creada por la URSS para competir con Silicon Valley?". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  7. ^ "iFarm lets anyone grow greens with the push of a button". Food Tank. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  8. ^ "How iFarm Berries technology works". www.hortibiz.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Russia-based iFarm secures $1 million to take its urban farming solutions to the next level". Tech.eu. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  10. ^ Камитдинов, Никита (5 September 2019). "Грядки вверх. Кто и зачем строит вертикальные фермы в российских городах" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  11. ^ "iFarm Corp – Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  12. ^ "This European agritech startup lets you grow pesticide-free veggies in your basement; raises €3.4M | Silicon Canals". 20 August 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Vertical farming software startup iFarm raises $4m". AFN. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  14. ^ FinSMEs (21 August 2020). "iFarm Raises $4M in Funding". FinSMEs. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  15. ^ foodnavigator.com (17 February 2021). "'We can focus on quality over transportability': Vertical famers have high hopes for Swiss project". foodnavigator.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  16. ^ "iFarm and Al Sadarah Group to Boost Food Security in Qatar Through Vertical Farming". The Spoon. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  17. ^ foodnavigator.com (31 May 2021). "iFarm talks 'next generation' of vertical farming, Qatar expansion". foodnavigator.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Finland-based Startup iFarm and Capsum Launch Sustainable Vertical Farming R&D Project to Create Innovative Cosmetics | AgriTechTomorrow". www.agritechtomorrow.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  19. ^ urbanagnews (18 January 2022). "Capsum and iFarm Announce Joint R&D Project in France". Urban Ag News. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  20. ^ "iFarm Raises $4M for Its Automated Vertical Farming System". The Spoon. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  21. ^ Tucker, Charlotte (20 August 2020). "Helsinki-based iFarm raises €3.3 million for its automated indoor farming solutions". EU-Startups. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  22. ^ "iFarm Raises $4 million to automate urban farming with AI and drones". VentureBeat. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  23. ^ "iFarm Raises $4 million to automate urban farming with AI and drones". VentureBeat. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  24. ^ "Agtech startup iFarm bags $4M to help vertical farms grow more tasty stuff". TechCrunch. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  25. ^ "We Cannot Reduce Cost of Electricity, So We Learn How to Make Best Use of Energy | AgriTechTomorrow". www.agritechtomorrow.com. Retrieved 3 August 2022.