VertiFarm to unite start-ups and established businesses

In 2021, venture capitalists ploughed billions of US dollars into vertical farming, including large-scale funding rounds for the most promising newcomers in this still young industry. Then came COVID, the war in Ukraine, supply chain problems, high energy prices and a reassessment of risks in the face of unprofitable and consequently failed business models. Consolidation has been the name of the game ever since. Investors are increasingly focussing on a smaller number of more mature businesses whose technological solutions – such as automation, energy efficiency and AI integration – have the potential to improve the profitability of vertical farming in ways that will last.

What is a test of patience for many in the industry could be a pioneering step towards the development of a competitive industry, as we have seen in other sectors. VertiFarm, the leading trade show for next-level farming and new food systems at Messe Dortmund, has been following this process since 2022 and will be using a concept this year that has already proven itself many times over, creating synergies between start-ups, established businesses, investors and other key players in order to strengthen and accelerate innovation even in changed overall environments.

8^th Summit of the Association for Vertical Farming with another superb line-up
Once again, the highlight of this year's VertiFarm will be the Summit of the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF). Its chairwoman, Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, is an energetic expert who has been committed to vertical farming with vision and passion at an international level for many years now. The 8^th AVF Summit will again see her bringing together experts, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, policy-makers and other stakeholders in the industry to discuss current developments, challenges and future trends. Among the participants in 2024 will be:

• Dr David Meszaros, former CFO of Aerofarms, who has set himself the goal of establishing vertical farming in urban areas with his company SMARTKAS
• Marc Oshima, former CEO of AeroFarms, who will deliver a keynote talk on vertical farming
• Serial founder, investor and digital expert Carsten Puschmann, who will open Day 2 of the show with a keynote talk on 'Investing in Food Tech'

Opportunity for start-up entrepreneurs: START-UP AREA and Young Innovators Programme  
Start-up entrepreneurs looking to establish themselves on the market need capable partners by their sides. They will be able to enter into dialogue in the START-UP AREA at VertiFarm. Again this year, the open-plan area will give young businesses the opportunity to present themselves to an international audience at the show and establish valuable contacts. German-based start-ups based will have the opportunity to have their appearance at the show funded to a maximum of EUR 7,500 under the Young Innovators Programme established in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Protection (BMWK).

The Association for Vertical Farming is also organising a start-up challenge for the first time as part of its 8^thsummit. The panel of judges will be made up of investors, technology experts and key stakeholders in the field of vertical farming. Prizes will include a one-year membership of the AVF, expert coaching and an appearance at next year's VertiFarm.

Further information on the Young Innovators Programme can be found at: 
www.vertifarm.de/young-innovators

Knowing how to make things happen: winning start-up back at VertiFarm
Leipzig-based greenhub solutions GmbH, among others, has recently shown how to exploit opportunities successfully. The start-up, founded in 2018, was at VertiFarm already last year and will be back again this time around. Start-up entrepreneurs Alexander Jaworski and Kay Plat and their team are developing automated indoor farming solutions for agriculture, with an initial marketable product ready to roll: the GreenResearcher. This compact plug-and-play system makes it possible to obtain data from standardised experiments. By analysing this data, the intention is to make plant growth and cultivation methods more efficient and productive. Promising start-ups such as direct carbon from Sweden, AgriData Innovations from the Netherlands, OnlyGreens from Ispringen in south-western Germany and omni.farm from Vienna will also be presenting at VertiFarm 2024.

Excursion to three flagship projects on 7 October – register now! 
Anyone wishing to experience the latest advances in vertical farming in real life and take away inspiration will have the opportunity to do so on Monday 7 October 2024, the day before VertiFarm gets underway. The programme includes:

1. Kokerei Hansa in Dortmund
   An urban fish and plant farm is being created at this coking plant. Aquaponics is the name of the closed-loop system designed to help supply the city with healthy and environmentally friendly foodstuffs. The facility is used for research purposes and for workshops.
    
2. Cultivators / Innexo in Venlo (NL)
   This research contractor is focusing on molecular agriculture, and in particular cannabis cultivation. Those taking part in the excursion will learn the detail behind optimum production methods for pharmaceutical ingredients and technological innovations.
    
3. ALTMARKTgarten in Oberhausen
   Fruit and vegetables have been grown on the roof of the job centre in Oberhausen since 2019. The inFARMING® concept is a research project being undertaken by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT.

Ticket bookings for the excursion at: www.vertifarm.de/exkursion

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