Vertical farming company Infarm used to be one of the stars of the Berlin startup scene — boasting 1,400 farms and 1,000 employees across 10 countries worldwide, plus a $1bn price tag.
But by 2021, nine years into the startup's journey, its fortunes began to turn. A combination of operational inefficiency, rising energy prices as a result of Russia's war on Ukraine and an inability to compete with traditional growers made it hard for the company to turn a profit. It was declared insolvent in its major European markets, laid off staff and, eventually, disappeared from public view.
But Infarm is back: with a new company entity, a different mission and a (slightly) different name. The startup's dream of assuring food security for the masses looks to be back on the table — though Infarm's past lives continue to haunt it, with a recent court case naming the old entity.
Infarm declined to comment on the majority of this piece.
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