When Vertiberry first announced its plan to establish a controlled environment strawberry facility in Quebec, the company promised to deliver locally grown, pesticide-free fruit twelve months a year. Less than six months after its arrival, that promise has materialized.
"Our first commercial harvest took place in March 2025, less than six months after our arrival, marking a major milestone for Vertiberry Canada," says Olivier Paulus, CEO and Founder of Vertiberry. "Since then, we've been producing and harvesting continuously, ensuring a steady supply of premium, pesticide-free strawberries."
© Vertiberry
A pilot that performs as planned
Vertiberry's pilot facility in L'Assomption is now fully operational. "We're proud to say that production is running smoothly, allowing us to grow high-quality, pesticide-free strawberries year-round, completely independent of external climate conditions." The site also supports nursery activities by producing robust, disease-free mother plugs for future production cycles.
Designed to deliver around 15,000 kilograms of fruit per year, the pilot forms the foundation for a larger expansion planned within the next eighteen months. "Everything is on track, and this marks an exciting step in our Canadian expansion, laying the groundwork for what's next."
Biology first
Vertiberry's cultivation model is built around what Paulus calls a "biology-first" philosophy. "We design systems around the needs of the crop rather than committing to any single technology or vendor. Once we know what works biologically, we bring in the right partners to help us make it a reality."
That philosophy led the team to Sollum Technologies. "For our pilot facility, Sollum Technologies proved to be the ideal lighting partner in terms of the quality and flexibility of their fixtures." Climate control is also a central focus of the operation. "All our climate control algorithms are developed in-house because they're critical to how we manage plant performance and resource efficiency. These are two areas where we aim to keep a firm hand on the reins."
© Vertiberry
Turning cold into an advantage
Paulus and his team have been developing hybrid environmental systems that merge principles from greenhouse engineering with data-center design. "Our objective is to minimize electrical demand while maintaining strong economic performance," he says.
"Unlike traditional greenhouse operations, which typically view cold as a cost, our approach turns Quebec's naturally cooler climate into an asset. We aim to capture and reuse as much of that free cooling as possible to balance out excess heat. In short, for us, cold isn't a challenge, it's part of the solution."
From research to reality
While Vertiberry's European base remains focused on research and development, its Canadian arm represents a commercial frontier. "Setting up operations in Quebec has been both rewarding and educational. The regulatory environment here is more complex to navigate, especially as foreigners and newcomers, but we've also found that business decisions tend to move faster once the groundwork is done."
Building a support network and earning local trust were essential steps in the process. "Each of these steps has strengthened our team and positioned us well for long-term growth."
Market response
Consumer response has been immediate. "Recently, we began supplying strawberries to a local IGA supermarket within the Sobeys group, and they've been selling faster than we can deliver," Paulus says. "Shoppers really appreciate knowing that the berries they're enjoying, even as the traditional strawberry season winds down, are grown locally."
Exports are also underway through a multi-year offtake agreement with Taste of the North. "Currently, their distribution covers New England, but together we see the opportunity to extend both the strawberry season and their geographical reach by supplying high-quality, Quebec-grown produce."
With operations now stable and demand exceeding supply, Vertiberry is preparing for expansion. "The next phase of our growth, set to begin within the next 12 to 18 months, will increase our output several times over. This growth will bring us significantly closer to our long-term vision for large-scale, climate-resilient strawberry production in Canada."
For more information: 
Vertiberry
Olivier Paulus, CEO
[email protected]
www.vertiberry.com