Vertical Hydroponic Farming | Grow at Home - Just Vertical

The Expanding Landscape of Indoor Agriculture

The realm of indoor agriculture is experiencing significant growth. Facilities employing hydroponics – a method of cultivating plants without soil, frequently within expansive warehouse structures – and conventional greenhouses are increasingly vital components of our food distribution network, particularly for leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and arugula.

Vertical hydroponic farming is frequently presented as a sustainable alternative to traditional agricultural practices. This approach utilizes 95% less water, minimizes soil impact, and allows urban farms to be strategically located in areas with limited food access or near retail outlets, thereby reducing transportation expenses. However, the substantial energy demands for illuminating these indoor farms have often hindered efforts to diminish the carbon footprint of agriculture.

Industry Growth and Key Players

AeroFarms has announced plans to become a publicly traded company later this year. Plenty, a vertical farming company based in San Francisco, has broadened its reach by establishing a presence in 17 Safeway stores across Northern California. Gotham Greens, an East Coast urban farming enterprise, is demonstrating resilience in the face of economic challenges and is expanding its indoor farm network into regions like Colorado and California.

The global vertical farming market is projected to attain a value of 5.8 billion by 2026, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 14%.

Just Vertical: Bringing Indoor Growing Home

However, Just Vertical, a Canadian startup, is focused on incorporating home gardeners into the indoor growing trend. Their two products, the Aeva and the Eve, are designed as aesthetically pleasing furniture pieces capable of producing between eight and ten pounds of food monthly through hydroponic technology.

These systems feature a wooden cabinet base with a growing structure extending approximately five feet upwards. The Aeva and Eve models can cultivate leafy greens, zucchini, strawberries, herbs, peppers, and cucumbers. The company is also diversifying into flower production and has even successfully grown hops for use by microbreweries.

Beyond the initial hardware purchase, Just Vertical provides a subscription service for seeds and peat moss pods.

A Focus on Accessibility and Design

“Our intention is to cater to individuals who are unable to garden year-round or lack the necessary space, such as a backyard or balcony,” explained co-founder Kevin Jakiela. “We deliberately avoided creating just another countertop device.”

Competitors in the countertop market include Click and Grow and Aerogardens, which primarily focus on herb cultivation. Larger-scale alternatives, such as Tower Garden and ZipGrow, also exist. However, Just Vertical aims to distinguish itself by offering a product that seamlessly integrates both décor and gardening functionality.

Target Markets and Future Aspirations

According to Jakiela, the company’s primary customer base consists of condominium and homeowners, followed by restaurants, schools, cafes, and bars. Interest is also growing in utilizing the systems as decorative elements in office spaces, rather than solely for food production.

“My vision is for our systems to become a standard amenity in new condominiums and homes—similar to how consumers can choose their dishwasher or washing machine. We aspire to be the next essential appliance, like the microwave,” Jakiela stated. “We also aim to establish partnerships with major retailers like IKEA.”

To date, the company has sold 1,500 units and secured seed funding from District Ventures, the investment fund led by Arlene Dickinson, known as a “dragon” on the Canadian version of Shark Tank. Just Vertical is currently preparing for a Series A funding round this September.

Price Point and Social Impact

The relatively high price range of Just Vertical’s products, between $600 and $1,000, suggests that it is unlikely to significantly address food insecurity issues or have a substantial impact on environmental concerns for families with limited resources.

Jakiela acknowledges that the current target consumer is “a Whole Foods shopper.” Nevertheless, the company’s website highlights data demonstrating the environmental advantages of its products, including the potential to save over 112,000,000 miles of food transportation and conserve more than 2,000,000 liters of water through home-based food production.

Jakiela expresses hope that, as the company expands, it can increasingly contribute to both social and economic progress.

“I want to move beyond catering solely to hobbyists and focus on creating a broader impact,” he explained. “For example, a restaurant could offset some of its costs by utilizing an Aeva, and we want to increase our visibility in grocery stores. We aim to expand our retail network and emphasize the social benefits of our products.”

Strategic Market Entry

Just Vertical determined that initiating operations within the high-end consumer market would enable them to demonstrate market viability and subsequently approach grocery stores with proven success, ultimately maximizing their impact.

“It’s challenging, particularly for a startup, to directly approach grocery stores with a new concept,” he said. “They typically respond with requests for sales data and validation, leading to a lengthy and uncertain process. Grocers are hesitant to be the first to adopt a new idea, but they also don’t want to be left behind.”