Bristol, UK-based agtech company LettUs Grow announced today it has raised £2.35 million (~$3.1 million USD) for its indoor aeroponic farming system, according to a press release. The round was led by Longwall Venture Partners LLP and brings LettUs Grow’s total funding to roughly $4.1 million.
The company, which was founded in 2015, has a patent-pending indoor farming system that relies on aeroponics and software to grow plants. Many vertical farms currently grow crops using hydroponic farming, where plants are rooted in a soilless medium and fed nutrient-enriched water. Aeroponics more or less lets the plant roots hang in the air, where they are periodically doused with a nutrient-enhanced mist.
LettUs Grow’s system also has a software component, which automates the bulk of the farming work. Called Ostara, the software controls the entire farm, automating temperature and light control as well as when nutrients are delivered to plants. The system also collects data on crops from seed stage to harvest, which growers can analyze and use to improve their farm operations. The entire Ostara system can be controlled remotely.
Like a number of other indoor agtech systems coming to market, LettUs Grow’s farms are modular, which means businesses can add to them over time. Sizes start at 24 square meters (about 258 square feet). While they wouldn’t fit inside an apartment, they’re ideal candidates for unused indoor space at schools, hospitals, universities, and other institutions that would benefit from having an onsite farm.
A number of other indoor farming companies now use aeroponics to grow leafy greens, strawberries, and other crops. AeroFarms, based in New Jersey, is one of the most well-known entities out there. French startup Agricool and Denver, CO-based Altius Farms are a couple more among a growing number of examples.
LettUs Grow has one growing facility running, which the company built in 2019. With the new funds, it will build out a second location, scale their existing technology, and develop new product lines to bring to market.
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