Our mission
A desire for the future and progress, responsibility for comprehensive sustainability, a new integrative definition of indoor farming - these are our drive and motivation.
To this end, we have dedicated ourselves in our Start-up to the development of an innovative and modular vertical farming technology that turns this still young field of technology on its head.
Our goal is a Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) System, das unsere Kunden befähigt, an weltweit beliebigen Standorten 365 Tage im Jahr saison- und klimaunabhängig pflanzliche Erzeugnisse von höchster Qualität mit nie da gewesener Effizienz zu produzieren. Sie wollen eine Farm? Wir haben das Know-How! Nachhaltigkeit und Ressourcenschonung sind dabei für uns die Maxime, durchdachte technologische Alleinstellungsmerkmale öffnen den Weg dorthin.
Our team in Karlsruhe and our Germany-wide partner network are made up of motivated and inquisitive experts from various natural and engineering sciences from industry and academia. This enables us to continuously combine the latest findings from botany and engineering in the highly interdisciplinary technology of vertical farming in such a way that strikingly sustainable and economically attractive solutions result, leading to disruptively new business models.
What is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming is basically the cultivation of plants on vertically stacked growth surfaces - a method that makes possible many times the plant yield per square meter of floor space. When this is done under fully controlled conditions in enclosed growing spaces, it is referred to as indoor (vertical) farming. Such farms can be operated year-round under optimal, consistent growing conditions regardless of location, climate and season.
Die Nährstoffversorgung der Pflanzen erfolgt meistens gänzlich ohne Erdboden durch hydroponische Systeme. Dabei wird die Wurzel über eine sorgfältig zusammengestellte Nährlösung mit allem versorgt, was sie braucht. Durch eine resource-saving cycle which conserves the nutrient solution and requires only a fraction of the water used in conventional cultivation methods (95% reduced water consumption).
With the individual adjustment of the light spectrum for photosynthesis and the ambient climate, optimal conditions can be created for the healthy flourishing of various species throughout all growth phases. Plant products from indoor farming therefore usually contain a higher concentration of ingredients, vitamins or flavorings than those from conventional agriculture.
In addition, they can be grown completely without pesticides and are therefore free of any dirt and pollutants from the outset, even in the lowest concentrations.
How do we stand out?
To take Vertical Farming to the next level, you don't need another one,
standard arugula or basil plantation.
It requires new ideas!
Medical plants
We focus on pharmaceutically, cosmetically and biochemically relevant plants whose populations are endangered by wild collection and which are, among others, urgently needed for phytopharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In addition to the plant mass, the quality and concentration of the active ingredients come into focus.
Perennials
Our cultivation system is designed for growing perennial plants, which are not only harvested once, but yield repeatedly in many growth cycles. This allows different parts of the plants to be harvested over and over again, from flower to root. For the different growth phases, the plants can be placed in separate parts of the plant with adapted conditions.
Increased yield
For optimal, healthy growth, in addition to light and nutrient supply, the use of various natural growth stimuli (tropisms) is implemented in a technologically novel way and individually adapted to the respective plant species. Here, gravitropism is clearly in the foreground, which promises significantly increased growth and increased production of ingredients.
Automation
Thanks to the modular design and a well thought-out intralogistics structure, our farm plants of any size can be operated in a fully automated manner. In the course of their life cycle (from germination station to harvest), plants can be extracted in individual batches via special carrier systems to be processed and returned to the growth cycle.
Medical plants
We focus on pharmaceutically, cosmetically and biochemically relevant plants whose populations are endangered by wild collection and which are, among others, urgently needed for phytopharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In addition to the plant mass, the quality and concentration of the active ingredients come into focus.
Perennials
Our cultivation system is designed for growing perennial plants, which are not only harvested once, but yield repeatedly in many growth cycles. This allows different parts of the plants to be harvested over and over again, from flower to root. For the different growth phases, the plants can be placed in separate parts of the plant with adapted conditions.
Increased yield
For optimal, healthy growth, in addition to light and nutrient supply, the use of various natural growth stimuli (tropisms) is implemented in a technologically novel way and individually adapted to the respective plant species. Here, gravitropism is clearly in the foreground, which promises significantly increased growth and increased production of ingredients.
Automation
Thanks to the modular design and a well thought-out intralogistics structure, our farm plants of any size can be operated in a fully automated manner. In the course of their life cycle (from germination station to harvest), plants can be extracted in individual batches via special carrier systems to be processed and returned to the growth cycle.
Roadmap
We want to reach high! Literally.
2023
R&D project
Funded by the Bioeconomy Innovation Program "BIPL-BW" of the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, ideal growth conditions for various plant species are determined and our innovative vertical farming system is put through its paces and perfected.
2024
Demonstration Plant
Based on the uniquely interdisciplinary know-how gained and the market-ready development of our plant engineering technology, a demonstrator plant will be built to serve as a proof of concept on an industrial scale and as a showcase for future customers.
2025
Market Acquisition
Mit dem ausgereiften Engineering und den botanischen „Gebrauchsanweisungen“ in der Tasche bieten wir unsere einzigartigen Wachstumsfabriken schlüsselfertig auf dem Markt an. Unsere F&E-Module dienen für umfangreiche Dienstleistungen zur passgenauen botanischen und prozesstechnischen Anlagenauslegung für den Kunden.
The VFT Team
Dr. Reinhard Bott
Company director & leading figure, process engineer, marketing expert
Reinhard has already founded a process engineering company and made it internationally successful, long before the term "Start-up" was born. He is the man for team spirit and corporate development.
Marc Galley
Head of interdisciplinary engineering, technology integrator, research & development
As a civil and environmental engineer, Marc has always been obsessed with the idea of sustainability and progressive solutions for the future. With his master's thesis on Aquaponics, he has previously presented a stellar start to the topic as a booster.
Daniel Trippe
Power & Air Conditioning, Automation
System engineering and retail
Daniel is broadly positioned thanks to his master's degree in general mechanical engineering. Specializing in energy and building technology as well as automation, he brings important pieces of the puzzle into play and represents the startup at trade fairs, lectures or science slams.
Manuel Amann
Botanist, phytochemist of plant constituents, developer of botanical growth formulas.
The plant whisperer. As a biologist and phytochemist, Manuel brings the scientific know-how around plant well-being and the ingredients around which everything revolves.
Max Brehm
Entwicklung, Anlagenkonstruktion, Prototypenbau
Max ist ein Tüftler, wie er im Buche steht. Mit studiertem Maschinenbau-Wissen und handwerklichem Geschick konstruiert, baut und optimiert er gerade die komplexen Komponenten, die das System zusammenhalten.
Leo Flohr
Anlagenkonzeption, Prozessplanung
und Regelungstechnik
Mit unternehmerischer Startup-Erfahrung und tiefem Expertenwissen im Bereich Sensorik und Regelungstechnik erweitert Leo das Team gerade in den Bereichen Anlagenplanung und Integration essentieller Teiltechnologien.
Edit Gössel
Finance, Accounting, Administration
Edit is a numbers person with a clear view and structure. She has the team's back in all administrative matters.
Noah Priesnitz
Prototypenbau, Montage
Um Pläne vom Papier in die Tat umzusetzen, braucht es handwerkliche Talente, die anpacken können. Noah unterstützt während seines Bauingenieur-Studiums am KIT die Fertigung und Montage von Prototypen und Eigenkonstruktionen jeder Art.
Helena Telle-Jiménez
Bioengineering, Plant health
The health of the plants is the top priority in indoor farming. Protecting the green gold from diseases without any use of pesticides is a challenge that requires know-how and finesse, which Helena is working on at VFT alongside her studies at KIT.
Our partners
Business and development partners, supporters & networks
Botany
Mechanical Engineering
Textile & Fiber Technology
Energy and Climate
Research Grants
Research Grants
Research Grants
Bioökonomie-Network
Substrate
VC - Network
Medical plants
Pharma
- Vertical Farm Tech GmbH, 2024
Other
Contact
-
Vertical Farm Tech GmbH
Seubertstraße 10
76131 Karlsruhe - +49 721 467 178 90
-
info@vertical-farm.tech
Contact
-
Vertical Farm Tech GmbH
Seubertstraße 10
76131 Karlsruhe - +49 721 467 178 90
-
info@vertical-farm.tech
Other
- Vertical Farm Tech GmbH 2024