We’re excited to share that vGreens was recently featured in one of Germany’s leading agri-business journals, the “Agrarzeitung”! The article dives into how we’re rethinking strawberry farming with AI-powered vertical indoor farms that work completely independent of weather, climate, or location.

At the heart of it all is our intelligent farm management system, which uses sensors and hyperspectral cameras to monitor each plant in real time—adjusting light, CO₂, nutrients, and humidity based on what every strawberry actually needs. The result? Demand-based production with consistently fresh, high-quality output.

Automation and early detection of pests or diseases help reduce risks and make large-scale indoor farming more predictable and resource-efficient than ever. Our platform empowers growers anywhere in the world to cultivate fresh, nutrient-packed strawberries—literally at the push of a button.

And it doesn’t stop with strawberries, we’re already thinking beyond: Our tech supports a variety of crops, all while promoting a more sustainable, resilient food system globally. With a hybrid cloud setup and encrypted infrastructure, we’re also serious about data privacy and transparency, while building smarter, cleaner food system for the future.

Check out the full article here (German only) to learn more about how we’re building the future of farming.

The startup ecosystem in NRW is growing – and we are right in the middle of it. Two recent TV features highlight how targeted support, entrepreneurial drive, and political engagement are coming together to bring sustainable innovation into the spotlight.

Accompanying a visit of NRW’s Minister for Culture and Science Ina Brandes, the local news outlets WDR Lokalzeit Ruhr and RTL West shed light on the BRYCK Startup Alliance as a key location for tech-driven startups in Europe – something, we can only confirm.

For us at vGreens, BRYCK was the place where we laid some of our most important foundations: a strong network, room to challenge our ideas, grow, and make mistakes as well as the dedicated support of team BRYCK have accompanied us from day one. Today, we operate a scalable module of a data-driven vertical farm at our headquarters at Triple Z and are working on various industrial projects around the world.

Being one of three selected flagship startups from the BRYCK network, we were happy to showcase our work to Minister Brandes and gain her political perspective on the role of startups for Germany’s economic future.

In two news segments WDR Lokalzeit Ruhr and RTL WEST explored the topic of startup support – highlighting BRYCK’s important work in bringing founders together with industry-leaders and political decision-makers. Both features make one thing clear: innovation needs strong partnerships. We’re proud to contribute to this growing ecosystem – pushing global access to sustainably produced fruits right from the heart of the Ruhr region. 

See us on WDR Lokalzeit (German only).

See us on RTL West (German only).

Pictures: Marc Aufdemkamp | BRYCK

The Good Climate for NRW (Original: Gutes Klima für NRW) initiative, launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action, and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, is spotlighting groundbreaking, sustainable innovations shaping the region’s future. In its latest report, vertical farming takes center stage as a game-changer for food production—and vGreens is leading the way.

Our AI-powered technology optimizes plant growth in controlled environments, delivering maximum yields while using fewer resources. By bringing farming into urban spaces, we’re making fresh, local produce more sustainable and accessible than ever.

We’re excited to be featured in the latest episode of the initiative’s “In Fact – 90 Seconds for NRW” (Original: In der Tat – 90 Sekunden für NRW) and proud to be part of this movement toward smarter, greener food production.

Check out the full report at gutesklimafuer.nrw (German only).

Making it out of hundreds of startups that applied, vGreens made it into the final of the COP29 Global Green Innovation Challenge. We therefore had the honor to present our vision of data-driven food-production at the Green Zone of UN’s flagship Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, November 16th. 

Our Co-CEOs Claas and Max and our Marketing Lead Lina represented vGreens on international stage gathering valuable insights and making new connections to decision-makers, investors and other change-makers from around the globe. On Friday, the team was invited to attend COP29 Flagship Friday Evening Event focusing on Climate Finance & Innovation. The evening was organized by Top Tier Impact, a global ecosystem of investors, entrepreneurs and professionals, SABAH.HUB, a local startup hub from Baku, and the venture builder Avestu Capital bringing together global innovators and decision-makers from all areas of expertise. 

On Saturday, it was time to pitch! At 01:05 pm local time, Dr. Maximilian Hartmann took it to the stage at ABB Pavilion in COP29’s Green Zone and presented vGreens’ technology for the data-driven, year-round and sustainable fruit production in controlled indoor farms. We are proud to have made it under the Top 5 Green Innovation Startups worldwide, further proving that forward-thinking approaches in the field of agriculture are amongst the most relevant factors for a sustainable future! 

Cover Picture: UN Climate Change / Kiara Worth.

This past Thursday, October 31, 2024, the very first “DieBusinessPunk” took place – and vGreens took home first place in the pitch for the NEXT GEN UNICORN Award! Our Co-Founder and Co-CEO Dr. Maximilian Hartmann represented Team vGreens on stage and impressed the jury with our data-driven approach to fruit production in just four minutes.

The brand new event series “DieBusinessPunk” of the business lifestyle magazine “Business Punk” is tailored specifically to entrepreneurs, creative managers and visionaries. In the pitch for the NEXT GEN UNICORN Award, four startups had the chance to present their groundbreaking ideas and convince the jury of experienced entrepreneurs and investors why they will soon be valued in the billions.

You can get an overview of the event in the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qgKu0XBMKY&t=1s

More information abut the award and all participating Startups can be found here:

Video Link (German only)

At the grand finale of the “Meet, Greet + Beat, Vol. 3” roadshow in Düsseldorf on October 10, 2024, the winning teams from the six previous events faced off one last time to compete for the overall victory. Our Co-Founder, Dr. Maximilian Hartmann, represented vGreens and proudly secured second place!

“Meet, Greet + Beat” is known as the premier startup event in North Rhine-Westphalia. This year’s third edition focused on Social Entrepreneurship and Climate Protection. Across five events in Aachen, Wuppertal, Münster, Dortmund, Paderborn, and Cologne, innovative startups pitched their ideas to a jury, vying for a chance to qualify for the grand finale in Düsseldorf. vGreens had already impressed the judges at the Dortmund event, taking first place and earning our spot in the finale.

More information about the event and the finale can be found here (German only).

Our partners at Siemens welcomed our Co-Founder and Co-CEO Claas Ahrens to their German Podcast “Einblick. Zweiblick. Weitblick.” to shed light on the enormous potential of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), especially Indoor Farming.

Together with host Katja Lübcke and Siemens Account Manager Liliana Rahn, Claas dives deep on the topic of food security and the subsequent increasing need for innovative agricultural methods like our very own data-driven approach to Vertical Farming.

You can listen to the episode here (German only).

The concept of vertical farming is becoming increasingly popular in new food production systems. Various companies and start-ups around the world are researching innovative cultivation methods to grow fruits and vegetables in a resource-efficient way and complement traditional farming.

Strawberry vertical farming, which involves growing strawberries vertically indoors, is gaining particular traction. In this article, we will discover why much of this research is centered around hydroponic strawberries, whether those strawberries are truly healthy and tasty, and how vertical strawberry farms operate.

Table of contents:

• The Origins of Vertical Farming

• Why Is There So Much Interest in Growing Strawberries Vertically?

• The Cultivation Options for Strawberries in Vertical Farms

• How Do Hydroponic Strawberries Taste?

• Advantages of Vertical Strawberry Farming

• Traditional and Vertical Strawberry Cultivation – A Contraction?

• Conclusion

  
  

The Origins of Vertical Farming

Vertical farming is a concept that was developed in 1999 by Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University in New York City, along with his students. However, its origins go way back to the American geologist Gilbert Ellis Bailey, who in 1915 envisioned vertical farms as a form of roof farming.

Since then, there has been significant interest in growing salads and herbs in vertical farms, but in recent years, cultivating strawberries vertically has also gained popularity. Why is that?

Why Is There So Much Interest in Growing Strawberries Vertically?

Strawberries are among the most popular fruits worldwide. They contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits, are rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and have immune-boosting and antioxidant effects due to their polyphenol content. Germany is one of the leading strawberry-growing countries in Europe, making it an ideal location for vGreens’ data-driven vertical strawberry farms.

But strawberries are not only exceptionally popular and healthy for consumers but for several reasons also particularly well-suited for vertical farming:

1. In the controlled environment of a vertical farm, strawberries can be cultivated with a high sugar content (Brix level) and enhanced flavor. As a result, the strawberries taste exceptionally good – regardless of external factors like adverse weather conditions.

2. Additionally, strawberries grown in a vertical farm are often slightly larger than conventional ones, making them more appealing to consumers.

3. Due to the independence from external factors, vertical farms can achieve more than seven harvest cycles per year, leading to significantly higher yields.

4. Vertical farming is also resource- and space-efficient. For example, our vGreens vertical strawberry farms require 99% less land compared to traditional strawberry farming, and water consumption can be reduced by up to 95%.

   
   

The Cultivation Options for Strawberries in Vertical Farms

In principle, there are three different methods for growing strawberries – or other produce – vertically: aeroponics, aquaponics and hydroponics.

Aeroponics: Soil-Free Cultivation Using Nutrient Mists

In aeroponics, the roots of the strawberry plants hang freely in the air and are regularly sprayed with a nutrient-rich solution. This method provides excellent oxygenation to the roots, enables rapid plant growth, and reduces water consumption. Since no substrate is required, the plants can be packed closely together, further optimizing space usage.

Aquaponics: A Symbiotic Relationship Between Fish and Plants

Aquaponics combines the cultivation option of hydroponics with aquaculture (fish farming). Fish are raised in special tanks, producing ammonia-rich waste that serves as nutrients for the strawberry plants. The nutrient-rich water is pumped into the growing beds, where the strawberries then use these nutrients. The plants, in turn, purify the water, which is then recirculated back to the fish. This method is highly efficient, forming a closed cycle that allows for the cultivation of both plants and fish.

Hydroponics: Soil-Free Cultivation Using Nutrient Solutions

Hydroponics is one of the most common methods for vertical strawberry farms – we at vGreens, for example, use a hydroponics-derived method in our automated vertical farms. In hydroponics, strawberry plants are grown in a nutrient-rich solution without soil. This ensures that the plants receive nutrients directly, maximizing cultivation efficiency.

There are various hydroponic systems in which strawberry plants can grow, including:

• Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): With this method, a thin film of nutrient solution continuously flows through shallow channels where the strawberries grow. The plant roots absorb the nutrients directly from the water while receiving adequate oxygen.

• Deep Water Culture (DWC): Here, the strawberry plants grow on floating platforms suspended in a nutrient-rich water basin. The roots hang directly in the water, which is regularly aerated to ensure adequate oxygen supply.

• Drip System: In this method, strawberries are grown in a substrate (such as coconut fibers or rock wool), and the nutrient solution is delivered directly to the roots via a drip system.

How Do Hydroponic Strawberries Taste?

Are hydroponic strawberries sweet? And are hydroponic strawberries healthy? These are two of the questions many people have in mind when it comes to vertical strawberry farming – and rightfully so! At first, it may seem strange that fruits typically grown in open fields could be cultivated on shelves in a production facility.

The Healthier Strawberry

In reality, vertical farming makes it possible to grow strawberries that are both sweet and healthy. The positive nutrients and vitamins found in strawberries are fully retained in vertical farming. Since the controlled environment in a vertical farm eliminates the need for pesticides and fertilizers, the fruit is even healthier for consumers. This is a significant advantage, as pesticides and fertilizers pose risks to humans, workers, and the environment alike.

The Sweeter Strawberry

Moreover, strawberries from vertical farms are particularly sweet. This is because the sugar content, the so-called Brix level, can be individually adjusted. The Brix level measures the sugar content in liquids and indicates how much sugar is dissolved in a solution. A higher Brix level generally means a sweeter taste, which is a key quality characteristic for strawberries.

For strawberries, the average Brix level is around nine, as shown in Dutch field trials. However, ideally, the Brix level of a strawberry could be twice as high, making it even sweeter. A good Brix level for strawberries is around 16, while an excellent level is 18 – significantly higher than the average Brix value in the trails. Vertical farming allows individual adjustments to achieve this, with the Brix level even customizable by region, as there are indications that people from different nations prefer varying levels of sweetness in their fruits.

Advantages of Vertical Strawberry Farming

Specifically, vertical strawberry farming offers several advantages over traditional agriculture:

• Year-round production due to independence from seasons and weather conditions.

• Significantly reduced land usage, requiring up to 99% less space.

• Drastically lower water consumption, with up to 95% less water needed.

• Complete elimination of pesticides and fertilizers.

• Higher yields due to multiple harvests per year.

• Better quality control, high sugar content, and sweetness due to controlled conditions.

• Shorter transportation distances thanks to the possibility of urban production.

Traditional and Vertical Strawberry Cultivation – A Contradiction?

Despite these advantages of vertical farming, one thing is clear: vertical farming won’t feed the world (especially not with strawberries). At vGreens, we recognize the importance of developing alternative farming methods to continue feeding the world today and tomorrow. However, for us, the discussion between traditional and modern agriculture is not an either-or situation – it’s about combination.

In the end, vertical farming is an essential building block that can revolutionize our food system by ensuring a constant supply of nutrient-rich products. As the global population is expected to reach approximately 10 billion people by 2050, our current dietary habits will not keep up. So, it is clear that we need a change – and both traditional and modern agriculture will play a crucial role in this transformation.

Conclusion

Vertical farming, particularly the cultivation of strawberries, represents a significant progress in new food production systems. By growing strawberries in controlled indoor environments, a vertical farm can produce fruit with higher sweetness, larger size, and consistent quality, all while using significantly fewer resources than traditional farming methods. This innovative approach not only offers a sustainable solution to meet the growing demand for fresh produce but also opens up new possibilities for urban agriculture. While strawberry vertical farming may not replace traditional agriculture, it serves as a vital complement, helping to ensure a more resilient and efficient food system for the future.

Together with Fraunhofer UMSICHT vGreens is proud to announce the start of our latest project “inBerry”. Commissioned by Obst- und Gemüse-Absatzgenossenschaft Nordbaden eG and Obstgroßmarkt Mittelbaden eG, the project aims to take AI-driven future food production to the next level. 

Set to run for several years “inBerry” focuses on further developing vGreens’ data-based and AI-controlled production system by using optical sensor technologies for quality determination. This includes the development of new indoor cultivation systems for other fruits like blueberries and raspberries. 

You can read the press release in English and German here.