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Upward Farms constructed and operated aquaponic vertical farms, integrating the cultivation of organic leafy greens with the raising of sustainable fish within controlled indoor environments. This approach utilized a closed-loop system, where fish waste fertilized the plants, and the plants filtered the water for the fish, aiming for high ecological standards and resource efficiency in food production. The company developed proprietary technology to manage these complex biosystems at scale.
Founded in 2013 by Jason Green, Ben Silverman, and Matt La Rosa, the company emerged from an initial vision to transform food systems. Their insight stemmed from a shared passion for food and a desire to make fresh, local, and sustainably grown produce universally accessible. Green, with a background in neurorehabilitation technologies, brought an analytical approach to solving complex biological challenges in agriculture.
The company aimed to serve consumers seeking high-quality, organic produce and sustainably raised fish, envisioning a future where urban farming could significantly contribute to local food supplies. Its mission was to reconnect consumers with flavorful food grown with ecological integrity. However, Upward Farms ceased all vertical farming operations in April 2023, discontinuing its efforts to realize this ambitious vision.
Upward Farms has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Upward Farms has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Upward Farms has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Upward Farms's investors include CRV, Dell Technologies Capital, Future Ventures, Owl Capital, Streamlined Ventures, Waverley Capital, Bill Tai.
Upward Farms was a vertical farming technology company that integrated aquaponics, microbiome science, and controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) to produce USDA-certified organic microgreens and hybrid striped bass.[1][2][3] Based in Brooklyn, New York, it served regional retailers like Whole Foods Market in the New York City area, addressing food system challenges by enabling local, year-round production of high-value perishables with reduced water, land, and transportation needs.[1][3][5] The company demonstrated early growth through facility expansions and $121.7 million in Series B funding in 2021, but discontinued vertical farming operations in 2023, pivoting to research amid scaling complexities.[1][2]
Upward Farms traces its roots to 2013, when it was founded as Edenworks in New York by Jason Green (CEO), Ben Silverman, and Matt La Rosa.[1][2][3] The founders drew on expertise in aquaponics and ecology to pioneer a symbiotic system where fish waste fertilized microgreens grown in soil mixtures under LED lights, starting with proof-of-concept labs in Brooklyn.[1][3] Pivotal moments included rebranding to Upward Farms in 2020 after operating as Seed & Roe, raising $15-20 million in funding, and announcing a massive 250,000-square-foot Pennsylvania facility in 2021 backed by $121.7 million Series B—though construction stalled, leading to closure in 2023 as biology-limited efficiency proved insurmountable.[1][2][3][5]
Upward Farms stood out in vertical farming through these key innovations:
Upward Farms rode the vertical farming and regenerative agtech wave, capitalizing on demand for local, sustainable produce amid climate volatility, supply chain disruptions, and 90% of U.S. leafy greens coming from the West Coast or imports.[3][5] Its timing aligned with post-2020 investor enthusiasm for CEA, evidenced by major funding, but highlighted market forces like biological limits on scale and efficiency that doomed many peers.[1][2] By advancing microbiome-driven "biological manufacturing," it influenced agtech toward ecosystem-mimicking tech, proving vertical farms' potential for premium organics while exposing profitability hurdles—shifting industry focus to R&D over hype.[1][4]
Post-2023 shutdown, Upward Farms has pivoted from operations to microbiome research, potentially licensing its Ecological Intelligence platform to sustain impact.[1][2] Rising trends like AI-optimized biology, precision fermentation, and hybrid outdoor-indoor farming could revive its tech in resilient food systems, especially as global food security pressures mount. Its story underscores agtech's evolution: from ambitious scale to pragmatic innovation, priming founders' expertise for ecosystem-wide influence in sustainable manufacturing.[1][4] This Brooklyn-born disruptor healed parts of the "broken food system" it targeted, leaving a blueprint for biology-smart ag of tomorrow.[1]
Upward Farms has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in May 2018.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2018 | $5M Seed | — | CRV, Dell Technologies Capital, Future Ventures, OWL Capital, Streamlined Ventures, Waverley Capital, Bill TAI | Announced |
