Photobiology · 25 years · NASA-recognised transfer

The technology behind a new kind of farm.

Elevate Farms designs, builds, and operates autonomous vertical-farming technology, recognised by NASA as a direct transfer from space research. Closed-loop, pesticide-free, and engineered to grow the same crop to the same standard anywhere.

98%
Less water than conventional farming
80%
Less labour, seed to harvest
25+ years
Photobiology research
~3,000km
Transport designed out per harvest
01 / The closed loop

Seed to harvest, then back to light.

Every farm runs as one continuous cycle. Light drives growth, automation carries the crop, and the water and nutrients that plants do not take up are recovered and returned. Nothing is thrown away, so the next cycle begins where the last one ended.

01

Controlled light

Engineered light, tuned within the band plants use, drives growth on a precise, repeatable schedule.

02

Automated growth

Plants move through the system on an automated path. No human hands touch the crop.

03

Harvest

Crops are harvested at peak quality, to the same standard every cycle, whatever the weather outside.

04

Water and nutrient recapture

Water and nutrients the plants do not take up are captured and held, rather than drained away.

05

Back to light

The recovered inputs feed the next cycle. The loop closes, and growing begins again.

A continuous closed loop

Explore the interactive closed-loop model on the homepage.

02 / Engineered light

Light, tuned to what plants actually use.

More than 25 years of photobiology research underpin the system. Plants grow on a specific band of light called photosynthetically active radiation, or PAR, which runs from about 400 to 700 nanometres. Elevate engineers its light within that band and delivers it the same way every cycle.

Because the light is precise and consistent, weather and seasonality drop out of the equation. A farm in winter grows exactly as a farm in summer, and a cloudy week changes nothing. That predictability is what turns growing into an engineering problem with a repeatable answer.

Photosynthetically active radiation  ·  400 to 700 nm

The slice of light plants use to grow. Our engineered light is tuned within it, informed by decades of photobiology.

03 / Autonomous operation

No human hands, from seed to harvest.

The crop is grown autonomously. People oversee and operate the farm; they do not handle the plants. That single design choice cuts labour, improves food safety, and holds quality steady.

Hands-off

No human hands

From seed to harvest, the crop is grown without being touched. People supervise the system rather than cultivate it.

Labour

Up to 80% less labour

Autonomy removes most manual cultivation, so a farm can run with up to 80% less labour than conventional growing.

Up to 80% less labour
Safety

Highest food-safety standard

A sealed, automated environment with few points of human contact supports the highest food-safety standard.

Consistency

Consistent quality

Conditions are controlled, so every harvest meets the same quality, regardless of weather or season.

04 / Resource efficiency

A closed loop that wastes almost nothing.

98% Less water than conventional farming, recaptured and reused inside the loop
  • The closed loop captures and recirculates water and nutrients, so almost nothing is lost to runoff.
  • Pesticide-free by design. A sealed environment keeps pests out, so no pesticides are used.
  • Nearly all of the water entering the system is recovered and reused, cycle after cycle.
05 / Modular and local

Built in modules. Grown next door.

Because the technology is modular, a farm can be sited wherever fresh supply is needed and scaled by adding more. Growing beside the market, rather than far from it, takes distance out of the food chain.

Modular

Deployable anywhere

Farms are built in modules, so capacity can be added and sited close to demand, indoors and year round.

Local

Grown beside the market

Production sits next to the people it serves, including dense urban areas, rather than far from the plate.

Logistics

Transport designed out

Growing next door designs out around 3,000 km of transport per harvest, with the freshness and resilience that brings.

About 3,000 km designed out per harvest
06 / Proof

Independently audited to lead the category.

  • Highest yield per square metre

    An independent third-party audit found Elevate the most productive operator benchmarked, measured by yield per square metre.

  • Lowest operating cost per kilogram

    The same audit placed Elevate lowest in operating cost per kilogram of the operators benchmarked.

  • Benchmarked against the field

    Elevate was measured on site against six comparable vertical-farming operators, seven in total.

Independent audit · Cultivatd · 2023
#1of 7
Highest yield per square metreMost productive of the seven vertical-farming operators benchmarked.
#1of 7
Lowest operating cost per kilogramLowest operating cost per kilogram of the seven operators benchmarked.
Source: independent third-party operational audit, Cultivatd, 2023, conducted on site in Orange, New Jersey, benchmarked against six comparable vertical-farming operators.
07 / Questions

Questions investors and partners ask.

What is Elevate Farms' technology?

Elevate designs, builds, and operates autonomous vertical-farming technology recognised by NASA as a direct transfer from space research. It grows leafy greens indoors in a closed loop, with engineered light and automated systems carrying the crop from seed to harvest. The result is pesticide-free produce grown to a consistent standard, independent of weather or season.

How does Elevate use 98% less water?

The farms run as a closed loop that captures and recirculates water and nutrients rather than letting them drain away. Because almost nothing is lost to soil or runoff, the system uses about 98% less water than conventional farming. Plants take what they need, and the rest is recovered and reused.

What is photosynthetically active radiation?

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is the band of light, roughly 400 to 700 nanometres, that plants actually use to grow. Elevate tunes its engineered light within this band, informed by more than 25 years of photobiology research. Delivering precise, consistent light removes weather and seasonality from the growing equation.

How much less labour does the system use?

Because the crop is grown autonomously from seed to harvest, with no human hands touching the plants, a farm can operate with up to 80% less labour than conventional growing. That autonomy also supports the highest food-safety standard and consistent quality. People focus on oversight and operations rather than manual cultivation.

Where can Elevate's farms be deployed?

The farms are modular and can be deployed close to the markets they serve, including dense urban areas. Growing beside the point of consumption designs out around 3,000 km of transport per harvest. Elevate operates facilities across three countries today, on a platform built for rapid deployment wherever fresh, resilient supply is needed.

08 / Enquiries

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