Stacked Farm

Stacked Farm was founded in late 2016 by Liz and Daniel Tzvetkoff,{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Tegan |date=2023-06-27 |title=Farming automation startup Stacked Farm adds $40 million to its stack |url=https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/farming-automation-startup-stacked-farm-40-million-funding/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=SmartCompany |language=en-AU}} initially operating from a 400-square-meter research and development facility in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Queensland.{{Cite web |title=Stacked Farm, Agrana Fruit in vertical berry trial - Food & Drink Business |url=https://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au/news/stacked-farm-agrana-fruit-in-vertical-berry-trial |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2023-11-20 |title=Innovation location: the seaside city with a swell of startups |url=https://www.theguardian.com/gold-coast-city-of-opportunity/2023/nov/20/innovation-location-the-seaside-city-with-a-swell-of-startups |access-date=2025-04-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} The Burleigh Heads facility closed in 2021 as Stacked Farm relocated to a larger site in Arundel, Queensland.{{Cite news |date=2023-11-20 |title=Innovation location: the seaside city with a swell of startups |url=https://www.theguardian.com/gold-coast-city-of-opportunity/2023/nov/20/innovation-location-the-seaside-city-with-a-swell-of-startups |access-date=2025-04-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-12 |title=Stacked Farm plans to build indoor farms in every capital city of Australia |url=https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9567684/stacked-farm-plans-to-build-indoor-farms-in-every-capital-city-of-australia/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.verticalfarmdaily.com |language=en}}

Construction of the Arundel campus began in 2021. The site includes an automated robotic vertical farm, head office, assembly and construction space, and a research and development facility.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-12 |title=Stacked Farm plans to build indoor farms in every capital city of Australia |url=https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9567684/stacked-farm-plans-to-build-indoor-farms-in-every-capital-city-of-australia/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.verticalfarmdaily.com |language=en}} It spans 6,588 square meters, with 2,144 square meters dedicated to farming. The vertical farm is designed to produce over 400 tonnes of herbs and leafy greens annually. Commissioning of the facility began in late 2023, and the first harvest was completed in January 2024.{{Cite web |last=Groeneveld |first=René |date=2023-10-12 |title=Stacked Farm to build indoor farms in each capital city of Australia |url=https://www.futurefarming.com/smart-farming/indoor-farming/stacked-farm-to-build-large-indoor-farms-in-each-capital-city-of-australia/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Future Farming |language=en-US}} Stacked Farm has received investments from institutional entities Magnetar Capital and Tribeca Capital. Strategic supply chain investors include Morco Fresh, Tayside Investments (PFD Food Services), and PMFresh.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-26 |title=Rich Lister helps take robotic farm’s funding to $98m |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/rich-lister-helps-take-robotic-farm-s-funding-to-98m-20230621-p5diau |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=O'Callaghan2023-06-27T03:19:00+01:00 |first=Liam |title=Stacked Farm secures new investment |url=https://www.fruitnet.com/produce-plus/stacked-farm-secures-new-investment/249376.article |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Fruitnet |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Tegan |date=2023-06-27 |title=Farming automation startup Stacked Farm adds $40 million to its stack |url=https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/farming-automation-startup-stacked-farm-40-million-funding/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=SmartCompany |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |date=2019-12-02 |title=How an automated farm is stopping produce going out of season |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/how-an-automated-farm-is-stopping-produce-going-out-of-season-20191115-p53avk |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}

In 2023, Stacked Farm was ranked third in the Australian Financial Review Most Innovative Companies list in the Agriculture, Mining & Utilities category.{{Cite news |date=2023-11-20 |title=Innovation location: the seaside city with a swell of startups |url=https://www.theguardian.com/gold-coast-city-of-opportunity/2023/nov/20/innovation-location-the-seaside-city-with-a-swell-of-startups |access-date=2025-04-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |date=2023-09-26 |title=How mine safety became a winning strategy for Orica |url=https://www.afr.com/companies/mining/how-mine-safety-became-a-winning-strategy-for-orica-20230919-p5e5ux |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}} The company was also included in the FoodTech 500 top list for 2024.{{Cite web |last=admin |title=FoodTech 500, the 'Fortune 500' of FoodTech by Forward Fooding |url=https://forwardfooding.com/foodtech500/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Forward Fooding - Powering the Food & Food Tech revolution! |language=en-US}}

In January 2025, construction began on Stacked Farm’s first commercial-scale facility at the Melbourne Airport precinct. The Melbourne facility covers 10,000 square meters.{{Cite web |last=Pallisco |first=Marc |date=2025-02-17 |title=World’s largest indoor vertical farm coming to Melbourne |url=https://www.realestatesource.com.au/worlds-largest-indoor-vertical-farm-coming-to-melbourne/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=realestatesource |language=en-US}} The company has also announced to expand into the United States, with an office in Los Angeles and additional farms in both Australia and the US.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-02 |title=Lettuce for all: how vertical farming will plug supply chain shortages |url=https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/lettuce-for-all-how-vertical-farming-will-plug-supply-chain-shortages-20220701-p5ay8u |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}

Stacked Farm operates fully automated vertical farms, focusing on the production of herbs and leafy greens.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-26 |title=Australia: Food processor joins forces for indoor farming trials on berry cultivation |url=https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9562879/australia-food-processor-joins-forces-for-indoor-farming-trials-on-berry-cultivation/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.verticalfarmdaily.com |language=en}} The company manufactures its own farming equipment and operates its technology in-house. The farming process is conducted in a controlled indoor environment, where crops are grown in stacked PVC trays filled with a basalt growing medium. The system incorporates a mixture of white, red, and blue LED lighting, with adjustments made to optimise plant growth, flavour, and nutrient composition. Compared to conventional farming, the system enables shorter crop cycles and requires 95% less water. Stacked Farm also operates the Beyond Organic brand. Stacked Farm's produce cultivated without pesticides, herbicides, or contaminants is marketed under the Beyond Organic brand.{{Cite web |last=inSight |first=C. E. A. |date=2024-07-15 |title=Stacked Farm's new 'fully automated' robotic vertical farm |url=https://ceainsight.com/stacked-farms-arundel-vertical-farm/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=CEA inSight |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=First look inside Stacked Farm's new fully automated robotic VF |url=https://www.hortibiz.com/newsitem/news/autonomous-growing/first-look-inside-stacked-farms-new-fully-automated-robotic-vf |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.hortibiz.com |language=en}}

The company is headquartered in Arundel, Queensland.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-12 |title=Stacked Farm plans to build indoor farms in every capital city of Australia |url=https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9567684/stacked-farm-plans-to-build-indoor-farms-in-every-capital-city-of-australia/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.verticalfarmdaily.com |language=en}} Facilities include Arundel, Queensland (headquarters, training center, and operational farm), Melbourne, Victoria (a 10,000 sqm commercial-scale farm fully powered by green energy) and Los Angeles, California. Stacked Farm is a member of the UN Global Compact Network Australia.{{Cite web |last=Maubach |first=Emilia |title=Stacked Farm |url=https://unglobalcompact.org.au/our-members/stacked-farm/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=UN Global Compact Network Australia |language=en-US}} Daniel Tzvetkoff is CEO and founder.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-06 |title=This 6500-sqm vertical farm started as a 'hobby' - now it's eyeing off global expansion |url=https://www.forbes.com.au/covers/entrepreneurs/inside-stacked-farm-arundel-robotic-vertical-farm/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Forbes Australia |language=en-US}}

Category:Agricultural technology

Category:Agriculture companies of Australia