80 Acres Farms® and Soli Organic® have jointly confirmed a a strategic merger to form one of the world’s largest and most advanced indoor farming networks.
According to certain reports, this newly formed company will operate under the 80 Acres Farms name, with its headquarters being in Hamilton, Ohio.
More on that would reveal how the stated merger effectively packages 80 Acres Farms’ GroLoop™ platform, an integrated system of hardware, software, and environmental controls designed for precision, automation, and scalability across the entire farm network, with Soli Organic’s longstanding retail footprint and agronomic expertise developed over more than 35 years of commercial production.
“This merger is a win for forward-thinking retailers and the customers they serve,” said Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, current co-chairman of Soli Organic, and a board member of the combined company. “Retailers today want differentiated products, surety of supply, and a compelling story. Given recent trade volatility, indoor agriculture is playing an increasingly important role for retailers.”
Taking a deeper view of what the given deal can achieve moving forward, we begin from the promise of national reach and scale. The new company will essentially serve more than 17,000 retail locations across the US. This it will do on the back of a farm and logistics network purpose-built for regional redundancy and just-in-time delivery.
Next up, we must dig into the organization’s growth prospects. You see, by leveraging the prowess of seven nationally distributed vertical farms, the company should be able to grow 15-20 million pounds of fresh produce annually, thus meeting current customer demand and leaving room for retail expansion.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in its diversified high-velocity product portfolio, which includes everything from salad blends and salad kits to a full line of herbs, tomatoes, and microgreens.
“I spent the first part of my career helping build some of the most advanced greenhouse systems in the world,” said Ulf Jonsson, a founder of Soli Organic. “But we’ve moved beyond what greenhouses can deliver. Vertical farms offer greater consistency, quality, and yield. I’m excited about combining two leading technologies to create the system that will define the next generation of indoor agriculture.”
Joining that would be a proven technology and data platform. The newly-formed company will, in simple terms, bank upon Infinite Acres® GroLoop™ platform to integrate engineering, biology, and technology, delivering precise environmental control.
Such a mechanism, like you can guess, can very well birth higher yields, better flavor, and consistent quality, while simultaneously minimizing input costs. Complementing this would be the availability of AI-powered insights, geared towards improving crop optimization, forecasting, inventory planning, distribution, reducing waste, and boosting supply chain responsiveness.
Hold on, we still have a couple of bits left to unpack, considering we haven’t yet touched upon the brand of operational depth we can expect from the new company.
The deal essentially brings together veteran teams in engineering, plant science, operations, and food safety to significantly solidify the resulting company’s technical foundation and accelerate innovation across the network. It further unites proven branding, marketing, and merchandising capabilities to support long-term retail growth and customer engagement.
In case that wasn’t enough, the merger will also get to stand upon strategic investments made over the past 18 months, including a new salad dressing line from Reunion Foods, the Israeli biotech company Plantae Biosciences, and facilities and IP from vertical farming pioneer Kalera.
Rounding up highlights would be the end-to-end supply chain efficiency. Thanks to integrated operations and real-time visibility, the combined company will basically reduce food waste, improve freshness, and deliver consistent, reliable service nationwide.
“Vertical farming is entering the next phase of business maturity, and it’s about execution, efficiency, and results,” said Mike Zelkind, co-founder of 80 Acres Farms and CEO of the combined company. “This merger unites two top operators that, together, have the scale, economics, and teams to deliver the results that the industry has been waiting for. Both companies have spent decades developing enhanced technology, improving operations, and building winning brands. Our value proposition is clear: fresher, better-tasting produce that’s pesticide- and heavy metal-free, locally grown, climate-resilient, and built for shelf life.”
