SoftBank Leads $140 Million Funding for Vertical Farming Startup Plenty
Berry specialists Driscoll’s also investing and getting involved as strategic partner
Plenty’s strawberries.
Source: Plenty
Vertical-farm company Plenty Unlimited Inc. said it has raised $140 million in fresh financing led by existing backer SoftBank Group Corp. along with new investor Driscoll’s Inc. The cash and collaboration with berry specialists Driscoll’s will help it advance into new products such as strawberries.
The addition of a strategic investor alongside SoftBank’s Vision Fund helps enhance Plenty’s credibility with grocery stores. For Driscoll’s, it provides a window into how robots can assist in farming. Plenty’s offerings — kale and other greens for now — are grown in warehouses without the touch of human hands, using highly calibrated lighting, fertilizing and watering techniques.