Vertical Farming: Why the startup Lite & Fog has the potential to revolutionize our food and pharmaceutical industries

Vertical farming is not a new idea. Visions of high-rise buildings with plants growing up their facades have been around for a long time. However, such concepts have not yet caught on. The technology was simply too immature. Irrigation was too complicated.

That could change with the Berlin-based startup Lite & Fog. Founded in 2019, the company has developed a technology that allows plants to grow in sterile environments entirely without soil, but on fabric and with the help of nutrient-enriched fog on tall columns. – With results that astound: 400 times greater crop yields and 95 percent less water use compared to conventional farming, and 50 percent energy reduction compared to vertical farming.

Pesticides are not even needed with Lite & Fog. The first international customers from the food and pharmaceutical industries have already taken notice of the startup. And we at Ambivation were curious, too. In this interview, CEO Martin Peter talks about what sets his solution and business model apart from other concepts in the field of vertical farming. He also provides insights into collaborations with British food manufacturer Bright Biotech and Israeli pharmaceutical company Biobetter.

Martin, how did you come up with the idea for Lite & Fog?

I studied physics and later painting in Leipzig. There I experimented with growing plants in columns for the first time as part of the urban gardening project “Annalinde” – actually just to show how crazy plants can grow as part of my art studies. Through a stay in Israel, where many more young people are founding startups than here in Germany, I realized that this could be turned into a business idea.

400 times more crop yields than in conventional farming, much less energy and water consumption and zero pesticides – how do you manage that?

We multiply the cultivation area by using the height. For example, 1000 sqm² becomes 75,000 sqm² with our 9 m high columns. Theoretically, 18 m high columns would also be possible. Our water stays in the cycle and does not go into the groundwater. And because of the sterile environment we have no problems with insects and diseases. As a result, we are not dependent on pesticides. Our plants grow on fabric and mist enriched with nutrients. And in fact, plants like this stable environment. Even a short period of drought has a negative effect on the yield. This doesn’t happen here.

That sounds fascinating, but also scary – this artificiality, the fact that you do it better than nature, so to speak, in which everything is actually so well coordinated if we humans don’t intervene.

That’s not quite true. It’s more the case that we imitate nature. For example, there are plants that grow on trees at the foot of waterfalls and whose roots hang in the air, so to speak. It’s a very similar principle: the plants feed on the waterfall’s mist, which is enriched with nutrients.

Exciting! You already have your first customers. Can you tell us something about that?

Gladly. First of all, it’s important to know: Our goal is not to grow lettuce, but to sell machines. The focus of our customers so far is primarily in the field of molecular farming. This involves producing plants with special proteins and properties. Our first customer was the British company Bright Biotech, which specializes in the production of substances for the production of laboratory meat – that is, meat that can be grown in the laboratory without animal suffering and without harming nature. This process requires a specific protein that currently costs 80 million euros per gram. With our technology, we are helping the company to breed genetically modified tobacco plants with this protein.

You also have customers in the pharmaceutical industry.

Yes, for example the Israeli company Biobetter, which is working on producing plants with insulin. At the moment, it’s only insulin for animals, but theoretically it’s also possible for humans. This insulin would then no longer have to be injected, but could simply be ingested via a bowl of lettuce, for example. Our technology is also of interest to companies in the cosmetics industry. Many decision-makers are still unaware of the ingredients that can be easily and sustainably produced from our plants using plants.

How do you get your foot in the door with such customers?

Actually, the molecular farming industry is still very small. We attend a lot of trade shows and are now very well networked. In addition, we always give interested companies the opportunity to test our technology first to see what is possible before they decide.

What do farmers actually say about your technology?

Some are already skeptical. But many have also understood that agriculture cannot continue as it is now. Climate change, with extreme weather conditions and long periods of drought, poses major challenges for farmers. Added to this is the contamination of the soil by fertilizers, an increasing lack of space and much more. It is very important for us to convey that we want to be supporters for farmers – and by no means competitors. Sometimes we can even supply farmers with customers – for example, pharmaceutical companies that need certain plant substances. I think we should all talk to each other more.

Finally, do you have any advice for other startups?

Yes, look carefully at which area is worth focusing on! In Germany, food can currently still be produced very cheaply. Energy, on the other hand, is expensive. Our focus on sophisticated molecular farming makes our business model profitable.

Contact

Website: www.liteandfog.com

LinkedIn: Martin Peter