Inside 80 Acres’ Bold Bet on Smart Crops

A $115M fund and Plantae deal position 80 Acres Farms to design crops built for vertical farms

11 Feb 2025

In February 2025, 80 Acres Farms, an Ohio-based vertical farming firm, announced a $115m funding round and the acquisition of Israeli biotech company Plantae Biosciences. The deal marks a shift from engineering better farms to engineering better plants.

Vertical farms have long struggled with crops bred for open fields rather than LED-lit shelves. Instead of adapting its facilities to the biology of traditional plants, 80 Acres Farms now plans to tailor crops to its own infrastructure. The firm hopes that custom-designed seeds will make indoor farming more efficient and profitable.

Plantae’s expertise lies in genetic optimisation. Its technology can adjust plant traits for confined environments, speeding growth, improving light absorption and cutting resource use. The goal is to develop crops that thrive indoors, reducing energy and labour costs.

“This investment gives us full command of the food chain, from seed genetics to the final product,” said Tisha Livingston, chief executive of Infinite Acres, a subsidiary of 80 Acres Farms. “We’re unlocking quality, sustainability, and affordability in one stroke.”

The funding, backed by global agri-tech investors, reflects growing interest in resilient food systems that can withstand climate shocks and supply-chain disruptions. Vertical farms, operating close to cities, offer pesticide-free, year-round harvests with minimal transport.

Yet hurdles remain. Genetic engineering brings regulatory scrutiny and consumer unease. Approval processes can be lengthy, and scepticism toward modified crops persists. The firm’s bet is that scientific transparency and lower costs will win over both regulators and shoppers.

The move aligns with a broader trend in controlled-environment agriculture: shifting innovation from infrastructure to biology. If successful, 80 Acres Farms could pioneer an era where crops are designed for buildings rather than the other way around, a future where plant science, not machinery, drives growth.