Kalera

What Kalera does

Kalera was a US-based vertical farming company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, that specialized in hydroponic controlled-environment agriculture to produce leafy greens and microgreens. Founded in 2007 and historically listed on NASDAQ under the symbol KAL, the company operated multiple indoor growing facilities designed to deliver year-round, pesticide-free produce independent of climate or arable-land constraints. Its core technology combined hydroponic cultivation systems with proprietary plant-breeding IP acquired through its 2021 purchase of seed genetics firm Vindara, aimed at optimizing crop yield and characteristics for indoor environments.

Kalera pursued an asset-heavy growth strategy, raising approximately $100 million in a July 2022 funding round and expanding capacity through acquisitions including Farmers Cut in August 2021. However, the company faced material scalability and CapEx challenges and was acquired by Lactuca Holdings in October 2023 with financial backing from Sandton Capital Partners, effectively transitioning from public-market to private ownership under a strategy emphasizing operational scale and technology licensing. In May 2025, 80 Acres Farms acquired three Kalera vertical farming facilities as part of broader industry consolidation, signaling further contraction of Kalera's directly operated footprint. Leadership during the relevant period included CEO Daniel Malechuk alongside founders Cristian Toma and Mark Korzilius.

Name

Kalera

Website

https://kalera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kalera was a US-based hydroponic vertical farming company producing leafy greens and microgreens in controlled indoor facilities. Following its 2023 acquisition by Lactuca Holdings, three of its facilities were sold to 80 Acres Farms in 2025 as part of industry consolidation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vertical Farming Produce

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leafy Greens Farming (Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Chard) (AFAGADAA), Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC), Vertical Farming Systems & Racking (Indoor Farms, Multi-tier) (AFAAAHAI), Hydroponic & Aeroponic Growing Systems (NFT, DWC, Ebb/Flow, Misting) (AFAAAHAD), Environmental Control & Climate Systems (HVAC, CO₂, Ventilation, Dehumidification) (AFAAAHAB)

Keywords

• Vertical farming
• Hydroponic produce
• Controlled environment agriculture
• Leafy greens
• Indoor farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Core offering

Kalera operated large-scale indoor vertical farming facilities that used hydroponic growing systems to produce leafy greens, microgreens, and other produce for distribution through retail grocery channels. The company specialized in controlling environmental conditions to enable year-round crop production independent of climate and weather.

Product overview

Kalera was a US-based vertical farming company that operated large-scale indoor farming facilities producing leafy greens and microgreens. The company operated multiple hydroponic growing facilities and distributed its produce through retail channels. Kalera was acquired by Lactuca Holdings in October 2023 with support from Sandton Capital Partners. In May 2025, 80 Acres Farms acquired three vertical farming facilities from Kalera as part of broader industry consolidation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leafy Greens

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 80 Acres FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn May 2025, 80 Acres Farms acquired three vertical farming facilities from Kalera as part of broader industry consolidation. This acquisition enabled 80 Acres Farms to absorb distressed assets and achieve operational scale while providing Kalera an exit from certain facilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• 80 Acres Farms: Direct US vertical-farming peer operating indoor hydroponic facilities producing leafy greens, microgreens, and herbs. Acquired three Kalera facilities in May 2025, making it the closest operational comparable and a near-perfect substitute for retailer leafy-greens contracts.
• Bowery Farming: US-based indoor vertical farming operator producing pesticide-free leafy greens and herbs for retail. One of the most-funded vertical farming companies, explicitly mentioned in source as part of the cohort that collectively received over $1B in investment, making it a directly comparable business model.
• AeroFarms: Newark, NJ-based vertical farming pioneer operating large-scale indoor aeroponic facilities for leafy greens. Comparable in technology stack (controlled environment, hydroponic/aeroponic), product mix, and US retail customer base.
• Plenty Unlimited: San Francisco-based vertical farming company developing indoor leafy-greens production at scale with proprietary tower architecture. Directly comparable on technology and product category; serves similar retail customers.
• Gotham Greens: US-based hydroponic greenhouse operator producing leafy greens, herbs, and salad dressings in climate-controlled facilities. Closest direct peer combining hydroponic growing with branded retail products across multiple US sites.
• BrightFarms: US greenhouse hydroponic grower supplying packaged salad greens to retail grocery chains. Directly comparable on greenhouse-based leafy greens production for supermarket channels.

Emerging players

• AppHarvest: Kentucky-based controlled-environment agriculture operator using high-tech greenhouses for tomatoes and leafy greens. Comparable on indoor CEA approach and large CapEx footprint, though with broader crop focus; relevant proxy for indoor-ag operational and capital challenges.
• Smallhold: US-based indoor farming company specializing in mushrooms and microgreens using controlled-environment modular farms. Comparable on indoor CEA operations and direct-to-retail distribution model.
• Square Roots: US-based indoor hydroponic farming operator producing leafy greens and herbs for retail and foodservice using modular container farms. Comparable on indoor hydroponic technology and product mix; smaller scale than Kalera but similar go-to-market.

Regional players

• Infarm: Germany-based vertical farming operator with in-store and centralized growing units producing leafy greens and herbs for European retailers. Comparable technology and business model, but operates primarily outside the US market where Kalera competes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaleraproduce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kalera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kalera