Vertical Malt
Vertical Malt is a family-owned specialty malt and flour producer in Grand Forks, North Dakota, growing the majority of its own grain to supply identity-preserved malt and flour to craft brewers, distillers, mills, and bakers in the Upper Midwest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCrookston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vertical Malt does
Vertical Malt is a privately held, family-owned specialty malt producer based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, with its originating farmstead near Fisher, Minnesota tracing back five generations to Julius Wagner in the late 19th century. Founded in 2016, the company grows the majority of its own grain and operates a state-of-the-art malthouse and roller mill, producing identity-preserved malted barley along with specialty malts (wheat, rye, oats), premium malted barley flour, and toll malting/milling services for custom small-batch projects. Its go-to-market is direct sales through website inquiry forms, phone, and email, targeting craft brewers as its primary segment, alongside distillers, industrial-scale mills, and bakers across the Upper Midwest.
The company's competitive positioning rests on a vertically integrated farm-to-malt model that delivers full traceability and consistent batch quality, a differentiator in the craft and premium end of the U.S. malt market where provenance and identity preservation carry meaningful value. Its technology stack is conventional industrial — controlled malting machinery and modern roller mills — with no disclosed AI/ML, software, or digital platform layer. The revenue model combines one-time sales of whole-grain malt and malted barley flour with professional services revenue from toll malting and milling, all priced on a contact-based, quote-driven basis with no publicly disclosed pricing.
Vertical Malt has raised approximately $2.38M in disclosed funding across a 2023 round ($380K) and a 2025 round ($2M), operates with 11–50 employees, and is led by founder and president Adam Wagner. The company remains family-controlled with no institutional investors, parent entities, or public-market exposure disclosed, and its geographic footprint is concentrated in the North Dakota/Minnesota region.
Vertical Malt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vertical Malt
- Legal name
- Vertical Malt
- Website
- https://verticalmalt.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vertical Malt is a family-owned specialty malt and flour producer in Grand Forks, North Dakota, growing the majority of its own grain to supply identity-preserved malt and flour to craft brewers, distillers, mills, and bakers in the Upper Midwest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vertical Malt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Malting
- NAICS
- Malt Manufacturing (311213), Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing (31121), Flour Milling (311211)
- SIC
- Grain Mill Products (2040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flour & Milling Products Manufacturing (wheat, corn, rice, specialty flours) (AFAKABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Malting Barley Production (Brewing/Distilling Supply) (AFAGAAAJ), Mixed Cereal & Grain Farming (Multiple Grains) (AFAGAAAH)
Keywords
Where Vertical Malt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Crookston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Vertical Malt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Whole Grain Malt Sales: Sale of malted barley products including specialty malts (wheat, rye, oats) to craft brewers and distillers.
- Malted Barley Flour Sales: Premium malted barley flour sales to industrial scale mills and bakers.
- Toll Malting & Milling Services: Custom malting and milling services for special projects and small batches, accommodating unique customer requirements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Vertical Malt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vertical Malt produces locally grown specialty malt and malted barley flour through a vertically integrated farm-to-table operation. The company grows the majority of its own grain, then malts and mills it using state-of-the-art equipment to deliver identity-preserved whole grain malt, premium malted barley flour, and custom toll malting and milling services for craft brewers, distillers, mills, and bakers.
Product overview
Vertical Malt is a specialty malt and flour producer offering a portfolio of three main offerings: Whole Grain Malt (malted barley and specialty grains like wheat, rye, and oats for brewers and distillers), Malted Barley Flour (premium flour for mills and bakers), and Specialty Malting & Milling services (toll malting, toll milling, and custom small-batch projects). The company operates with a fully integrated farm-to-table approach, growing their own grain and controlling the malting and milling process from planting through final product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Vertical Malt
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Vertical Malt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Vertical Malt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Vertical Malt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Great Western Malting Co. Established U.S. maltster with broad base, specialty, and craft malt offerings. Broad incumbent comparison on malt product breadth and brewer/distiller customer overlap.
- Rahr Malting Co. One of the largest North American maltsters with broad product lines serving large brewers and craft producers. Broad incumbent comparison for Vertical Malt's craft positioning and US regional footprint.
- Malteurop North America: Major international malting group with North American operations supplying brewers and distillers at scale. Useful broad-incumbent comparison for Vertical Malt on supply chain depth and pricing dynamics.
- Cargill Malt: Global agribusiness with a malt business serving industrial brewers and distillers. Broad incumbent reference for industrial-scale competition and bartering pressure on craft pricing.
Direct peers
- Sugar Creek Malt: Indiana-based craft malthouse producing small-batch, locally grown malt for craft brewers. Comparable vertical integration, heritage-grain positioning, and craft-brewer customer profile.
- Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Long-standing U.S. maltster producing specialty and standard malts for brewers, distillers, and food manufacturers. Closest direct peer given similar multi-segment customer base and emphasis on specialty malt SKUs.
- Riverbend Malt House: Idaho-based craft malthouse producing small-batch, identity-preserved specialty malts for craft brewers. Highly comparable on farm-to-malt vertical integration, scale, and craft-brewery customer segment.
- Admiral Maltings: California craft malthouse making locally grown, floor-malted specialty malts. Comparable focus on craft brewers, small-batch production, and provenance-led identity preservation.
- Blueflint Malting: Montana craft malthouse specializing in small-batch, identity-preserved specialty malts from regional grains. Closely comparable scale, direct-sales GTM, and craft-brewer focus.
Others
- BSG Craftbrewing / Brewers Supply Group: Major craft-brewing ingredients distributor whose malt catalog includes specialty malt SKUs. Adjacent competitor/distributor relevant to Vertical Malt's direct-sales go-to-market strategy and customer overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Vertical Malt social profiles
Digital presenceVertical Malt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vertical Malt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Vertical Malt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vertical Malt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vertical Malt
What does Vertical Malt do?
Vertical Malt produces locally grown specialty malt and malted barley flour through a vertically integrated farm-to-table operation. The company grows the majority of its own grain, then malts and mills it using state-of-the-art equipment to deliver identity-preserved whole grain malt, premium malted barley flour, and custom toll malting and milling services for craft brewers, distillers, mills, and bakers.
Is Vertical Malt a public or private company?
Vertical Malt is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Vertical Malt founded?
Vertical Malt was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vertical Malt based?
Vertical Malt is headquartered in Crookston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vertical Malt make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Whole Grain Malt Sales are the primary driver. The others are malted Barley Flour Sales and toll Malting & Milling Services.
Who are Vertical Malt's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Great Western Malting Co., Rahr Malting Co., Malteurop North America and Cargill Malt. Direct peers are Sugar Creek Malt, Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., Riverbend Malt House, Admiral Maltings and Blueflint Malting. BSG Craftbrewing / Brewers Supply Group is listed as an others.
Does Vertical Malt have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vertical Malt.
What industry is Vertical Malt in?
Vertical Malt's product category is Specialty Malting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKABAD, Flour & Milling Products Manufacturing (wheat, corn, rice, specialty flours), with a secondary code of AFAGAAAJ, Malting Barley Production (Brewing/Distilling Supply). Its NAICS code is 311213 and its SIC code is 2040.