What Cultipharm does

Cultipharm S.r.l. is an Italian privately held company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Guidizzolo (Mantua province), operating a single pilot phytotron — a Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA) vertical farm inaugurated in 2021 in partnership with greenhouse-technology firm Idromeccanica Lucchini and co-founded with SeSe Srl. The facility cultivates medicinal and aromatic plants under fully isolated conditions to produce standardized, customizable botanical extracts and active ingredients marketed under the Superactive brand, with twelve named SKUs spanning anti-inflammatory (Sanctodefence, Zingerplus, Flavincanus), neuroprotective (Crosit, Mulleinpro), hepatoprotective (Silyguards, Bardana), immunostimulant (Igeapro), adaptogenic (Sanctomood), migraine-preventive (Parthimel), and topical (Freelanin) indications. Technical differentiators include hourly-precision balsamic-time harvest optimization, meristematic/sprout cultivation that compresses production cycles, genomic fingerprinting for genotype preservation across cycles, Bioagricert 'Residuo zero' (<=0.01 mg/kg pesticides) and 'Nichel free' (<0.01 mg/kg nickel) certifications, and blockchain-anchored 'Digital Botanic Identity' traceability aligned with ISO 9001.

The business operates four revenue streams: (1) B2B sales of Superactive botanicals to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic enterprise customers (domestic Italy, single-country scope today); (2) Phytodiscovery, a modular five-phase research-services platform covering identification, selection, in silico studies, efficacy/pharmacokinetics, and clinical trials for clients seeking new botanical development; (3) phytotron feasibility studies, design, construction, and commissioning services sold to entrepreneurs and investors; and (4) a co-investment/franchise model in which Cultipharm acts as commercial lead for newly built branded facilities, providing off-take agreements and ongoing agronomic/economic consulting. The team of ~11 includes a CEO recognized on the Forbes Under 30 list and spans R&D, production, quality/regulatory, and external relations, with two additional phytotron facilities in funded planning and a PR FESR-backed digital transition project (2025-2026) underway with Centro Software and Anubi Digital. Total disclosed equity funding to date is approximately $1.14M (July 2025 round led by Moonstone Fund, with Ai Zei).

Name

Cultipharm

Legal name

Cultipharm S.r.l.

Website

https://cultipharm.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cultipharm is an Italian vertical-farming producer of standardized, traceable, zero-residue botanical active ingredients — branded as Superactive — serving pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic enterprise customers, with ancillary phytotron build services and a co-investment franchise model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Active Ingredients (Vertical-Farmed)

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Medicinal Plant Farming (Botanical/Pharmaceutical Crops) (AFAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC), Nursery Stock & Propagule Production (Cuttings, Rootstocks, Grafts) (AFAGAIAO)

Keywords

• Vertical farming botanicals
• Botanical active ingredients
• Controlled environment agriculture
• Phytotron cultivation technology
• Plant extract production

Headquarters

HQ city

Guidizzolo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Superactive Botanicals and Active Ingredients: Production and sale of high-concentration botanical and active ingredient products cultivated in vertical farms. Products can be sold as whole dried/powdered botanicals or naturally enhanced extracts, serving pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries with customizable phytochemical profiles.
2. Phytotron Design, Construction & Commissioning: Cultipharm provides end-to-end services for phytotron/vertical farm construction including technical analysis, facility design, business plan development, and commissioning for entrepreneurs and investors entering the controlled cultivation sector.
3. Phytodiscovery Research Services: Modular research service platform offering 5-phase botanical discovery and validation (identification, selection, in silico studies, efficacy/pharmacokinetics studies, clinical trials) to clients seeking new product development or optimization of existing botanicals.
4. Business Network / Co-investment Model: Cultipharm acts as commercial lead for new phytotron facilities, proposing product off-take agreements, assisting investors with sales channel development, and providing ongoing agronomic and economic consulting while maintaining the Cultipharm brand on facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cultipharm produces and supplies 'Superactive' botanicals and active ingredients cultivated inside proprietary phytotron (vertical farm) facilities under controlled-environment agriculture. The company sells standardized and customizable high-concentration plant ingredients — dried, powdered, or extracted — to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic customers, and complements this with Phytodiscovery research services and phytotron design/build/commissioning engagements for new investors.

Product overview

Cultipharm operates as a botanical bio-factory specializing in the production and customization of botanicals and active ingredients through vertical farming technology. The core product is the Superactive platform—botanicals cultivated in proprietary fitotrone (phytotron) vertical farms with real-time monitoring of cultivation conditions to optimize active compound concentrations. Supporting the core platform is Phytodiscovery, a modular research service platform enabling botanical selection, in silico studies, efficacy testing, and clinical validation across five scientific phases. The portfolio comprises twelve named Superactive sub-products: Sanctodefence, Zingerplus, Sanctomood, Flavincanus, Crosit, Mulleinpro, Bardana, Parthimel, Freelanin, Silyguards, and Igeapro—each derived from specific medicinal plants targeting distinct therapeutic areas including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, immunostimulant, and adaptogenic applications. All products are characterized by high active compound concentration, zero-residue certification, and customizable profiles for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Superactives: Botanicals with high concentration of active ingredients, standardized and tailor-made, with high therapeutic value. Produced through vertical farming with customizable phytochemical profiles.
• Phytodiscovery
• Fitotrone

Products and services

• Superactive Botanicals and Active Ingredients High-concentration botanical and active ingredient products (whole dried/powdered botanicals or extracts) cultivated in vertical farms under controlled-environment agriculture, with optimized and customizable phytochemical profiles and zero-residue certification. Supplied to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic customers.
• Phytodiscovery Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% water savings compared to traditional field cultivation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Idromeccanica LucchinicoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Idromeccanica Lucchini (75+ years in innovative greenhouse technology) is Cultipharm's main technology partner. Their collaboration produced the first phytotron/vertical farm specifically designed for cultivating medicinal plants and botanical active ingredients in Italy. Idromeccanica Lucchini provided the CEA (Controlled-environment agriculture) technology infrastructure that underpins Cultipharm's operations.
• SeSe srlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SeSe srl co-founded Cultipharm together with Idromeccanica Lucchini, combining their expertise to address the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry's need for high-quality botanical active ingredients using controlled-environment agriculture.
• ENEAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) partnered with Idromeccanica Lucchini to develop the foundational vertical farming system in Italy, first presented at Expo 2015 Milan. This CEA technology was later adapted for phytotherapeutic applications through Cultipharm.
• Italian Universities and Research CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultipharm collaborates with a network of prestigious Italian universities and research centers to support its Phytodiscovery platform, conducting research across the 5-phase discovery and validation process for new botanical applications and species conservation.
• BioagricertcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBioagricert is the accredited certifying body (certified by Mipaaf) that validates Cultipharm's zero-residue and nickel-free certifications. Cultipharm's self-control plan is validated by Bioagricert, and the company conducts lot-by-lot analyses of all production inputs and outputs.
• Italian Territorial and Environmental Protection AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultipharm is exploring collaborations with Italian environmental agencies to support repopulation of endangered botanical species (CITES-listed) within controlled and protected areas, as part of its broader biodiversity preservation mission.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Planet Farms: Italian vertical farming operator producing ready-to-eat salads and herbs. Comparable in geography (Italy), CEA technology, and B2B food/health customer orientation, though focused on fresh produce rather than botanical active ingredients.
• Sfera Agricola: Italian vertical farming company producing leafy greens, herbs and microgreens in hydroponic greenhouses. Comparable in geographic market (Italy) and CEA technology stack, but focused on food/horticulture rather than medicinal active ingredients.

Broad incumbents

• AeroFarms: US-based vertical farming operator focused on leafy greens at large scale, with significant R&D capability and patented aeroponic technology. Comparable as a CEA technology platform; potential competitive threat if it expands into high-value botanicals.
• Naturex (Givaudan): Global leader in natural ingredients for food, nutrition and personal care, acquired by Givaudan. Comparable as a broad supplier of standardized botanical extracts to nutraceutical and cosmetic industries, though at much greater scale and with traditional field-sourced supply.

Direct peers

• Botalys: Belgian company that grows rare medicinal plants (including ginseng, Rhodiola) in vertical farming systems for the cosmetics and nutraceutical markets. Closest comparable to Cultipharm in combining controlled-environment agriculture with high-purity botanical active ingredients for B2B health/wellness customers.
• Vertical Future: UK vertical farming company building controlled-environment production systems for medicinal plants and high-value crops, including partnerships with pharma and research institutions. Directly comparable technology stack and target use cases to Cultipharm's phytotron approach.
• Indena: Italian-headquartered global leader in the identification, development and production of active ingredients derived from plants for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries. Cultipharm directly competes in selling standardized botanical actives to these same buyer segments, though Indena relies on field cultivation.
• Infarm: Germany-based vertical farming company operating in- store and central hydroponic farms for herbs, salads and microgreens sold to retailers and foodservice. Comparable in CEA platform and B2B distribution model to enterprise customers, though focused on fresh culinary herbs rather than medicinal actives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cultipharm