What Manna CEA does

Manna CEA Co., Ltd. is a privately held South Korean controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company headquartered in Jincheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. Founded in 2013 with 51-100 employees, the company operates a vertically integrated platform spanning two core technology products: LIFE, an integrated cultivation solution supporting 600+ crop varieties built on 10+ years of accumulated farm operational data; and MESH, an AI-based modular greenhouse climate control ecosystem using BLE Mesh networking, on-device AI, and a cloud-based SaaS dashboard for distributed intelligence control. The company's revenue model combines project-based smart farm turnkey sales (LIFE + MESH systems installed at schools, governments, commercial farms, and international sites), ongoing MESH SaaS/hardware subscriptions, consumer branded salad products (Salading) sold via Kurly and Coupang, agritainment revenue from the root square facility near headquarters, and education/training services (Smart Grower Academy).

Manna CEA serves a diversified customer base across multiple segments: commercial production farms, educational institutions (YeoSu Multiverse Planet, Cheongju Agricultural High School, Sangsong Elementary), government/municipal facilities (Uijeongbu City Hall, Yangsan Agricultural Technology Center), corporate clients (Hyundai Engineering & Construction, HDC Resort, Daegu F&B, L'Oréal), and international partners in Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Japan — including KOICA ODA consortium projects with Dohwa Engineering and bilateral partnerships with OJSC Kyrgyz Agro Holdings and AL MAFHOM AL JADID Agriculture Co. Distribution channels include direct RFQ-based enterprise sales, online marketplaces for Salading, KOICA/bilateral institutional channels for export projects, and the root square physical experience facility. Recent significant moves include the August 2026 global launch of MESH (following the GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 Concept Award — first Korean winner), subsidiary consolidation via the Farmit/Farmit 2 absorption merger (April 2025), and multiple 2024-2025 international project signings supported by FAO and KOICA institutional access.

Name

Manna CEA

Legal name

MANNA CEA Co., Ltd.

Website

https://mannacea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Manna CEA is a South Korean controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technology company that designs, builds, and operates AI-powered smart farm solutions (LIFE cultivation platform and MESH AI climate control) for commercial farms, schools, governments, and international ODA partners across Korea, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Farming Equipment

NAICS

Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311), Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control) (AFAAAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ), Hydroponic & Aeroponic Growing Systems (NFT, DWC, Ebb/Flow, Misting) (AFAAAHAD), Environmental Control & Climate Systems (HVAC, CO₂, Ventilation, Dehumidification) (AFAAAHAB)

Keywords

• Smart farming solutions
• Controlled environment agriculture
• AI greenhouse automation
• Aquaponics cultivation systems
• Modular climate control

Headquarters

HQ city

Anseong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Smart Farm Turnkey Solutions (LIFE + MESH): MANNA CEA designs, builds, and installs customized smart farm systems (greenhouse, indoor farm, container farm, plant factory) for clients. The solution includes space design, cultivation bed systems, MESH AI climate control, nutrient supply automation, and ongoing operational support. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts for new installations, retrofits, and expansion.
2. MESH Climate Control Subscription / SaaS: MESH is offered as an AI-powered climate control system with cloud-based monitoring dashboard accessible via Web, Android, and iOS. OTA updates provide ongoing feature improvements. Revenue includes both hardware module sales and ongoing SaaS/service fees.
3. Salading Branded Salad Products: MANNA CEA produces fresh salad vegetables using aquaponics cultivation and sells branded ready-to-eat salads and ingredients through online marketplaces (Kurly, Coupang). Consumer-facing product revenue.
4. Agritourism (root square): root square operates as an agritainment and education destination with cafe, smart farm showroom, book cafe, conference rooms, overnight stays, and farm experience programs (Uncle's Farm, Aunt's Farm). Revenue from visitor bookings and experiences.
5. Education, Consulting & Training: MANNA CEA provides professional training and consulting based on over 10 years of accumulated operational data, through programs like Smart Grower Academy, school farm installations, and agricultural technology education programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MANNA CEA designs, builds, and installs turnkey smart farm systems (greenhouses, indoor/container farms, plant factories) that combine its LIFE integrated cultivation platform with the MESH AI-based modular climate control ecosystem, supporting 600+ crop varieties. The company also sells its own aquaponics-grown Salading branded salads to consumers via Kurly and Coupang, and operates the root square agritainment facility for experiences, education, and technology demonstration.

Product overview

MANNA CEA offers a platform-plus-modules architecture combining two core products: LIFE is the integrated cultivation solution platform supporting over 600 crop varieties with 10+ years of accumulated data, while MESH is the AI-based modular climate control ecosystem enabling flexible farm automation. LIFE covers the full agricultural lifecycle from cultivation to distribution with modular components including cultivation bed systems, AI control platform, nutrient solution systems, and training services. MESH provides hardware modules (Hub, App, FR Series, SW Series, Air nano, Link, Display, Eye) that work together as a distributed AI control system. Both platforms are complemented by Salading (consumer salad products brand) and root square (agricultural-cultural complex). The company also developed MoT (MANNA of Things) as an earlier-generation environment control smart farm system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salading: Fresh salad brand using aquaponics-grown vegetables with chef recipes
• root square
• MESH
• LIFE

Products and services

• LIFE Cultivation Solution Platform Unified smart cultivation solution platform supporting 600+ crop varieties, combining cultivation bed systems, AI climate control integration, automated nutrient management, and aquaponics. Includes training and consulting and targets production farms, research facilities, education spaces, and commercial operators.
• MESH AI Modular Climate Control Ecosystem AI-based modular greenhouse climate control ecosystem with distributed local intelligence control (BLE 5.4 Mesh), on-device AI hub (Raspberry Pi CM5), and plug-and-play hardware modules (Hub, FR Series, SW Series, Air nano, Link, Display, Eye). Enables start-small, expand-gradually farm automation with RS-485/Modbus retrofit support and OTA updates.
• Salading Branded Salad Products MANNA CEA's consumer salad brand offering fresh, aquaponics-grown vegetables assembled into balanced, chef-recipe ready-to-eat salads and ingredient kits for health-conscious Korean consumers purchasing through online grocery and marketplace platforms (Kurly, Coupang).
• root square Agritainment Complex Agritainment and education destination near MANNA CEA headquarters in Jincheon-gun, featuring a smart farm showroom, cafe using on-site grown produce, book cafe, conference rooms, 2022 KOREA HOUSE VISION architecture, plus bookable Uncle's Farm (family experience) and Aunt's Farm (educational aquaponics) programs. Includes a Tech Experience Program for prospective customers and youth entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water usage reduction of up to 80% through recirculating nutrient and aquaponics systems
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OJSC Kyrgyz Agro HoldingscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2025Official partnership signed for smart agriculture technology adoption in Kyrgyzstan. Includes education programs for local farmers, smart farm operational capacity building, joint international project promotion, and agricultural technology exchange. This is a substantive MOU for smart agriculture expansion and sustainable production model development.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) / World Food ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025MANNA CEA was invited to present at the FAO World Food Forum official session on 'Cultivating Tomorrow: Youth Driving Digital Agriculture'. The session discussed how AI-based smart farm technology contributes to sustainable agricultural innovation. Hosted by FAO Korea Liaison Office and National Chapter of the Republic of Korea.
• Sure Mobility (슈어모빌리티)coreTechnology or Integration · 15 November 2024Co-developed Cadime-U, an autonomous transport robot using line detection, LiDAR sensors, and indoor location tracking to automatically carry harvested goods between farm workers and storage. This addresses labor efficiency on smart farms.
• HDC ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2024Signed MOU for joint development of an eco-friendly turf cultivation system for golf courses. MANNA CEA will develop a smart farm system for Kentucky bluegrass turf cultivation with controlled air environment, CO2 concentration control, solar spectrum-based light environment optimization, and minimal water usage.
• KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 September 2024MANNA CEA is implementing smart farm ODA projects in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan through a consortium with Dohwa Engineering. This includes 5-hectare MoT-powered smart greenhouse automation.
• AL MAFHOM AL JADID AGRICULTURE CO (Saudi Arabia)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 24 May 2024Signed aquaponics farm construction contract for Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. MANNA CEA will build an eco-friendly aquaponics farm using sustainable agricultural technology. This represents a significant international smart farm export project.
• Picnic (피크니코)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2024Installed MANNA CEA aquaponics growing units at Picnic's location in Yeoju, allowing visitors to experience strawberry harvesting and aquaponics together.
• Overseas Advanced Market Entry Consortium (해외선진시장진출컨소시엄)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2024MANNA CEA is part of a consortium of 7 smart technology companies led by Dohwa Engineering (도화엔지니어링), including Angelswing, Ten Eleven, RMSplatform, Xpanner, and Ilmani. The consortium aims to present differentiated solutions combining smart farms and smart construction technologies and collectively enter global markets.
• Cheongsong-gun CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2024Participating in the construction of Cheongsong-gun Smart Agriculture Complex Cultural District with a total project budget of 250 billion KRW and 9.9 hectare area by 2025. MANNA CEA is responsible for smart aquaponics facility construction.
• L'OréalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2023L'Oréal explored MANNA CEA's aquaponics technology for organic ingredient sourcing research and discussed joint research and product development for organic cosmetic ingredients.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Priva: Dutch global leader in climate control and process automation for horticulture and greenhouses. Directly comparable as a provider of automated climate/irrigation control systems to commercial greenhouses, though Priva serves larger enterprise installations while MANNA CEA targets the modular/small-medium segment.
• Hoogendoorn Growth Management: Dutch provider of climate, irrigation, and energy management solutions for greenhouses. Directly comparable as a competitor in greenhouse automation, though typically focused on large commercial installations in Western markets.
• AeroFarms: US-based vertical farming operator with proprietary aeroponic technology and significant R&D focus. Comparable as a technology-driven CEA operator, though focused primarily on large-scale indoor farms in North America.
• Ridder Group: Dutch family-owned company providing greenhouse climate screens, drive systems, and automation solutions globally. Comparable as an incumbent provider of greenhouse automation hardware and control systems.
• Plenty: US-based vertical farming operator developing indoor vertical farms with proprietary technology. Comparable as a tech-forward CEA operator pursuing both technology development and own production, though focused on large indoor farms rather than greenhouses.

Direct peers

• 30MHz: Dutch smart farming platform providing wireless sensors, climate monitoring, and data analytics for greenhouses and vertical farms. Highly comparable as a modular IoT-based climate monitoring and analytics provider with a SaaS go-to-market approach.
• N.THING: Korean smart farm company developing modular vertical farming solutions and operating own farms. Highly comparable as a Korean CEA competitor offering both smart farm technology and own-brand produce.
• Farm8: Korean smart farm operator and technology provider (SK Telecom-affiliated) operating own vertical farms and selling branded produce. Comparable as a Korean CEA company with technology + own-farms + consumer products business model.

Emerging players

• iFarm: Finland-based vertical farming technology company offering automated growing systems, software platform, and ready-to-operate indoor farm solutions. Comparable as a CEA technology platform provider with similar modular approach to indoor farming.
• Sky Greens: Singapore-based vertical farming company using patented rotating tiered systems for tropical climates. Comparable as a non-Western CEA operator with focus on resource-efficient modular growing systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 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 Manna CEA