Sundrop Farms
Sundrop Farms is an Australian horticultural company that grows premium truss and heirloom tomatoes using a proprietary greenhouse system combining concentrated solar power, seawater desalination and hydroponics, distributing exclusively through Coles Supermarkets across Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sundrop Farms does
Sundrop Farms Pty Ltd is an Australian horticultural producer that grows premium truss and heirloom tomatoes in a single 20-hectare (200,000+ m²) greenhouse complex in Port Augusta, South Australia. The company was founded in 2009 and scaled to commercial production in 2016 after receiving a $100M investment from KKR in 2014. Its operating entity is headquartered in Port Augusta with corporate presence in London; the firm is privately held with no near-term listing plans.
Sundrop's core technology, marketed as the "Sundrop System," is a proprietary integrated platform combining concentrated solar power (CSP) — a 127-meter solar tower surrounded by over 24,000 heliostat mirrors — multi-effect distillation seawater desalination using seawater drawn from the Spencer Gulf, evaporative cooling, and soilless hydroponics. The integrated system is designed to decouple food production from fossil fuels, freshwater and arable land, enabling year-round growing on degraded arid land. Key technology partners include Van der Hoeven (greenhouse construction) and Aalborg CSP A/S (solar boiler and tower receiver systems).
The company operates a single-channel wholesale go-to-market model, distributing its entire Australian tomato output through an exclusive retail partnership with Coles Supermarkets, which reaches Australian consumers through 1,800+ Coles outlets nationwide. Revenue is generated from wholesale produce sales; consumer pricing is set by Coles. There is no disclosed secondary retail, foodservice or export channel, no disclosed pricing model, and revenue is not publicly reported. Sundrop has no identified AI/ML, software, or data products; its value proposition rests on industrial engineering, capital intensity and renewable-input cost stability.
Sundrop Farms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sundrop Farms
- Legal name
- Sundrop Farms Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://sundropfarms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Sundrop Farms is an Australian horticultural company that grows premium truss and heirloom tomatoes using a proprietary greenhouse system combining concentrated solar power, seawater desalination and hydroponics, distributing exclusively through Coles Supermarkets across Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sundrop Farms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable greenhouse horticulture
- NAICS
- Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA)
Keywords
Where Sundrop Farms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sundrop Farms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fresh Produce Sales: Sundrop Farms generates revenue by growing and selling fresh tomatoes to retailers. Their tomatoes are distributed exclusively through Coles Supermarkets across Australia. The company produces truss tomatoes and heirloom varieties, selling directly to the retail partner for consumer distribution.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Sundrop Farms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sundrop Farms grows and sells premium fresh truss tomatoes and heirloom tomato varieties at its 20-hectare greenhouse in Port Augusta, South Australia. Produce is grown year-round using the proprietary Sundrop System, which integrates concentrated solar power, seawater desalination, and hydroponics. All tomatoes are distributed exclusively to Australian consumers through Coles Supermarkets.
Product overview
Sundrop Farms operates as a greenhouse horticulture company producing high-value fresh fruits and vegetables using its proprietary Sundrop System technology platform. The platform integrates concentrated solar power, seawater desalination, hydroponics, and climate control technologies to enable sustainable greenhouse production. The company produces truss tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes, distributed exclusively through Coles supermarkets across Australia. The operations are centered at a 20-hectare world-class greenhouse facility in Port Augusta, South Australia, which evolved from a 0.2-hectare pilot facility opened in 2009.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Truss Tomatoes High-quality truss tomatoes grown in Sundrop Farms' Port Augusta greenhouse facilities using the Sundrop System, distributed exclusively through Coles Supermarkets across Australia. The varieties are naturally bred for Australian growing conditions and produced year-round without soil, freshwater, or fossil fuels.
- Heirloom Tomatoes (Grandma's Heirloom Tomatoes) Premium heirloom tomato varieties developed for enhanced taste and quality, grown in Sundrop's greenhouse and distributed exclusively through Coles Supermarkets across Australia.
- Sundrop System Proprietary integrated technology platform combining concentrated solar power (CSP), seawater desalination via multi-effect distillation, evaporative seawater cooling, and hydroponics to enable year-round greenhouse production of fresh produce without fossil fuels, freshwater, or arable land. The system is anchored by a 127m solar tower with more than 24,000 heliostat mirrors at the Port Augusta site.
Quantifiable outcome
- Uses seawater and sunlight instead of fossil fuels and fresh water for produce growth
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sundrop Farms
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sundrop Farms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sundrop Farms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ColescoreColes is one of Australia's leading retailers with over 1,800 retail outlets providing the highest quality food across Australia. Sundrop Farms exclusively distributes their tomatoes through Coles Supermarkets. The partnership enables Sundrop to reach Australian consumers nationwide through Coles' extensive retail footprint.
- Van der HoevencoreVan der Hoeven has been designing and delivering greenhouse projects for growers worldwide since 1953. They specialize in tailored solutions that use energy and water highly efficiently. Van der Hoeven designed and constructed Sundrop's greenhouses, meeting high standards while complying with food safety legislation and integrating the latest horticultural technology.
- Aalborg CSP A/ScoreAalborg CSP is a world leader in concentrated solar power (CSP) boiler systems with 25 years of experience. They are a turnkey supplier of steam generation systems, solar tower receivers, industrial solar boilers, and integrated CSP energy systems that combine heat, electricity production, and water desalination. Aalborg CSP has supplied steam systems to more than 330MWe CSP plants worldwide.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sundrop Farms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mastronardi Produce: One of North America's largest greenhouse-grown tomato and produce producers (Sunset brand). Directly comparable to Sundrop as a high-tech greenhouse operator focused on premium tomatoes distributed through major retailers.
- Houweling's Group: Family-owned Canadian greenhouse grower producing tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers with sustainability-focused operations. Comparable to Sundrop as a high-tech, sustainability-positioned greenhouse produce supplier.
- NatureSweet: Largest vertically-integrated greenhouse tomato producer in North America, supplying premium snacking tomatoes to major retailers. Comparable to Sundrop as a premium-positioned greenhouse tomato brand sold through exclusive retail partnerships.
- BrightFarms: U.S. operator of hydroponic greenhouse farms supplying pesticide-free leafy greens and tomatoes to supermarket chains. Comparable to Sundrop as a greenhouse producer selling through long-term retail supply agreements.
- Gotham Greens: U.S. urban greenhouse operator producing leafy greens and herbs using hydroponics and renewable energy. Comparable to Sundrop as a high-tech, sustainability-led hydroponic greenhouse company with retail distribution.
- AppHarvest: U.S. public company operating large-scale controlled-environment agriculture greenhouses producing tomatoes and other produce. Comparable to Sundrop as a large-scale, technology-intensive greenhouse operator targeting retail distribution.
Emerging players
- AeroFarms: U.S.-based indoor vertical farming company using controlled-environment agriculture and proprietary technology to grow leafy greens and herbs. Comparable to Sundrop as a technology-driven, sustainability-focused controlled-environment agriculture operator, though focused on different crops and indoor vertical farming rather than solar-powered greenhouses.
- Plenty: U.S. vertical farming company building technology-driven indoor farms for leafy greens and herbs. Comparable to Sundrop as a high-capital, technology-led controlled-environment agriculture player pursuing scale and retail distribution partnerships.
Regional players
- Costa Group: Australia's largest horticultural company producing tomatoes, berries, mushrooms and other produce. Comparable to Sundrop as a major Australian produce supplier with greenhouse operations, sharing the same domestic retail customers.
Others
- Aalborg CSP A/S: Danish supplier of concentrated solar power (CSP) boiler and steam systems, including the system supplied to Sundrop's Port Augusta tower. Included as a technology partner and infrastructure provider in the same CSP value chain rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sundrop Farms social profiles
Digital presenceSundrop Farms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sundrop Farms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Sundrop Farms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sundrop Farms 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 Sundrop Farms
What does Sundrop Farms do?
Sundrop Farms grows and sells premium fresh truss tomatoes and heirloom tomato varieties at its 20-hectare greenhouse in Port Augusta, South Australia. Produce is grown year-round using the proprietary Sundrop System, which integrates concentrated solar power, seawater desalination, and hydroponics. All tomatoes are distributed exclusively to Australian consumers through Coles Supermarkets.
Is Sundrop Farms a public or private company?
Sundrop Farms is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sundrop Farms founded?
Sundrop Farms was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sundrop Farms based?
Sundrop Farms is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sundrop Farms make money?
One revenue line is on record: fresh Produce Sales.
Who are Sundrop Farms's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mastronardi Produce, Houweling's Group, NatureSweet, BrightFarms, Gotham Greens and AppHarvest. Emerging players are AeroFarms and Plenty. Costa Group is listed as a regional player. Aalborg CSP A/S is listed as an others.
Does Sundrop Farms have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sundrop Farms.
What industry is Sundrop Farms in?
Sundrop Farms's product category is Sustainable greenhouse horticulture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAA, Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens). Its NAICS code is 11141 and its SIC code is 100.