GreenForges
GreenForges develops modular cylindrical underground vertical farming systems (Plant Forges) installed beneath new buildings, enabling real estate developers and hospitality operators to generate on-site revenue by selling hyper-local fresh produce to residents and tenants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersMontreal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What GreenForges does
GreenForges is a Canadian ag-tech company founded in September 2019 and headquartered in Val-des-Monts, Quebec, that designs, develops, and commercializes modular cylindrical underground vertical farming systems marketed under the brand 'Plant Forges.' The core product consists of 60-inch-diameter shafts drilled vertically beneath new buildings to depths of up to 200 feet, housing hydroponic grow modules with radial LED illumination, closed-loop water and nutrient recycling, geothermal temperature stabilization, and an automated module extraction system for surface-level planting and harvesting. The company layers a five-tier IoT architecture on top of the physical system, capturing sensor and actuator data through an edge gateway into a NoSQL time-series store for monitoring and analytics. GreenForges filed a patent application for the cylindrical design and extraction mechanism in May 2021 with Morris, Manning & Martin and has conducted research in collaboration with McGill University's Department of Bioresource Engineering, advised by Dr. Mark Lefsrud.
GreenForges sells Plant Forges as a B2B amenity to real estate developers and hospitality operators of new high-rise residential and hotel projects, targeting property differentiation, on-site revenue generation, and ESG credentialing (LEED/BREEAM alignment). Pricing is structured at CAD $2,000-$5,000 per linear foot of depth with a 10-forge minimum for commercial installations, and the company claims sub-5-year ROI for developers. Beyond upfront system sales and licensing, GreenForges captures recurring revenue through digital-app-driven fresh produce sales to building residents, commercial tenants, and proximate restaurants, with claimed unit economics of $800-$20,000 annual revenue per square meter of grow area versus $150-$250 for conventional greenhouses and a CAD $2 per pound lettuce breakeven. The first commercial client was signed in June 2022, with the inaugural facilities still in design, procurement, and construction. The company also identifies rural farmers and greenhouse operators as a secondary vertical, positioning underground integration as a yield-multiplication retrofit that could free surface land for reforestation.
The company's go-to-market is enterprise field sales into developer and hospitality pipelines, supplemented by content marketing, earned media coverage (TechCrunch, NBC News, Freethink, Paris Match), and thought-leadership podcast appearances. Operated by a 17-person international remote team plus five advisors, GreenForges is actively pursuing geographic expansion into the MENA region, citing food security and water-efficiency drivers. As of the latest public materials, the company is pre-commercial-scale: it has not disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or named institutional investors, and its competitive narrative explicitly differentiates from produce-brand competitors such as Plenty and AeroFarms by avoiding the retail produce category altogether.
GreenForges firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GreenForges
- Legal name
- GreenForges Inc
- Website
- https://greenforges.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GreenForges develops modular cylindrical underground vertical farming systems (Plant Forges) installed beneath new buildings, enabling real estate developers and hospitality operators to generate on-site revenue by selling hyper-local fresh produce to residents and tenants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GreenForges industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Underground Vertical Farming Systems (Controlled Environment Agriculture Equipment)
- NAICS
- Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Potato & Specialty Crop Planters (Potato, Garlic, Sugarcane) (AFAAABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance (HSAIAFAM), Landscape Design, Build & Installation (Hardscapes/Softscapes) (BPABADAF)
Keywords
Where GreenForges is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montreal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GreenForges business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fresh Produce Sales to Building Residents: Selling fresh produce directly to residents in buildings where Plant Forges are installed. Residents order through a digital app and receive delivery at their door.
- Commercial Tenant and Restaurant Sales: Selling fresh produce to commercial tenants in buildings and local restaurants, creating additional revenue streams for property developers.
- Real Estate Developer Partnerships: Revenue generated by installing underground farms in new developments. Developers convert basements or non-developable underground areas into productive agricultural space, boosting NOI.
- System Installation and Licensing: Installation of Plant Forges systems in new buildings, with modular systems adaptable to various project footprints and depth constraints.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Plant Forges installation cost per linear foot of depth |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Annual | Revenue potential per square meter of greenhouse operation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
GreenForges product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GreenForges designs, manufactures, and installs Plant Forges — modular cylindrical underground vertical farming systems drilled directly beneath new residential, hospitality, and commercial buildings. Each shaft is 60 inches in diameter (adaptable up to 200 feet deep), contains hydroponic grow modules on automated extraction rails, and uses geothermal temperature stability, radial LED lighting, and a closed-loop water/nutrient system to produce fresh greens and herbs year-round. The offering is positioned as a B2B amenity for real estate developers, paired with optional resident-facing produce subscription delivery via a digital app.
Product overview
GreenForges offers a single unified product called Plant Forges — a modular, scalable underground vertical farming system. The cylindrical forges are drilled into the ground beneath buildings and contain hydroponic grow modules that are automatically extracted to the surface for planting and harvesting. The system leverages geothermal temperature stability for energy efficiency and is positioned as a B2B amenity for real estate developers, offering residents fresh produce delivery with an expected ROI of less than 5 years and a lifecycle of up to 100 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Plant Forges: Underground vertical farming systems that can be installed below new buildings. Features cylindrical design with 60 inch diameter, adaptable depth up to 200 feet, expected lifecycle up to 100 years.
Products and services
- Plant Forges Modular cylindrical underground vertical farming system (Plant Forges) installed beneath new buildings — 60-inch diameter shafts (adaptable up to 200 feet deep), hydroponic grow modules, automated extraction mechanisms, radial LED lighting, geothermal climate stabilization, IoT monitoring, and closed-loop water/nutrient recycling. Delivered as a B2B amenity/NOI-generating asset for real-estate developers and hospitality operators.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% more water efficient than traditional agriculture
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use GreenForges
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GreenForges technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
GreenForges partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- McGill University - Department of Bioresource EngineeringcoreThe Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University's Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences collaborates with GreenForges. The laboratory focuses on biomass development, greenhouse energy efficiency improvements (LEDs, heating systems), and proteomic monitoring systems. Dr. Mark Lefsrud serves as advisor providing continuous support and mentoring on indoor farming.
- Morris, Manning & Martin LLPminorPatent law firm representing GreenForges for intellectual property filings. Partner Daniel Sineway and colleagues handled the patent application for modular cylindrical underground systems.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GreenForges competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Siemens (Smart Infrastructure): Global industrial automation and smart infrastructure conglomerate. GreenForges was featured on Siemens' Engineer Innovation podcast; Siemens serves as a technology ecosystem reference rather than direct competitor, with relevant building automation, IoT, and HVAC capabilities adjacent to GreenForges' underground climate-control system.
Emerging players
- Eden Green Technology: Indoor vertical farming company combining greenhouse and vertical farm technologies to grow leafy greens for retail and food service. Comparable on hybrid controlled-environment agriculture and direct-to-retail business model, though not focused on embedded building installations.
- Gotham Greens: Urban greenhouse operator producing fresh greens and herbs in rooftop and urban greenhouses across North America. Comparable on controlled-environment produce for urban markets and sustainability positioning, though uses greenhouse rather than underground shaft architecture.
- 80 Acres Farms: Indoor vertical farming company producing leafy greens, microgreens, and herbs using hydroponics and LED. Comparable CEA technology stack and product mix, though focuses on large centralized facilities rather than distributed underground installations.
- BrightFarms: Indoor greenhouse operator supplying local pesticide-free produce to grocery retailers. Comparable on hyper-local controlled-environment agriculture and sustainability narrative, though uses greenhouse facilities rather than underground vertical shafts.
- Sky Greens: Singapore-based vertical farming company using rotating tiered systems to grow leafy vegetables in urban environments. Comparable as a vertical farming innovator operating in space-constrained markets, though focused on above-ground tiered systems rather than underground shafts.
Direct peers
- Plenty: Well-funded indoor vertical farming company building produce brands and farms. TechCrunch explicitly compares GreenForges to Plenty; both pursue controlled environment agriculture with proprietary systems but Plenty operates above-ground vertical farms rather than embedded underground installations.
- AeroFarms: Leading indoor vertical farming company that grows leafy greens using aeroponics and LED lighting. TechCrunch explicitly mentions AeroFarms as a peer. AeroFarms focuses on large-scale commercial indoor farms while GreenForges differentiates by embedding systems beneath buildings.
- Bowery Farming: Indoor vertical farming operator using hydroponics and proprietary software to grow pesticide-free leafy greens. Comparable as a CEA company pursuing controlled-environment produce production with technology-driven differentiation, though operates centralized indoor farms rather than embedded building installations.
- Infarm: Modular in-store and in-building vertical farming systems serving grocery retailers and hospitality. Closest comparable to GreenForges' embedded amenity model, with a similar focus on hyper-local production for residential and hospitality end-users, though Infarm units are above-ground modular cabinets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GreenForges social profiles
Digital presenceGreenForges financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GreenForges leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
GreenForges funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GreenForges 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 GreenForges
What does GreenForges do?
GreenForges designs, manufactures, and installs Plant Forges — modular cylindrical underground vertical farming systems drilled directly beneath new residential, hospitality, and commercial buildings. Each shaft is 60 inches in diameter (adaptable up to 200 feet deep), contains hydroponic grow modules on automated extraction rails, and uses geothermal temperature stability, radial LED lighting, and a closed-loop water/nutrient system to produce fresh greens and herbs year-round. The offering is positioned as a B2B amenity for real estate developers, paired with optional resident-facing produce subscription delivery via a digital app.
Is GreenForges a public or private company?
GreenForges is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GreenForges founded?
GreenForges was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GreenForges based?
GreenForges is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does GreenForges make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fresh Produce Sales to Building Residents are the primary driver. The others are commercial Tenant and Restaurant Sales, real Estate Developer Partnerships and system Installation and Licensing.
Who are GreenForges's main competitors?
Siemens (Smart Infrastructure) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Eden Green Technology, Gotham Greens, 80 Acres Farms, BrightFarms and Sky Greens. Direct peers are Plenty, AeroFarms, Bowery Farming and Infarm.
Does GreenForges have an API?
No public API is recorded for GreenForges.
What industry is GreenForges in?
GreenForges's product category is Underground Vertical Farming Systems (Controlled Environment Agriculture Equipment). Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAABAJ, Potato & Specialty Crop Planters (Potato, Garlic, Sugarcane), with a secondary code of HSAIAFAM, Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance. Its NAICS code is 11141 and its SIC code is 700.