Empire State Greenhouses

What Empire State Greenhouses does

Empire State Greenhouses (ESG), a subsidiary of Chobe Advisers, LLC, is developing carbon-negative controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities integrated with on-site Food-Energy-Waste (FEW) circular economy systems. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York, NY, the company is building its first GigaFarm — a 385,000 square-foot facility on 80+ acres leased from SUNY Cobleskill in Cobleskill, New York. The flagship project combines 100 vertical-farming Growth Towers supplied by partner Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) with on-site renewable energy infrastructure: an anaerobic biogas digester processing approximately 220,000 tons of regional dairy manure annually, a gasifier, an agricultural photovoltaic solar array, combined heat and power, and energy storage. ESG holds a 10-year New York State tax exemption under the START-UP NY program and received a $5 million grant from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council. The leadership team includes individuals with experience across more than 600 commercial and utility-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

At full operation, the GigaFarm is designed to produce more than 8 million pounds of certified organic produce annually (40,000 pounds per weekday) across roughly 50 crop types — leafy greens (arugula, lettuces, collard, kale, radicchio, spinach), mushrooms, fruiting crops (tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, strawberries), and culinary and medicinal herbs. The FEW system is engineered to eliminate the 34% of consumer food cost attributable to energy by producing renewable electricity, heat, scrubbed CO2 (for plant fertilization), and pipeline-grade biogas on-site, with claimed water savings of 95%+ (234 million gallons annually) and a 100x yield-per-square-foot improvement versus field growing. Planned adjacent offerings include on-site PHA biodegradable plastics production for packaging output, and an Energy Services and Solutions consulting practice targeting enterprise clients pursuing Carbon Negative / Net Zero status.

ESG operates a B2B wholesale produce model, delivering directly to institutional buyers — schools, hospitals, food service operators, and regional wholesalers — within a 200-mile radius of Cobleskill, reaching major Northeast urban markets within 24 hours of harvest. The company is currently pre-revenue and in build-out, with customer relationships disclosed principally as target segments rather than contracted volume; Costco is named as a major wholesale buyer. The business is privately held and is actively raising capital through a password-protected investor portal, with plans to create 185+ direct jobs and 400+ indirect regional jobs at full operation.

Name

Empire State Greenhouses

Legal name

Empire State Greenhouses, LLC

Website

https://empirestategreenhouses.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empire State Greenhouses is a private controlled-environment agriculture company building a carbon-negative GigaFarm that integrates 100 IGS vertical-farming Growth Towers with on-site renewable energy and waste-to-energy systems. It produces certified organic produce for B2B wholesale institutional buyers across the Northeast, targeting 8+ million pounds annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vertical Farming

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Mushroom Production (111411)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA), Organic Greenhouse & Protected Crop Farming (High Tunnels, Greenhouses) (AFAGAKAD), Environmental Control & Climate Systems (HVAC, CO₂, Ventilation, Dehumidification) (AFAAAHAB), Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices) (AFAGAMAH)

Keywords

• Controlled environment agriculture
• Vertical farming systems
• Organic produce wholesale
• Renewable energy solutions
• Carbon-negative agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyack

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: ESG grows and sells certified organic produce including leafy greens (arugula, lettuces, collard, kale, radicchio, spinach), mushrooms, fruiting crops (tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, strawberries), and culinary/medicinal herbs. Produces 40,000 pounds daily (8 million+ pounds annually) for delivery to nearby major urban markets every weekday. Revenue is generated through wholesale B2B sales to institutional buyers within 200-mile radius.
2. Renewable Energy Generation: On-site renewable energy generation through solar PV, anaerobic biogas digester, and gasifier systems. Produces excess energy that benefits the surrounding community through dairy farm waste remediation and energy supply to SUNY Cobleskill.
3. PHA Biodegradable Plastics: Production of PHA biodegradable plastics for packaging produce and serving other customers, creating an additional revenue stream from the circular economy model.
4. Energy Services and Solutions: ESG launched Energy Services and Solutions dedicated to helping clients achieve Carbon Negative/Net Zero status through consulting on renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, and circular economy implementations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Empire State Greenhouses develops and operates carbon-negative, controlled environment agriculture facilities that integrate vertical farming with on-site Food-Energy-Waste (FEW) circular systems, converting agricultural and dairy waste into renewable energy and crop inputs. The company sells wholesale certified organic produce (leafy greens, mushrooms, fruiting crops, herbs) to institutional and retail buyers within a 200-mile radius of its GigaFarm in Cobleskill, NY, and offers carbon-negative/net zero Energy Services consulting to enterprise clients.

Product overview

Empire State Greenhouses (ESG) operates a modular vertical farming platform centered on its GigaFarm facility in Cobleskill, New York. The core offering combines 100 Growth Towers from partner Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) with an integrated Food-Energy-Waste (FEW) System that produces renewable energy on-site. The platform is supplemented by Energy Services and Solutions consulting for carbon-negative transitions, and PHA biodegradable packaging produced from waste streams. All facilities produce NY Grown & Certified organic produce including leafy greens, mushrooms, fruiting crops, and herbs, targeting 8+ million pounds annually. The company positions its circular economy model as a complete alternative to conventional agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Produce (NY Grown & Certified) Wholesale certified organic produce including leafy greens, mushrooms, fruiting crops, and herbs grown year-round via controlled environment agriculture; sold B2B to institutional and retail buyers within a 200-mile radius of the Cobleskill, NY facility.
• Energy Services and Solutions Consulting and project services for clients pursuing Carbon Negative or Net Zero status, covering renewable energy systems design, waste-to-energy solutions, energy efficiency implementations, and circular economy strategy; offered to enterprise and industrial clients.
• PHA Biodegradable Packaging Biodegradable, biocompatible PHA plastics planned for on-site production from waste streams; intended for packaging the facility's daily produce output and for sale to other customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% reduction in carbon footprint for produce shipping through 200-mile radius local delivery vs. long-distance transport from California/Southwest
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS)coreTechnology or Integration · 16 December 2024ESG partnered with IGS, an Edinburgh-based vertical farming technology provider founded in 2013 with over 25 granted patents, to deliver 100 Growth Towers for the GigaFarm in Cobleskill, NY. IGS provides the proprietary vertical farming technology including automated growing systems, LED grow lights, and environmental controls. The partnership aims to produce 6.4 million pounds of produce annually from the vertical farm component. IGS gains a strong North American foothold through this flagship project.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AeroFarms: Long-running indoor vertical farming operator using aeroponics and controlled environments to grow leafy greens at scale in Newark, NJ, and other facilities. Directly comparable in technology category and East Coast focus.
• Gotham Greens: Operates a network of commercial-scale hydroponic greenhouses producing fresh produce for retail and foodservice in the Northeast and other U.S. regions. Directly comparable to ESG's GigaFarm model of regionally distributed, controlled-environment produce for institutional and urban buyers.
• Revol Greens: Operates large-scale hydroponic greenhouse facilities producing organic leafy greens and salads for U.S. retailers, with a focus on regional distribution. Comparable in CEA greenhouse production and B2B wholesale model.
• Plenty: Indoor vertical farming company building large, technology-driven CEA farms to serve retail and wholesale produce markets. Comparable to ESG in vertical-farming approach and pursuit of national scale.
• Infarm: European-headquartered vertical farming company operating in-store and large-scale CEA modules for grocery and foodservice customers. Comparable in modular indoor farming approach and B2B produce sales, though historically more retail-embedded.
• Bowery Farming: Indoor vertical farming company operating large CEA facilities serving East Coast retailers and restaurants with pesticide-free leafy greens. Closely comparable to ESG in target customer, geography, and controlled-environment produce model.
• 80 Acres Farms: Indoor vertical farming company operating CEA facilities producing leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens for retail and foodservice. Directly comparable in vertical farming technology and B2B produce model.
• BrightFarms: Operates a network of regional hydroponic greenhouses supplying packaged salads and leafy greens to supermarkets within a short radius of each farm. Closely aligned with ESG's hyper-local, B2B wholesale produce strategy.

Broad incumbents

• AppHarvest: Public CEA operator building large controlled-environment greenhouses in Appalachia for tomatoes, leafy greens, and berries. Comparable in large-scale, technology-driven greenhouse production, though broader crop mix and different geography.
• Mastronardi Produce / Sunset Grown: Large North American greenhouse grower producing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and leafy greens under the Sunset brand for retail across the U.S. and Canada. Comparable in greenhouse vegetable production at industrial scale, though broader and more established.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/empirestategreenhouses
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-state-greenhouses-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Empire State Greenhouses