Food Ladder
Food Ladder is an Australian not-for-profit that installs climate-controlled hydroponic greenhouses in K-12 schools nationwide, paired with an AI-powered EdTech platform (IBM watsonx.ai) for curriculum-aligned lesson planning, targeting regional, rural, and disadvantaged communities to address food insecurity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Food Ladder does
Food Ladder is an Australian registered not-for-profit organization (ABN 89 132 323 347) that installs climate-controlled, NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) hydroponic greenhouses in K-12 schools and provides a digital education platform to support them. The organization operates across all Australian states and territories, with explicit focus on regional, rural, remote, and disadvantaged (low-ICSEA) communities, addressing food insecurity in areas where 94% of Australian children reportedly do not eat enough fresh produce. As of December 2024, 40 schools were operating Food Ladder greenhouses with 17,000+ students engaged, and the organization has stated an ambition to reach 1,000+ schools and 1 million students by 2030.
The core technology stack combines physical greenhouse infrastructure (NFT systems delivering 5x the productivity and 90% less water than traditional farming) with a digital EdTech platform (edtech.foodladder.org) that includes an AI-powered onboarding tool, the Food Ladder Academy (50+ crop profiles, 40+ recipes, growing guides), a Harvest Tracker, and a Member Hub dashboard. In March 2025, Food Ladder integrated IBM watsonx.ai to generate curriculum-aligned lesson plans tailored to subject, year level, and individual student needs, including students with disabilities. A September 2025 research partnership with CSIRO and the University of Southern Queensland adds a quantum AI research layer for crop optimization and student wellbeing measurement.
The revenue model is a hybrid of three streams: tax-deductible individual donations (processed via Raisely), multi-year corporate foundation grants (e.g., $600,000 from NGM Group's Greater Charitable Foundation for nine Southeast Queensland schools), and school program fees for greenhouse access, curriculum, and AI tools—subsidized by donations for disadvantaged schools. Distribution is sales-led with enterprise field sales components: schools apply via website enquiry forms, with AI generating custom proposals, while corporate foundation deals fund clusters of school installations. The CEO and Co-Founder is Kelly McJannett; Tony Surtees (former Yahoo! US VP, co-founder of Zeetings acquired by Canva) was appointed Chair in April 2025. The organization is ranked #2 nationally in the 2025 AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies awards.
Food Ladder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food Ladder
- Legal name
- Food Ladder
- Website
- https://foodladder.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Food Ladder is an Australian not-for-profit that installs climate-controlled hydroponic greenhouses in K-12 schools nationwide, paired with an AI-powered EdTech platform (IBM watsonx.ai) for curriculum-aligned lesson planning, targeting regional, rural, and disadvantaged communities to address food insecurity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food Ladder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Agriculture Technology / School Hydroponics Programs
- NAICS
- Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Vending, Kiosk & À La Carte Food Programs (On-Campus Retail) (EDAEAEAI), Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition (BPADAJAG), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)
Keywords
Where Food Ladder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Food Ladder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Every $2 or more is tax-deductible in Australia. Donations processed via third-party provider Raisely.
- Partnership Funding: Multi-year grants from corporate foundations and partners. Example: $600,000 from NGM Group's Greater Charitable Foundation to support nine schools in Southeast Queensland over three years.
- School Program Fees: Schools pay for greenhouse program access including greenhouses, AI tools, curriculum resources, and support. Donations help fund schools that cannot afford the program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Tax-deductible donations from $2 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Food Ladder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food Ladder provides climate-controlled hydroponic (NFT) greenhouses paired with an AI-enabled EdTech platform (The Greenhouse) to K-12 schools across Australia. Schools receive greenhouse infrastructure, curriculum-aligned lesson planning powered by IBM watsonx.ai, the Food Ladder Academy learning content library, harvest tracking tools, and ongoing support, enabling students to grow fresh produce year-round while building STEM, nutrition, and food literacy skills.
Product overview
Food Ladder offers a unified program combining physical climate-controlled hydroponic greenhouses with an EdTech platform. The core offering includes AI-enabled greenhouses installed in schools (NFT-based, 5x more productive than traditional farming) paired with The Greenhouse EdTech platform for digital management. The EdTech platform consists of the Member Hub dashboard (harvest tracking, team management, forecasting), Food Ladder Academy (educational content including Crop Library with 50+ plants, Recipe Book with 40+ recipes, and operational guides), and AI Lesson Planning powered by IBM watsonx.ai. The AI lesson planning creates curriculum-aligned content saving teachers up to 2 periods daily. Schools can also access AI-powered onboarding to build custom greenhouse proposals. The program is designed for scalability from 40 schools to 1,000+ by 2030.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Climate-Controlled Hydroponic Greenhouses Physical climate-controlled NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) hydroponic greenhouse infrastructure installed at Australian K-12 schools. 5x more productive than traditional ground-based farming, uses 90% less water, produces year-round, and is built for harsh Australian environments including remote and regional communities. Schools receive the greenhouse, ongoing support, seeds, and curriculum resources.
- The Greenhouse (EdTech Platform) Food Ladder's EdTech platform providing AI-powered greenhouse management tools for schools. Includes a member dashboard for harvest tracking, team management, forecast tracking, and AI-powered lesson planning. Serves as the central hub for the Food Ladder school network.
- Food Ladder Academy Educational resource hub providing curriculum-aligned learning content for running the Food Ladder greenhouse program. Includes Crop Library (50+ plant profiles), Recipe Book (40+ recipes), Growing Systems guides, Ecosystem Optimisers documentation, Maintenance protocols, Harvest Hygiene standards, and Food Preservation techniques.
- AI Lesson Planning (powered by IBM watsonx.ai) IBM watsonx.ai-powered lesson plan generation integrated into the Food Ladder EdTech platform. Creates custom educational content aligned with local curriculum requirements, tailored by subject, year level, and individual class requirements including students with disabilities or learning support needs. Saves teachers up to 2 periods each day.
- Southeast Queensland Greenhouse Program A funded regional rollout of Food Ladder's AI-enabled, climate-controlled hydroponic greenhouses to nine low-ICSEA schools across Southeast Queensland over three years, backed by a $600,000 Greater Charitable Foundation grant. Includes tailored teaching resources, professional development, and access to a peer educator network, reaching more than 3,150 students.
Quantifiable outcome
- Student attendance increased from 30% to above 90% at participating schools
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Food Ladder
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Food Ladder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
Food Ladder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)coreFour-year research project through CSIRO Industry PhD program applying quantum AI to improve food security and student wellbeing. Partnership uses quantum machine learning to optimize crop growth and food security, and measure therapeutic benefits of greenhouse interaction through wearable devices tracking stress indicators. First instance in Australia where a non-quantum industry is applying quantum-reinforced AI algorithms.
- University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)corePartner in quantum AI research project with CSIRO. Leads research into therapeutic benefits of student interaction with plants. Supports PhD student exploring quantum AI applications for resource-efficient hydroponics and evidence-based frameworks for integrating green space exposure into student wellbeing.
- IBMcoreIBM integrated its watsonx AI portfolio including watsonx.ai into Food Ladder's educational program. AI streamlines lesson plan design, creating custom content aligned with local curriculum requirements, tailored by subject, year level, and individual class requirements including students with disabilities or learning support needs. Partnership aims to scale to 1,000 schools by 2030, engaging over 1 million students and supplementing 25 million meals annually.
- Sundrop FarmsminorPartnership supporting Stirling North Primary School greenhouse through Sundrop Farms involvement. Students learn practical science and sustainability through the partnership.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Food Ladder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Food Ladder social profiles
Digital presenceFood Ladder compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Food Ladder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food Ladder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Food Ladder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food Ladder 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 Food Ladder
What does Food Ladder do?
Food Ladder provides climate-controlled hydroponic (NFT) greenhouses paired with an AI-enabled EdTech platform (The Greenhouse) to K-12 schools across Australia. Schools receive greenhouse infrastructure, curriculum-aligned lesson planning powered by IBM watsonx.ai, the Food Ladder Academy learning content library, harvest tracking tools, and ongoing support, enabling students to grow fresh produce year-round while building STEM, nutrition, and food literacy skills.
Is Food Ladder a public or private company?
Food Ladder is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Food Ladder founded?
Food Ladder was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Food Ladder based?
Food Ladder is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Food Ladder make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are partnership Funding and school Program Fees.
Does Food Ladder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food Ladder.
What industry is Food Ladder in?
Food Ladder's product category is Educational Agriculture Technology / School Hydroponics Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative), with a secondary code of EDAEAEAI, Vending, Kiosk & À La Carte Food Programs (On-Campus Retail). Its NAICS code is 11141 and its SIC code is 700.