Agricola Moderna

What Agricola Moderna does

Agricola Moderna is an Italian controlled-environment agriculture company founded in Milan in 2018 by Pierluigi Giuliani and Benjamin Franchetti. The company operates an indoor vertical farming business using hydroponic cultivation across multi-level cells up to 8 meters high, producing ready-to-eat salads and herbs (Insalata Croccante, Lattuga Romana, Misticanza Italiana, Lattughino Biondo) that are 100% natural, pesticide-free, and nickel-free, packaged in recyclable PP5 plastic with a stated shelf life of up to 13 days. Production is governed by AI-driven climate control across thousands of sensors and a closed-loop water recycling system, achieving reported 95% water savings, 98% soil savings, and 10x yield per square meter relative to traditional farming.

The company runs two facilities in northern Italy: a registered office and pilot site in Melzo (Milan) of ~1,500 m², and the main commercial production facility in Agnadello (Cremona) at ~11,500 m² of footprint supporting ~20,000 m² of multi-level cultivation surface, powered 100% by renewable energy (biomethane and solar) and targeting 2 million kg of leafy vegetables per year by 2026. Current operational output is described as averaging ~2.5 tons per day (~900 tons/year).

Agricola Moderna operates a B2B/B2B2C go-to-market: branded products are distributed through major Italian GDO chains (Carrefour, Tigre, Oasi), the specialty e-commerce platform Cortilia, and event-driven in-store campaigns. Revenue also includes contract manufacturing under retailer private labels — notably 'Saper di Sapori' for Selex Gruppo Commerciale and 'Consilia Optima' for Consorzio Sun (Gruppo Selex) — with national rollout starting February 2026. Ownership sits with Agricola Moderna Holding S.p.A.; the company has raised €31M to date (€15M Azimut IPC Fund equity, €6M Azimut ELTIF, €10M Intesa Sanpaolo debt with SACE Green Guarantee) and has academic R&D partnerships with Politecnico di Milano and Università degli Studi di Milano via the SUSTAIN project.

Name

Agricola Moderna

Legal name

Agricola Moderna S.p.A. società agricola

Website

https://agricolamoderna.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agricola Moderna is an Italian controlled-environment agriculture company that grows ready-to-eat salads and herbs using indoor vertical hydroponic farming, supplying Italian GDO retailers (Carrefour, Tigre, Oasi), e-commerce (Cortilia), and retailer private-label brands (Selex, Consorzio Sun).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vertical Farming Produce

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419), Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

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), Vertical Farming Systems & Racking (Indoor Farms, Multi-tier) (AFAAAHAI), Hydroponic & Aeroponic Growing Systems (NFT, DWC, Ebb/Flow, Misting) (AFAAAHAD), Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Vertical farming
• Hydroponic cultivation
• Ready-to-eat salads
• Indoor agriculture
• Leafy greens production

Headquarters

HQ city

Melzo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Own Brand Product Sales: Sale of branded salads and herbs (Insalata Croccante, Lattuga Romana, Misticanza Italiana, Lattughino Biondo) through GDO and e-commerce. Products are packaged in 100% recyclable PP5 plastic.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing products under retailer brands including Selex's 'Saper di Sapori' and Consorzio Sun's 'Consilia Optima' lines.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Agricola Moderna produces ready-to-eat salads and herbs grown through indoor vertical farming using a hydroponic system. The entire process — from seed to packaged product — takes place within the same facility, employing stacked vertical cultivation cells, AI-managed climate and growth controls, and closed-loop water recycling. The company sells its own branded salads and also manufactures private-label lines for major Italian retail groups.

Product overview

Agricola Moderna is a vertical farming company that produces premium salads and herbs using indoor hydroponic cultivation. The company offers four core salad products: Insalata Croccante (Crunchy Salad), Lattuga Romana (Roman Lettuce), Misticanza Italiana (Italian Mesclun), and Lattughino Biondo (Blond Lettuce). All products are grown in controlled vertical farm environments using hydroponic methods, are 100% natural, pesticide-free, and nickel-free, with extended shelf life of up to 13 days. Products are packaged in 100% recyclable PP5 plastic and reach supermarket shelves within 24 hours of harvest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insalata Croccante (Crunchy Salad) Premium crunchy salad variety produced via indoor vertical hydroponic farming, ready-to-eat without washing, with extended shelf life. Targeted at consumers seeking pesticide-free, nickel-free fresh produce.
• Lattuga Romana (Roman Lettuce) Premium tender Roman lettuce produced via indoor vertical hydroponic farming, ready-to-eat without washing, with extended shelf life. Packaged in 100% recyclable PP5 plastic.
• Misticanza Italiana (Italian Mesclun) Premium Italian mesclun mix of green and red lettuce leaves produced via indoor vertical hydroponic farming, ready-to-eat, with extended shelf life.
• Lattughino Biondo (Blond Lettuce) Premium fresh blond lettuce produced via indoor vertical hydroponic farming, ready-to-eat, with extended shelf life.
• Saper di Sapori private label salad line (Selex) Private label manufacturing of four premium ready-to-eat salad SKUs for Selex Gruppo Commerciale under the 'Saper di Sapori – Il meglio di Selex' brand. National distribution through Selex retail network.
• Consilia Optima salad line (Consorzio Sun) Private label manufacturing of four vertical-farming salad references for Consorzio Sun (Gruppo Selex) under the Consilia Optima brand, distributed through Sun consortium retail partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves up to 95% water compared to traditional open-field agriculture
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Selex Gruppo CommercialemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2026Manufacturing partnership for 'Saper di Sapori – Il meglio di Selex' premium private label line of 4 salad SKUs (Lattuga Riccia, Misticanza, Lattughino Biondo, Lattuga Romana) in 100g square-bottom packages. National distribution through Selex retail network starting February 2026.
• Politecnico di MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025SUSTAIN project (SUbstrate and Systems of Trays for Agricultural INnovation) - 5-year research partnership developing artificial recyclable cultivation substrates using metamaterials and 3D printing. Funded under FISA2024 call. Department of Mathematics providing advanced mathematical modeling for material design.
• Università degli Studi di Milano (DiSAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025SUSTAIN project partner providing plant science expertise for developing new cultivation substrates and optimizing controlled environment agriculture. 5-year research collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and Agricola Moderna.
• GB22 AgencyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Creative agency responsible for 'Ci vediamo il 7' marketing campaign (December 2024 - January 2025). Campaign featured ironic messaging on social media and in-store at major retailers.
• Consorzio Sun (Gruppo Selex)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for 'Consilia Optima' line of 4 vertical farming salad references produced by Agricola Moderna using hydroponic method. Distributed through Sun consortium retail partners under Consilia brand.
• Banco AlimentareminorOthersFood bank association receiving donated products to help those in need. Part of company's commitment to reducing food waste.
• Italian Red Cross (Croce Rossa Italiana)minorOthersReceives donated products to help those in need. Part of company's food waste reduction and social impact initiatives.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Infarm: Berlin-based vertical farming operator serving European retail with herbs and leafy greens grown in hydroponic in-store and cloud farms. Most direct EU peer despite the recent operational restructuring.
• 80 Acres Farms: US vertical farming operator producing leafy greens and herbs for grocery, e-commerce, and foodservice. Similar technology stack (AI-controlled hydroponics, fully automated facilities) and product positioning.
• Bowery Farming: US-based smart indoor vertical farm producing pesticide-free leafy greens and herbs for major retailers (Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh). Closest US-based analog by product category and B2B retail distribution model.
• BrightFarms: US hydroponic greenhouse operator producing packaged leafy greens for supermarkets (Ahold Delhaize, Kroger, Walmart). Comparable in distribution focus on retail private-label and branded salads, though using greenhouse rather than fully-indoor vertical farming.
• Planet Farms: Italian vertical farming company producing ready-to-eat salads and herbs using hydroponic indoor cultivation. Closest direct competitor to Agricola Moderna in Italy, with similar product mix, retail partnerships, and capital structure.

Broad incumbents

• AeroFarms: US-based vertical farming pioneer with larger-scale operations in leafy greens and herbs. A broader incumbent in the CEA category with more capital and a wider geographic footprint, providing relevant benchmarks on scaling and unit economics.
• Plenty: US vertical farming company with a more capital-intensive, robotics-driven platform across leafy greens. A broader incumbent benchmark for indoor vertical farming scale economics and retail partnerships.

Emerging players

• Sky Greens: Singapore-based vertical farming company using rotating multi-tier hydroponic systems to grow leafy greens. Comparable multi-tier vertical cultivation approach and applicable international benchmark for tropical-climate CEA economics.
• LettUs Grow: UK-based vertical farming technology provider combining aeroponics with farm management software. Comparable in technology orientation (CEA + analytics) and a relevant emerging point of comparison for European CEA infrastructure.

Regional players

• Sfera Agricola: Italian greenhouse-based producer of hydroponic vegetables, including leafy greens for retail. A regional Italian CEA peer with overlapping GDO distribution and similar hydroponic methodology, though using greenhouse rather than fully indoor vertical farming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/agricolamoderna
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agricolamoderna
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@agricolamoderna
• Instagraminstagram.com/agricolamoderna

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Agricola Moderna