Food Autonomy Lighting

What Food Autonomy Lighting does

Food Autonomy Lighting (Food Autonomy Kft.) is a privately held Hungarian horticultural technology company founded in 2021 as a spin-out of Tungsram's Agritech business unit, with heritage tracing back to United Electric Ltd. (1896). The company designs and manufactures LED lighting systems — including the modular Flexi-Grow Max and Flexi-Grow Mini greenhouse toplights, the LEDFan® Air+ fixture that uniquely combines LED lighting with active vertical ventilation, and vertical-farm lightbars — alongside the CultiMesh® wireless control platform. CultiMesh is positioned as the first HLP-compatible (Horticultural Lighting Protocol) wireless controller and enables sub-second control of 10,000+ multichannel fixtures, automated spectrum and recipe management, grid balancing (aFRR/mFRR/FCR), and integration with Ridder climate computers and Siemens PLC systems. Customers are predominantly European commercial greenhouse and vertical-farm operators, with documented enterprise deployments at scale (e.g., Lans Group 64 ha across four phases; Vitarom 16,500+ fixtures; Sven Sigg 9,000+ fixtures; APS Produce, UK).

The company generates revenue primarily through project-based hardware sales of LED fixtures and CultiMesh systems, complemented by professional services for lighting design, commissioning, and after-sale support. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts, reflecting the customization and installation scope of enterprise greenhouse projects. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales executed through six named regional Sales Representatives covering Benelux, Central/Eastern Europe, Finland, Denmark/Norway, and the UK/Hungary, supported by participation in European trade shows (Fruit Logistica, HortiContact, Greentech, Lepaa), technical content marketing, and detailed customer case studies. Reported scale metrics include 150+ projects delivered and 200,000+ LED lights installed across at least eight European countries. Co-development partnerships with Lans Group (LEDFan), Ridder (CultiMesh integration), Ledgnd B.V. (independent research), and Tungsram (R&D vertical farm access) anchor the technology and channel strategy. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no funding rounds are recorded in the input data.

Name

Food Autonomy Lighting

Legal name

Food Autonomy Kft.

Website

https://foodautonomy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Food Autonomy Lighting is a Hungarian horticultural LED lighting company that designs greenhouse toplights, vertical-farm lightbars, and the CultiMesh wireless control platform for commercial growers and vertical-farm operators across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural LED Lighting

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Controlled Environment Lighting (LED Grow Lights, Controls) (AFAAAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting) (IMAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Horticultural LED lighting
• Greenhouse lighting systems
• Vertical farm lighting
• Wireless lighting control
• Controlled environment agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Budapest

HQ country

Hungary

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LED Lighting Hardware Sales: Food Autonomy generates revenue primarily through the sale of LED grow lights including Flexi-Grow Max, LEDFan Air+, Flexi-Grow Mini, and Lightbars. Products are sold as complete lighting solutions including customization, design services, and installation support for greenhouse and vertical farm installations.
2. Wireless Control Systems: Sales of CultiMesh wireless control platform including controllers, integration services, and ongoing platform access for monitoring and control of installed lighting systems.
3. Professional Services: Lighting design, commissioning, and after-sale support services provided alongside product sales for enterprise greenhouse installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Food Autonomy Lighting designs, manufactures, and sells LED grow lights and wireless lighting control systems for commercial greenhouses and vertical farms. The product range includes the Flexi-Grow Max, LEDFan® Air+, and Flexi-Grow Mini greenhouse toplights, Lightbars for vertical farm multilayer installations, and the CultiMesh® wireless lighting control platform. Solutions are sold as project-based, customized lighting installations for enterprise horticulture operators across Europe.

Product overview

Food Autonomy Lighting offers a comprehensive portfolio of LED horticulture lighting solutions and control systems for greenhouse, vertical farming, and controlled environment agriculture. The product lineup consists of three greenhouse toplight products (Flexi-Grow Max, LEDFan® Air+, Flexi-Grow Mini), vertical farming lightbars, and the CultiMesh® wireless control platform. Flexi-Grow products serve as primary lighting fixtures for greenhouse installations, while LEDFan® Air+ uniquely combines LED lighting with active vertical ventilation for climate control. Lightbars address multilayer indoor farming needs. All products can be managed through the CultiMesh® IoT platform, which provides wireless control, grid balancing, spectrum management, and data monitoring capabilities. Products are designed, manufactured, and supported in Europe with customization options for specific crop and grower requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flexi-Grow Max: Modular grow light designed for greenhouse installations, available in XL size for higher output
• LEDFan Air+
• Flexi-Grow Mini
• Lightbars
• CultiMesh

Products and services

• Flexi-Grow Max Modular greenhouse grow light designed for greenhouse installations, available in single, double, and XL module configurations. Effectively replaces traditional 1000W HPS fixtures with up to 4 channels with wireless control, efficiency up to 4.5 µmol/J when dimmed to 50%, and light output up to 6500 µmol/s. Sold to commercial greenhouse growers producing vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
• LEDFan® Air+ Greenhouse toplight combining high-performance LED lighting with a controllable vertical ventilation system. Features PPF up to 4700 µmol/s, independently controllable fans with 600 m³/h airflow, stimulates evaporation, reduces plant disease, and lowers heating costs. Integrates the benefits of both LED and HPS technologies. Sold to commercial greenhouse operators transitioning from HPS to LED.
• Flexi-Grow Mini Compact greenhouse toplight designed as a replacement for traditional 1000W HPS lamps. Features multi-channel option with wireless dimming, flexible spectrum/output/efficiency, standard and wide beam options, super slim design, and lightweight construction for easy installation. Sold to commercial greenhouse growers.
• Lightbars Flexible LED lightbars for indoor vertical farming multilayer growing facilities. Modular system providing suitable light intensity and uniformity for various crops. Features lengths up to 2.5m, high efficacy up to 3.5 µmol/J, PPF up to 280 µmol/s, remote driver for low heat radiation, high uniformity wide beam optics, 0–100% dimmability, and ultra low-profile design. Available in fixed spectrum and 4-channel versions. Sold to vertical farm operators producing leafy greens, herbs, microgreens, and strawberries.
• CultiMesh® Two-way wireless lighting control platform with unlimited scalability that controls 10,000+ multichannel grow lights from one controller in under one second. Features grid balancing (aFRR, mFRR, FCR), multi-channel dimming, spectrum control, human-friendly white light switching for workers, real-time notifications, long-term data analysis, robot and human process tracking. Standalone or climate-computer integrated with backward compatibility. Sold to greenhouse and vertical farm operators globally, with integrations to Ridder climate computers and Siemens PLC systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-53% energy reduction versus HPS systems
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ledgnd B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Dutch technology partner collaborating on LEDFan research for ornamental cultivation. Ledgnd provides independent research oversight, sensor infrastructure, and data analysis platform (MyLedgnd) for climate and plant response studies. Joint research conducted in commercial greenhouse environments validated LEDFan's impact on Gerbera cultivation with 24% energy cost reduction per flower.
• RiddercoreTechnology or IntegrationClimate computer manufacturer whose systems integrate with Food Autonomy's CultiMesh wireless platform. Partnership enables growers to control LED installations directly from Ridder climate computers, providing seamless integration for greenhouse automation.
• Lans GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetherlands' largest tomato grower and co-developer of LEDFan technology. Lans partnered with Food Autonomy to develop and perfect the LEDFan concept, providing real-world testing environment and feedback for product refinement across 64 hectares of installations.
• Plant LightingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent research company conducting pilot studies on LEDFan technology effects on greenhouse climate and high-wire tomato cultivation. Research validates technology benefits including improved airflow, temperature distribution, and crop transpiration.
• Harvest HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrower cooperative combining sales power of various growers (70+ growers, 1100+ hectares). Lans Group CEO is founding partner, providing indirect market access through cooperative structure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Illumitex: Specialist horticultural LED company offering fixtures for vertical farms, greenhouses, and cannabis production with a focus on spectrum precision. Comparable in product category and customer segments, particularly as an emerging direct competitor in vertical farming LED.
• Gavita International: Specialist in horticultural lighting for greenhouses, particularly HPS and LED toplights, serving European and North American greenhouse growers. Highly comparable to Food Autonomy's Flexi-Grow toplight product line and direct enterprise sales motion to greenhouse operators.
• LumiGrow: US-based horticultural LED lighting company offering fixtures and a smart lighting control platform for greenhouses, vertical farms, and research institutions. Comparable in product architecture (LED + control software) and target customer segments, primarily serving North American growers.
• Valoya: Finnish LED horticultural lighting specialist serving greenhouse, vertical farm, and research customers with broad-spectrum and dynamic-spectrum LED fixtures. Comparable to Food Autonomy on product (LED fixtures plus spectra research), customer base (commercial greenhouse growers, research institutions), and European footprint.
• Heliospectra: Swedish-listed LED horticultural lighting specialist offering fixtures and control software for greenhouse and vertical farm customers. Directly comparable in product mix, target customer base, and European-centric distribution, with publicly observable financials as a useful benchmark.
• P.L. Light Systems: Canadian horticultural lighting manufacturer offering both HPS and LED solutions for greenhouse and indoor cultivation, with strong presence in North American and European greenhouse markets. Comparable as a specialist competitor in greenhouse toplights and energy-efficiency-focused product positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Fluence by OSRAM (ams Osram): Now part of ams Osram, Fluence is a leading horticultural LED brand serving greenhouse and vertical farm customers globally. Direct overlap with Food Autonomy's LED product lines and CultiMesh-style control philosophy, backed by a much larger corporate parent.
• ams Osram: European-headquartered lighting and sensor company whose OSRAM brand includes horticultural LED solutions for greenhouse and vertical farm applications. Comparable in serving European growers with broader lighting and semiconductor technology platforms.
• Current (Current Lighting / Hort Americas): Specialist horticulture lighting brand (formerly Hort Americas), part of a larger commercial lighting portfolio, selling LED fixtures for greenhouse and indoor farming applications. Comparable as a broad-LED competitor with bundled lighting-plus-controls offerings.
• Signify (Philips Horticulture / Fluence): Global lighting giant (formerly Philips Lighting) operating one of the largest horticultural lighting portfolios via the Philips brand and Fluence (acquired 2022). Directly comparable as a greenhouse and vertical farm LED competitor with far larger scale, R&D, and global reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foodautonomylighting

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 Food Autonomy Lighting