The Berlin start-up Infarm, which sets up greenhouses in supermarkets, is apparently largely withdrawing from Europe. This is reported by the “Handelsblatt”, citing insiders. Accordingly, Infarm should only employ 80 people across the continent. The company sees its future in “a region with lower energy costs,” the unconfirmed report said.
Infarm was valued at over $1 billion in 2021. The company manufactures “vertical farms” for grocery retailers. Food such as salads, herbs and mushrooms are grown in glass cabinets. The cupboards are in stores owned by partners such as Edeka, who sell the products.
However, Infarm initially grows the seedlings in energy-intensive large-scale plants. Infarm had already announced the layoff of 500 employees at the end of last year. The last published balance sheet from 2021 showed a loss of 48 million euros.