$8M for Babylon's self-contained VF system

Added on 04 April 2023

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$8M for Babylon's self-contained VF system

Personal vertical farms — that’s the big promise driving Babylon Micro-Farms. The Richmond, Virginia-based startup produces the Galleri, a large $15,000 wall appliance designed to grow more than 50 different plant varieties for on-site harvest. The system is obviously price-prohibitive for most individuals at the moment; accordingly, the company is currently focused on food service for verticals like healthcare, education and the corporate world. Anyone who has a desire for hyper-local produce (and a nice visual to boot).

Today Babylon is announcing an $8 million Series A, led by Venture South. The round, which also features Virginia Venture Partners, Hull Street Capital and New Theory Ventures, follows a $3 million seed announced almost exactly two years ago. It arrives as the startup is also announcing $500,000 National Science Foundation grant.

Babylon is still a lean team of 35, based primarily based in Richmond. The Galleri system is currently manufactured locally, as well. CEO Alexander Olesen tells TechCrunch that the money will go toward accelerating production and marketing the solution, as the company looks to expand its install base.