YASAI operates vertical farms to grow herbs and leafy greens for hyper-local distribution and app-based custom orders. The Zurich-based startup was founded three years ago and has built two industrial farming locations. It partners nationwide with Eisberg (part of the Bell Food Group) for distribution. YASAI plans an additional farm integrated into the Lymhof residential quarter in Schlieren and aims to create a local vertical-farming hotspot. The company expects to increase production capacity tenfold to meet rising demand and broaden its product portfolio with trade partners. YASAI is a Venture Kick alum and received CHF 10,000 from the program in 2019. Yasai builds and operates vertical farms to produce locally grown, pesticide-free herbs and aims to create resilient, circular food-supply chains. Its products are already stocked in 80 Coop stores across Switzerland. The company says vertical farming can boost yields up to 200x/sqm while using 95% less freshwater, cutting food miles by 100x and eliminating pesticides. Since market launch in January 2022, Yasai reported 16x revenue growth in the first half of 2022 and reached CHF21.9k (€22.48k) per month in revenue; in 2021 the company was pre-revenue and recorded a €-1.14m loss. Current maximum output capacity is 20 tonnes per year, demand exceeds that capacity by 2.8x, and the company plans to double capacity to 40t p.a. to meet demand and replicate its farm model. Yasai intends to cover the food value chain from farm to fork and to expand its presence in Europe and Asia.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Aug 2022