Dubai, UAE and Westbrook, Maine, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Raiven Capital, a forward-thinking investment firm based in Dubai, has announced a strategic investment in Vertical Harvest, Inc., a pioneering vertical farming company that recently earned acclaim from The Washington Post as a leader in what’s being called Vertical Farming 2.0. This partnership marks a critical step towards revolutionizing sustainable agriculture worldwide.
Vertical Harvest’s new flagship farm in Westbrook, Maine, stands as a remarkable example of innovation in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The farm efficiently produces the equivalent yield of 250 acres of traditional farmland, all on just half an acre of land. What’s more impressive is its use of 95% less water than conventional farming methods and boasting the lowest energy consumption per pound of food produced. This feat is made possible through a high-tech platform developed in collaboration with partners Elevated Signals and Siemens, utilizing advanced digital systems to create a scalable, replicable model for sustainable food production.
Supreet Manchanda, Founding Partner at Raiven Capital, highlights the urgency and transformative potential behind this investment. “Traditional agriculture is at a breaking point,” he states. “Vertical Harvest is reinventing not only how we grow food, but where and by whom. Their farms represent scalable infrastructure for the future, and we see powerful applications of such Climatech solutions across the Middle East and beyond.” This vision connects innovative farming technology with practical solutions for global food security and climate resilience.
A key component to Vertical Harvest’s success is its integration of artificial intelligence into the CEA model. Without AI, controlled environment agriculture tends to be labor and energy-intensive, leading to uncertain economics. However, AI revolutionizes this by making resource use highly efficient, significantly improving profit margins, and enabling scalable expansion. Raiven Capital views AI and CEA as an inseparable duo, crucial to developing viable Climatech, much like AI’s role in autonomous vehicles or drug discovery.
Beyond technology and efficiency, Vertical Harvest prioritizes social impact by embedding inclusive employment in its operational philosophy. The company tailors career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities, turning high-tech farming into a powerful engine for social mobility. According to Nona Yehia, CEO and Co-Founder of Vertical Harvest, “Our farms don’t just grow food. They grow futures.” This human-centered approach proves that agriculture can be both innovative and deeply humane.
Paul Dugsin, Founding Partner at Raiven Capital, also emphasizes the broader significance of this venture. “In much of the world, food security is national security,” he explains. “Vertical Harvest is not just transforming agriculture; it is driving cultural and financial change by strengthening economies while building resilience.” This insight underscores the intersection of agricultural innovation with economic stability and security on a global scale.
With Raiven Capital’s innovation hub based in Dubai and its extensive global network, Vertical Harvest is poised to scale its model to smart cities worldwide. This expansion aims to deliver food sovereignty, economic inclusion, and climate resilience, addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
About Vertical Harvest
Vertical Harvest specializes in designing, building, and operating vertical farms that combine controlled environment agriculture with inclusive employment and proprietary artificial intelligence systems. Further information is available at verticalharvestfarms.com.
