This interview details Cultivatd, an indoor farming company based in the United States. The interview is with Eric Levesque, CEO of Cultivatd.
What is the origin story of Cultivatd?
My business partner and I had identified issues persisting within the industry through our previous companies in the space – most notably the difficulties that lay with educating yourself on what the right technology might be in an industry that is so new and how to train new farmers who usually have no experience with indoor growing. We decided to flip the model on its head by partnering with 50 or so of the industry's best technology providers in the world in order to have a solution regardless of the scale, scope, or location of the project.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing Cultivatd in the future?
We believe we need to be aggressive and proactive with our Farming as a Service (FaaS) division in order to have the greatest impact on our industry. The majority of entrepreneurs entering AgTech have no previous experience or knowledge of farming methods meaning they need ongoing training and support to ensure their success. We have developed a full suite of products including short and long-term knowledge transfer, head-to-toe white glove service, SOP development, and auditing in order to propel these new generation farmers.
What is unique about Cultivatd compared to competitors?
Cultivatd has a very unique market position, sitting at the epicenter of our industry. With no true competitors to speak of, we are creating the most vertically integrated company in CEA. Offering a breadth of services such as; Tech Consulting, FaaS, Market Analysis, Business Planning, Supply Management, and Capital Funding. We offer the majority of our services for free to propel vertical farming and are fit for anyone regardless of what stage your project might be currently. Whether you are looking to start something, have an existing operation needing assistance, expanding, wanting to invest in a venture or infrastructure, we have the team, tools, and resources available to help.
How do you measure the impact of Cultivatd so far? (Revenue, Employees, Customer Quantity, Production Volume) etc?
The importance of a service company such as ours - in a young industry growing so quickly cannot be overstated. As it stands today, nearly 75% of founders in AgTech wish they had chosen technology or crops differently. Cultivatd is one of the fastest growing companies in the space due to our ability to properly assess and educate our clients. With the industry being so young, online resources can be scarce and misleading. We leverage decades of experience across farming, manufacturing, education, and consulting to greatly increase your chances of success.
What lessons have you learned along the way?
I think it’s important to take time to reflect on your successes and failures. Startups can be draining with ups, downs and pivots. It’s crucial that founders and the team take the time to appreciate all they’ve accomplished and constantly be looking for new opportunities, assessing whether the current direction is where they should be pointed. Surrounding yourself with the right people to create a great work culture is imperative to drive the day to day and get you to your long term goals.
How can people connect with you or learn more about Cultivatd?
Feel free to reach out to us at any point, we’re here to help. You can contact us through email or phone at hello@cultivatd.com. 1-343-475-0238 (International) | 1-877-258-8283 (North America).
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