Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #2 - Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #2 - Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms

“When you say, ‘can I have your money?’ Then, people speak the truth.”
Paul Lightfoot is a serial entrepreneur who has learned several lessons the hard way, from raising money to communicating purpose to hiring (and firing). After spending much of his career as a software CEO, Paul wanted to follow his “calling” to enter the world of sustainability and foodtech.
But this meant moving from a familiar career trajectory to an industry that, 10 years ago when Paul was entering it, barely even existed. In 2011, Paul founded BrightFarms, which uses hydroponic greenhouses to produce locally sourced packaged salads in the US. Along the way, he has made several critical decisions for his startup’s success. This includes an incredibly rare and difficult decision for any founder to make- Paul voluntarily stepped back from the role of CEO and hired someone he believed could do a better job.
Now, BrightFarms has 300 employees, five greenhouses, and in 2021, it was acquired by Cox Enterprises. In this episode, Paul talks about:

  • How to distinguish between what your ego is telling you and what’s best for your company.
  • How he raised capital in the early days, as well as more recent strategic partnerships to support the growth of BrightFarms.
  • Why establishing core values and purpose is not simply human resources ‘fluff’, but rather integral to success throughout every phase of a startup.

For more information on this episode, visit our website. This is the second episode in our “Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons” series. Listen to the first episode with Michael Gilbert of Semios.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(211)

Business Model Breakdowns with Shane Thomas: The Monsanto Playbook

Business Model Breakdowns with Shane Thomas: The Monsanto Playbook

Monsanto is one of the most influential and controversial companies in the history of global agriculture. But beyond the headlines, what can its evolution teach us about how value is created and captu...

27 Maj 47min

Can biomaterials compete on price, not just purpose? with Tina Funder

Can biomaterials compete on price, not just purpose? with Tina Funder

Some of the most transformative innovation in agri-food is happening downstream of the farm, in the materials, products, and industries that agriculture ultimately feeds into. In this episode, Sarah N...

13 Maj 34min

Better Outcomes, Not Lower Costs: rethinking agtech in horticulture, with Mark Trzaskoma

Better Outcomes, Not Lower Costs: rethinking agtech in horticulture, with Mark Trzaskoma

While agtech often celebrates breakthrough technologies that can slash costs for farmers, what if the real value of innovation lies somewhere else entirely? In this episode, Mark Trzaskoma joins Dr Ma...

29 Apr 33min

Business Model Breakdowns with Shane Thomas:  Co-Ops and their future in Ag

Business Model Breakdowns with Shane Thomas: Co-Ops and their future in Ag

Co-operatives have a long and sometimes colored history in agriculture, across the Western world. What role will they play in the future of agriculture? As agriculture becomes increasingly shaped by d...

15 Apr 38min

Halter’s $2 billion question, with founder Craig Piggott

Halter’s $2 billion question, with founder Craig Piggott

In less than a year, NZ-based virtual fencing company Halter raised $165 million and then $220 million more, reaching a $2 billion valuation at a time when global agtech funding is down more than 70% ...

1 Apr 32min

The Seven Year Itch: What We Got Wrong (and Right) in Australian Agtech, with Sam Duncan and Natalie Engel

The Seven Year Itch: What We Got Wrong (and Right) in Australian Agtech, with Sam Duncan and Natalie Engel

Seven years ago, agtech in Australia was still in its infancy. There were bold predictions, a flurry of startups, and an emerging ecosystem of programs and investors to back them. So how have things p...

18 Mars 26min

The Innovation Sweet Spot: Aligning Corporates, Startups and Investors, with Brad Fruth and Frank Wooten

The Innovation Sweet Spot: Aligning Corporates, Startups and Investors, with Brad Fruth and Frank Wooten

While agrifood innovation often celebrates bold founders and breakthrough technologies, what happens when the incentives of corporates, startups and investors don’t quite align? In this live recording...

4 Mars 51min

AI as a Competitive Farming Advantage, Paul Windemuller

AI as a Competitive Farming Advantage, Paul Windemuller

While farmer distrust of AI remains a key adoption barrier, will farm businesses that are being set up for an AI future have a competitive advantage?Paul Windemuller is a pioneering first-generation f...

18 Feb 29min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
rss-borsens-finest
uppgang-och-fall
svd-tech-brief
avanzapodden
fill-or-kill
24fragor
lastbilspodden
rss-dagen-med-di
bathina-en-podcast
borsmorgon
rss-jossan-nina
tabberaset
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
kvalitetsaktiepodden