Babylon Micro-Farms launched in 2017 with a goal to create humanitarian hydroponic units that were resource-efficient and could grow year-round. Its signature product, the $15,000 Galleri, is a modular farm that grows fresh produce and uses 90% less water, no pesticides and no chemicals.
Now in its seventh year of operations, Babylon Micro-Farms is branching into K-12 education with the lower-cost STEM Garden, a product designed for schools.
“It’s part of a growing trend where schools are emphasizing interdisciplinary learning and teaching systems,” said Alexander Olesen, CEO and co-founder. “We designed the Galleri to set a new standard in the industry, but it’s quite expensive.”
He said the company found schools and nonprofits were interested in growing food on-site, but the cost and footprint was too much.
The STEM Garden is one-third the size of the Galleri, and its thus a third of the price. It retails for $6,495 and will begin shipping in the fall. Additionally, Babylon has developed curriculum it will be announcing later this summer and has been working with partners to develop teaching modules that will help introduce hydroponics in classrooms.
While Olesen declined to comment on revenue, he confirmed that the company is growing post-revenue.
All of Babylon’s farming units are manufactured in Richmond. Hundreds are being used throughout the world in applications from senior living to corporate dining. Chefs design signature dishes and grow ingredients on-site for salad bars, creating an integrated experience that Babylon hopes will become a way of life. Proprietary systems allow the farms to be run remotely — though the STEM Garden requires hand watering and does not have remote monitoring.
“We’re helping people without farming backgrounds become urban farmers,” he said.
Olesen said Babylon recently completed the Virginia Leaders in Export Trade program with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Corp., putting the company is on track for more international growth. Olesen said the program resulted in partnerships with food service giants Aramark, Compass Group North Americaand Sodexo.
“We see this as a big opportunity for us in 2025,” he said.
Closer to home, Babylon is actively soliciting schools and nonprofits. It has a pilot program to encourage these organizations to become early adopters.
For the foreseeable future, Babylon’s focus will be on launching the education product and continuing to accelerate sales of their Galleri as more people want to grow their own food, Olesen said.
