Hippo Harvest Secures $30M Series C Led by Cox Farms to Scale Robotic Indoor Growing
Hippo Harvest, a California-based leafy greens grower that combines robotics and machine learning with greenhouse production, has closed a $30 million Series C funding round led by Cox Farms, North America's largest greenhouse operator. The investment will support a 30-acre expansion at a new facility in Hollister, California, currently in the permitting phase, and development of the company's next-generation robotic growing system. The funding will increase growing capacity from its current one-acre footprint and accelerate commercialization of indoor-grown spinach.
Spinach Commercialization and Retail Growth
The company has launched commercially grown spinach to retail buyers, marking a significant milestone. Hippo Harvest also introduced butter lettuce to retail customers in early 2026. These two products anchor a growing line of indoor-grown greens designed for year-round consistency. The company’s hybrid assortment blends greenhouse and organic field-grown greens to offer broader variety and reliable supply, particularly as climate volatility increasingly affects the sector.
Hippo Harvest currently serves retail buyers across Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, including Sprouts, Haggen (an Albertsons banner), and Gus’s Community Markets in San Francisco. The company plans to expand across the West Coast and is developing additional national retail partnerships.
Proprietary Robotic System and Sustainability
The core of Hippo Harvest’s model is a proprietary robotic growing system that uses Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and machine learning to monitor, tend, and harvest plants with precision. The upgraded system employs robotic “tractors” to automatically respace growing modules throughout the growth cycle, maximizing space efficiency and yields. The next-generation system funded by the Series C is designed to increase throughput, reduce cost per unit, and accelerate the company’s ability to bring new crop varieties to market at scale.
The company’s closed-loop, direct-to-root nutrient and watering system, combined with its AMRs, enables it to produce USDA-certified organic greens using 92% less water, 55% less fertilizer, and 94% less land compared to traditional agriculture. Prices are competitive with field-grown alternatives.
Investor Support and Future Plans
“Closing this round and bringing spinach to market in the same moment is a real signal of where Hippo Harvest is headed,” said Eitan Marder-Eppstein, CEO and co-founder. “We’ve spent years building a system that can grow certified organic greens consistently and at a price that works for both retailers and consumers. This investment lets us do that at the next level of scale.”
Cox Farms, owned by Cox Enterprises, led the round. “Hippo Harvest is doing something genuinely exciting in indoor agriculture, and we’re proud to be part of this next chapter,” said Steve Bradley, president of Cox Farms. “Cox Farms actively looks for opportunities to support innovation and new technologies across indoor agriculture.”
Existing and new investors including Congruent Ventures, Hawthorne Food Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and the Fresh Investment Club also participated. The Series C follows a $21 million Series B closed in February 2024, led by Standard Investments with participation from Congruent Ventures, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Hawthorne Food Ventures, and Energy Impact Partners.
Founded in 2019 and based in Pescadero, California, Hippo Harvest continues to scale its robotics-driven approach to indoor agriculture, aiming to provide consistent, sustainable organic greens to retailers and consumers nationwide.
The source for this article is https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2026/07/10/hippo-harvest-closes-30-million-series-c-led-by-cox-farms-scaling-robotic-indoor-growing-technology-and-expanding-to-new-markets/26832/.