Area 2 Farms Raises $9 Million to Franchise Urban Soil Farms

Area 2 Farms, an indoor farming company that grows produce in soil rather than hydroponic systems, closed a $9 million round from Slow Ventures and 776, the venture firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, ababnews reported on October 12, 2026.

The money is earmarked for technology, real estate partnerships and a new franchise program, the report said. Franchisees would invest about $308,000 to $471,000 per site and staff each farm with six to eight people. Early target states are Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, and the company says it eventually wants farms within 10 miles of most of the US population.

Its pilot operation in Arlington, Virginia, has produced more than 20,000 harvests and supplied over 1,000 households through a community-supported agriculture model, with weekly subscription shares running roughly $35 to $45. The farms grow leafy greens, root vegetables, herbs and microgreens in vacant urban warehouse space, using coconut coir and a proprietary compost, and are certified organic by the USDA. An expansion into Fairfax is underway.

Area 2 Farms was founded by Oren Falkowitz, who previously worked at the National Security Agency and Cyber Command. He founded Sqrrl, bought by Amazon, and Area 1 Security, acquired by Cloudflare for about $162 million. Ohanian started 776 in 2021 after leaving Initialized Capital.

This story was first reported by https://www.ababnews.com/.