PESCADERO, CA — Hippo Harvest, a leafy greens grower whose robotics- and machine learning-powered greenhouses produce USDA-certified organic greens, has closed a $30 million Series C funding round led by Cox Farms, North America’s largest greenhouse operator. The investment will unlock a 30-acre expansion at a new Hollister, CA facility, currently in permitting, and the development of the company’s next-generation robotic growing system, expanding growing capacity from one acre today and accelerating the commercialization of indoor-grown Spinach.
The Spinach commercialization marks a significant milestone for Hippo Harvest, which also launched its Butter Lettuce to retail buyers in early 2026. Together, the two products anchor a growing line of indoor-grown greens built for year-round consistency. Hippo Harvest’s hybrid assortment blends greenhouse and organic field-grown greens to deliver broader variety and reliable supply in a sector increasingly affected by climate volatility.
At the center 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 at every stage of growth. The upgraded system uses robotic ‘tractors’ to automatically respace growing modules throughout the growth cycle, maximizing space efficiency and yields at the farm level. The next-generation system funded by this round is designed to increase throughput, reduce cost per unit, and accelerate the company’s ability to bring new varieties to market at scale.
“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 of Hippo Harvest. “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.”
Founded in 2019 and based in Pescadero, CA, Hippo Harvest serves retail buyers across Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, including Sprouts, Haggen (an Albertsons banner), and Gus’s Community Markets in San Francisco, with plans to expand across the West Coast and additional national retail partnerships in development. Cox Farms, owned by Cox Enterprises, led the Series C round, with participation from existing and new Hippo Harvest investors, including Congruent Ventures, Hawthorne Food Ventures, Collaborative Fund and the Fresh Investment Club. The round 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.
“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. We can’t wait to watch them scale.”
