Harvesting a Miracle: 40 Times the Yield of a Conventional Farm

Mar 19, 2024
6 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

*This article was originally published as a contribution to the Dong-A Business Review (DBR) in January 2021.

Article at a Glance

Founded in 2015, Archisen is an agri-tech start-up established to tackle the persistent challenges of Singapore’s agricultural sector. As one of the nation’s leading indoor vertical farming companies, Archisen achieves yields up to 40 times higher than conventional farms. Through hyperlocal cultivation solutions, it supplies approximately 100 tonnes of fresh vegetables annually across Singapore.

Archisen’s strategy rests on three core pillars:

1. Developing tailored solutions for urban economies constrained by land and labour shortages.

2. Establishing a dedicated R&D facility early on and creating an optimised control system to maximise indoor crop production efficiency.

3. Differentiating its business model through a made-to-order production approach, cost efficiency, and strong branding built around its “pesticide-free” produce.

Singapore’s Food Self-Sufficiency Below 10% — Food Security Now a Strategic Priority

In March 2020, Singapore experienced a wave of panic buying of groceries and daily necessities. The cause was clear: heightened anxiety following Malaysia’s lockdown measures, which disrupted the supply of imported food products.

Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest nations—with a per capita GDP of US$65,000 in 2018—Singapore has a major vulnerability: over 90% of its food supply is imported. As of now, the country produces only 13% of its vegetables, 9% of its fish, and 24% of its eggs domestically, making it highly dependent on external food sources.

This was not the first time panic buying had occurred. During the global financial crisis triggered by the 2008 market crash, a spike in imported food prices caused similar public concern. In the aftermath, Singapore’s government took steps to safeguard national food security—but focused largely on diversifying import channels, without addressing the structural dependency on imports.

When Malaysia—Singapore’s primary supplier of eggs—was placed under lockdown, Singapore faced supply-risk concerns. The government scrambled to secure emergency egg supplies by expanding its sourcing network to 11 countries, from nearby Thailand to as far as Denmark.

Recognising the risks, Singapore’s government announced in March 2019 a strategic goal: to increase domestic food production from 10% to 30% by 2030. With less than a decade remaining, experts argue that Singapore must prioritise self-sufficiency in three key food categories: leafy vegetables, fish, and eggs. However, the nation faces two significant constraints: a shortage of skilled agricultural labour and extremely high land costs.

Archisen's Indoor Vertical Farming System

The Singapore government has adopted a proactive investment approach. To boost domestic food production, it allocated SGD 144 million (approx. KRW 120 billion) to food-related R&D and an additional SGD 63 million (approx. KRW 53 billion) to help agriculture companies adopt productivity-enhancing technologies. As part of a regulatory restructuring, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), which previously oversaw food safety and animal health, was reorganised. This led to the establishment of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on 1 April 2019, now tasked with overseeing food safety and security.

In April 2020, the SFA launched the 30×30 Express Grant, providing SGD 30 million (around KRW 25 billion) to accelerate domestic agricultural production. In addition, the government has been promoting the consumption of local produce through initiatives such as mandatory “Grown in Singapore” labelling on food packaging.

The SFA has identified the following key risk factors in Singapore’s food supply:

Reduced supply due to food-related diseases or issues in exporting countries
Disruptions caused by export restrictions from supplier nations
Supply instability stemming from political developments in neighbouring countries

One of Singapore’s biggest challenges lies in land availability. While the country is approximately 1.2 times the size of Seoul, agricultural land accounts for just 1% of its total area. Against this backdrop, urban farming has emerged as a highly promising solution. These urban farms, which address land constraints and limitations of conventional agriculture, are increasingly being established across residential and commercial areas throughout Singapore.

In February 2024, Archisen entered into a joint venture with Malaysia’s agri-food company FarmByte, part of Johor Corporation (JCorp), to establish a 52,000 sq ft smart indoor vertical farm in Johor Bahru. Developed under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone framework, the project aims to strengthen cross-border food resilience by producing fresh, pesticide-free leafy greens for both Malaysia and Singapore. The facility is designed with modular farming systems to enable rapid scalability across the region.

Archisen: A Vertical Farming Solution Tailored for Singapore

Singapore’s agricultural sector faces multiple structural challenges. Limited access to water and arable soil, high land costs due to constrained territory, and a shortage of skilled agricultural labour have long hindered local food production. In response, a new generation of agri-tech startups is emerging across urban areas, leveraging vertical farming, hydroponics, and controlled-environment agriculture to tackle these systemic constraints.

One such company is Archisen, founded in 2015. Positioned at the forefront of indoor vertical farming in Singapore, Archisen offers advanced cultivation technologies and exceptional productivity. By operating its own urban farming infrastructure and proximity-based growing solutions, the company currently supplies around 100 tonnes of fresh vegetables annually within Singapore. Its produce is distributed through major supermarket chains and online grocery platforms such as RedMart and Foodpanda, and is also served in high-end restaurants and hotels.

Archisen boasts crop yields up to 40 times higher than conventional farms, producing over 50 varieties of high-quality vegetables consistently, regardless of external weather conditions. Its strategic approach is anchored in three core pillars:

1. Customised Solutions Addressing Local Constraints

Archisen’s co-founders, Vincent and Sven, bring complementary expertise to the company. Vincent holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS), while Sven studied Biological Sciences at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Since 2012, the duo had been involved in developing sensor technologies for smart farming infrastructure in Indonesia and Malaysia, helping to boost productivity in outdoor farms.

However, they became increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of innovation in conventional agriculture. Motivated by the challenge of reducing Singapore’s heavy reliance on food imports—currently exceeding 90% for domestically consumed produce—they founded Archisen in 2015 with a singular focus: to engineer a scalable urban farming system tailored for Singapore’s unique conditions.

In land-scarce and labour-intensive urban economies like Singapore, indoor vertical farms presented the only viable long-term solution. Rather than pursuing only high-margin crops, Archisen adopted a localisation strategy by targeting over 50 varieties of vegetables that are commonly consumed by the local population—allowing the company to align production with everyday dietary habits.

As a key partner in Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ national food security initiative—which aims to locally produce 30% of nutritional needs by 2030—Archisen has committed to scaling its operations significantly. The company’s goal is to supply more than 5% of Singapore’s total vegetable consumption by 2022, which equates to at least 5,000 tonnes annually out of the country's estimated demand of 100,000 tonnes. Looking ahead, Archisen plans to replicate its indoor vertical farm model across other Asian markets that share similar needs, offering fresh and nutrient-rich produce to a broader base of consumers.

The Johor Bahru facility officially commenced operations in mid-2025, with a projected annual output of approximately 306,000 kg of leafy greens. It also features an experiential visitor centre to educate the public on sustainable farming, as well as a modular infrastructure for rapid deployment in other urban centres. This milestone marks Archisen’s first overseas farm and a significant step in establishing itself as a regional leader in agri-tech innovation and food security.

2. Farm Optimisation for Maximum Productivity

Archisen’s core focus lies in maximising productivity and crop yields within indoor vegetable farms. From the earliest stages of the business, the company has operated a dedicated in-house R&D facility to achieve this goal. Its approach includes building a comprehensive crop recipe database and developing precision control systems that monitor and adjust environmental variables—such as light intensity, spectral radiation, humidity, and temperature—according to each crop’s growth phase (germination, vegetative growth, and fruiting).

These environmental conditions are managed in real time using an array of sensors, while energy efficiency is enhanced through the use of low-radiant, long-life, power-efficient LED lighting systems that help reduce operational costs. Drawing on years of iterative research and experimentation, Archisen has developed a proprietary optimisation and control platform that significantly enhances indoor farming efficiency.

As a result, the produce grown in Archisen’s facilities remains cost-competitive even when compared to imported vegetables grown in conventional farms across neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia. The company is also developing robotic systems for planting and harvesting, which are expected to triple productivity per square metre and reduce labour costs by over 50%.

3. Cost Efficiency Through Technology and a Differentiated Business Model

Unlike conventional farms in neighbouring countries that export to Singapore, Archisen operates entirely within Singapore and produces its crops using a made-to-order model. This approach significantly reduces costs associated with transportation, storage, inventory management, and crop spoilage.

Archisen also benefits from growing consumer scepticism toward conventional “organic” labelling. While many farms marketing their produce as organic still use certified organic pesticides, Archisen’s vegetables are genuinely pesticide-free. The company’s branding under the tagline “pesticide-free vegetables” has proven popular among health-conscious consumers.

Of course, Archisen is not alone in the agri-tech space. Several other startups are competing in the same field. One notable example is Sustenir, founded eight years ago, which received backing from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, Temasek. While Sustenir has successfully cultivated kale, it remains limited to a single crop and has only recently entered the commercialisation phase.

Singapore has taken a clear stance in identifying structural national challenges and proactively supporting startups capable of addressing them with innovation. As a result, top local talent equipped with deep market insight, domain expertise, and strong professional networks are increasingly drawn to the startup ecosystem. Given the global momentum behind agri-tech and food-tech as future-defining industries—not just in Singapore but worldwide—there is significant opportunity for Korean companies and professionals to enter this space and explore new frontiers.