Sprout Stack

Sprout Stack is a Sydney-based agricultural technology company and one of Australia’s pioneering commercial-scale vertical farms, founded in 2016 by Francisco Caffarena and Michael Harder. Operating from a warehouse facility in Brookvale on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Sprout Stack grows a diverse range of fresh salad greens, microgreens, and specialty herbs using hydroponic shipping containers in a fully controlled indoor environment. The company’s production system uses LED lighting, automated nutrient delivery, and precise climate management to grow crops without pesticides, herbicides, or GMOs, delivering consistent quality and nutrition regardless of season or outdoor weather conditions. Sprout Stack’s hydroponic systems consume approximately 95 percent less water than conventional field farming, making them particularly well-suited to Australia’s challenging climate and recurring drought conditions. The company’s proximity to Sydney’s retail and foodservice market allows it to harvest produce and deliver it to stores within 16 hours, ensuring exceptional freshness and nutritional value while minimizing the food miles and supply chain losses associated with traditional distribution. Sprout Stack supplies its salad mixes to Harris Farm Markets, independent grocers, and specialty food retailers across Sydney. The company has won recognition in sustainability and agritech awards and partners with the University of New South Wales and the Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre to advance automation, machine learning, and next-generation crop science. Sprout Stack represents the vanguard of urban food production in Australia.