Neat rows of lettuce, herbs, and microgreens grow inside a glass-walled micro-farm in the lobby of the Robins School of Business. The greens are used in some of the salads and sandwiches served at Lou’s, the campus eatery located at the school.

Recently, the University hosted Alexander Oleson, CEO and co-founder of Babylon Micro-Farms, to discuss hydroponic farming as part of the One Million Cups speaker series.

Today, each of Babylon’s 15-square-foot indoor modules are the equivalent of a 2,000-square-foot area of outdoor farmland. The micro-farms, like the one in the Robins’ lobby, use 90% less water than conventional farming methods and no pesticides or herbicides.

“We developed a system to automatically administer the nutrients you need for the plants,” Oleson said. A phone app notifies growers when it’s time to harvest.

Founded in 2017, Babylon Micro-Farms has hundreds of clients, including universities, senior living facilities, hospitals, and businesses such as IKEA, LinkedIn, Neiman Marcus, Aramark, and Sodexo. The company has already received over $20 million in venture capital funding, including grants from the U.S. government.

“I’ve seen the plants out in the hallway and never knew this was the story,” said Erica Duke, a senior majoring in mathematical economics and minoring in entrepreneurship and data science & statistics. “The company has positively impacted so many universities and organizations, which is inspiring especially since he came up with this idea when he was a college student.” 

Oleson grew up on a family farm in the U.K. and was just 21 years old when he had the idea for the company. He met co-founder Graham Smith at the University of Virginia, where their business began as a class project to provide food security for refugees who live in the arid Middle East. They latched upon hydroponic farming, where produce is raised in a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.

“Students are always inspired by venture teams which started as in-class projects, especially those focused on social and environmental impact,” said Dale Fickett, a professor of entrepreneurship who led the Q&A session. “What do we want the world to look like, and how can we be part of the solution?”