Indoor Ag-Con 2026 concluded yesterday afternoon. Combining education with a trade show floor ensured visitors left the two day event with new acquaintances, new ideas, and new energy - or at least most of them. The event is in Las Vegas, after all.
The second and final day kicked off with a keynote about the state of CEA capital by Dave Chen, Co-Founder & CEO of Equilibrium, and David Verbitsky, President & Managing Director of Verbitsky Capital. Their conversation reflected on the past few years and the sometimes painful lessons learned. It also offered insights into the current status quo of the industry, along with an outlook that may not be shiny and bright when it comes to capital partners' enthusiasm to invest in the CEA market, but is no longer negative either. There is interest, David assured; there is movement.
© Arlette Sijmonsma | HortiDaily.com
This sentiment was mirrored on the trade show floor, where several exhibitors left more optimistic than when they arrived. While many expected an industry weighed down by challenging market conditions, the activity and forward-moving plans sparked renewed optimism across the exhibitors. Nothing compared to the hype that was seen 6 years ago, but, as Dave Chen called in his keynote, 'sober energy'. "We're getting into the business of the business, not the buzz. It's a new chapter for the industry."
More insights will follow next week — for now, we will focus on the photo report, which we will present on Monday. But of course, there's a sneak peek.
© Arlette Sijmonsma | HortiDaily.com
We thought the coolest thing about this photo at Biora would be that his name is Nevada King — how perfectly can a name match a city? But there's more. What he's showing is the Stomata Scope, a portable device used to measure the status of stomata. More to follow soon!
© Arlette Sijmonsma | HortiDaily.com
The complete team of BVB got tattooed sleeves to match their campaign focused on the importance of substrates for the performance of the crop
© Arlette Sijmonsma | HortiDaily.com
And hi team Berger! Although the European substrate shortage is not affecting the North American market directly, there's a continuous demand for quality substrates.
