How a Startup Is Growing Hops Indoors to Protect Breweries

Spanish agritech company Ekonoke is pioneering an indoor hops farming model designed to secure one of the beer industry’s most important ingredients. By growing hops in controlled environments close to breweries, the company aims to reduce climate-related risks and provide brewers with a reliable long-term supply.

Hops play a critical role in defining the flavor, aroma, and identity of beer brands. As climate change creates hotter and drier growing conditions in traditional hop-producing regions, breweries face increasing uncertainty about future supplies.

According to AgFunderNews, Ekonoke believes indoor cultivation offers a practical solution to this challenge. The company originally focused on leafy greens production but shifted its strategy after identifying a stronger market opportunity in hops, where supply security is becoming increasingly valuable.

“We see that brewers would be okay in paying twice the price so that they don’t need to change the flavor of their brand,” said Ines Sagrario, CEO and cofounder of Ekonoke, according to AgFunderNews.

The company uses a customized vertical farming system developed in partnership with SIEMENS. Inside the facilities, hops grow vertically on trellis-like structures reaching up to 10 meters in height. Unlike leafy greens, hop cultivation requires longer production cycles, precise nutrient management, and continuous humidity control.

Ekonoke’s business model focuses on building and operating indoor hop farms for brewery clients. These facilities are ideally located near brewing operations, reducing transportation requirements while guaranteeing local production.

The company finances projects through long-term agreements in which breweries fund the infrastructure investment and receive a dedicated supply of hops over many years. According to AgFunderNews, Sagrario compares the arrangement to solar energy offtake agreements, where customers secure long-term access to production.

One of Ekonoke’s most notable partnerships is its agreement with Cosecha de Galicia, the innovation arm of Spanish brewing company Hijos de Rivera. Under a 20-year contract, Ekonoke operates a pilot-scale indoor farm that supplies hops for beer production in northwestern Spain.

“What we’re building is more expensive than having farms for hops outdoors, but it’s also less risky because we can guarantee you’re going to be able to reliably produce what you need,” Sagrario told AgFunderNews.

The company is now preparing for its next phase of growth. Ekonoke plans to move from pilot-scale operations to industrial-scale production, with future facilities expected to cover between 11,000 and 12,000 square meters.

Expansion plans will largely depend on demand from brewers seeking greater control over their raw material supply chains. The startup is already holding discussions with international brewing companies interested in both supply security and sustainability improvements.

Despite growing interest, Ekonoke is taking a cautious approach to expansion. The company is currently focused on validating operational performance and scalability before pursuing larger investments.

According to AgFunderNews, the startup expects to spend the coming year refining key performance indicators and assessing commercial viability before pursuing a Series B funding round.

As climate pressures continue to reshape agriculture, Ekonoke’s indoor farming model highlights how controlled-environment agriculture, vertical farming, and local production systems could play an increasingly important role in protecting food and beverage supply chains.