May 15, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Former president (and current Board member) of AppHarvest, and former CEO of Impossible Foods David Lee is at the helm of a new innovative launch, taking on a new role as CEO and Board Chair of Inevitable Tech (Inevitable) – an AI-driven B2B agtech platform using plant science and automation to reimagine food production. 

Created with industry-leading experienced IP leadership, Inevitable leverages these technologies to invent and build advanced growing systems that boost profitability, productivity, and predictability on all farms – from hydroponic and CEA operations, to open-field production. 

Inevitable emerges with the backing from a roster of blue-chip agtech venture investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, At One Ventures, Zero Carbon Partners, R7 Partners, Amplify Partners, Pathbreaker Ventures and Eniac Ventures, and others.

As a first offering, the Lockhart, Texas-based startup has begun with a “Clean Propagation” system with the power to ensure healthy seed and vigorous seeding growth.

Nearly 70 percent of vine crops consumed in the U.S. are imported, usually over thousands of miles. Much the same can be said for the seeds and seedlings of these crops being grown on U.S. farms. This extended transportation process places them at higher risk of pest infestation and other threats that have the ability to decimate an entire harvest.

With Inevitable’s technology, the company stated that farmers can reduce costs of production, mitigate the volatility associated with climate change, and increase yield per acre while also reducing the land, water, and energy footprint of the crops they grow. 

As climate change intensifies and demographics shift, the world is seeing changes in food demand at the same time that it is seeing a constriction of arable land and natural resources. CEA provides a range of solutions that can decrease the environmental footprint of food production through the significant reduction of water pollution, the recycling of waste heat and carbon, and through increased efficiency in land and water use. As these issues continue to gain importance for both consumers and food producers, it is expected that advanced greenhouse technologies will see greater adoption and integration across the U.S., the EU, Japan, and other major markets. 

“Inevitable is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help farmers harness cutting-edge technology to realize urgently needed efficiencies and economies of scale – and we’ve already started working with partners in controlled environment ag, the most data-rich environment in farming,” said Lee.

“Even the most advanced CEA farms are looking for a technology partner with the focus and expertise to deliver a transformational effect on their business – from labor costs to quality control, from propagation to harvest.”

The company’s first partner is Revol Greens, an Austin, Texas-based CEA company producing lettuce and other greens in high-tech greenhouses with less natural resources and no harsh chemicals. Inevitable also has a development agreement in place with AppHarvest, a B Corp.-certified sustainable food company with 165 acres of indoor farms growing salad greens, strawberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes for the top 25 grocery store chains, restaurants, and food service outlets in North America. 

Lee’s career and experience makes him uniquely qualified to lead such a venture. Prior to assuming the roles of CEO and Chair of the Board for Inevitable, Lee was president of AppHarvest, a pioneering indoor farming company based in Moorehead, Kentucky.

AppHarvest’s tech-driven indoor farms grow high-quality produce using methods that use 90 percent less water than traditional field production (and 100 percent recycled rainwater), giving its non-GMO, chemical-free fruits and vegetables a competitive advantage against low-cost foreign imports.

From its location in Central Appalachia, AppHarvest’s flagship 60-acre CEA facility (one of the largest in the world) is within less than a day’s drive to 70 percent of the entire U.S. population, and it has also built three additional high-tech indoor farms with a diversified crop portfolio. 

Before AppHarvest, Lee was COO and CFO of Impossible Foods, the widely known giant in food technology backed by Khosla Ventures-, Horizons- and Bill Gates developing next-generation animal-free meats. Joining the company in 2015, Lee led the commercial launch the following year, playing a leading role in the company’s meteoric success, growing the company from pre-revenue to more than $300 million in annualized revenue with double-digit annual growth. 

He’s also held leadership roles at Del Monte Foods, including being involved in taking the company private to KKR for $5.5 billion, and leading the $2.2 billion portfolio of Del Monte Foods brands as SVP of Consumer Products.

And as if that isn’t enough, reflective of how Lee’s experience has bridged both food and technology, prior to Impossible Foods, he was also CFO of Zynga, a $2.3 billion public company where he led the corporate development teams, and was the head of corporate finance for Best Buy during its turnaround in 2012-2014. 

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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