"For us, at AppHarvest, this isn't just about a company. We believe controlled environment agriculture is the third wave of sustainable infrastructure. AppHarvest. In its Nov. 7 filing, AppHarvest reported net losses of $83 million for the first nine months of the year and net sales of $10 million, with an accumulated deficit of $270 million. For us, we're looking at metrics, how can we be more sustainable? Jonathan was named one the Top 30 Most Influential Lawyers in Washingtonians 2018 list upon graduation. A universal harvester robot at AppHarvest's Morehead, Kentucky greenhouse, AppHarvests crops are monitored for quality control 24/7 and harvested robotically, a labor-saving advancement that lets the staff treat farming almost like a manufacturing process. He studied history and economics at the University of Cape Town, and obtained a Bachelor of Laws and post-graduate diploma in maritime law from the University of Natal. AppHarvest CEO envisions 'couple-decade journey' after going public We have one farm right now thats 2.8 million square feet. Webb: We've been very fortunate that some of our investors and board members, Fidelity was the largest investor in our pipe during the public process, Jeff Ubben of Inclusive Capital, our Chief Sustainability Officer, Jackie Roberts came to us from the Carlyle Group, we're all very serious about this. Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman at the 2022 SXSW Conference, 3 big things in investing you might have missed this week, UPDATE 1-North Korea says US causing international arms control collapse, EU releases funds, prepares aid flight for eastern Congo, Rheinmetall in talks on building tank factory in Ukraine - report, Ukraine Latest: Metsola Urges More Sanctions Pressure on Russia. They have 10% of the world's freshwater. You've had fast-food chains, that is one of the biggest risk to a grocer is the paranoia and being terrified of where that product is being grown. There's going to be a lot of companies hopefully working to solve our food and agriculture problems. To do that and look out for the long term is true sustainability, or resilience., Webb, who began his career developing renewable energy projects for the U.S. Army, believes any company is either part of destroying the planet or part of rebuilding its industry to align with the planet: I think its our obligation as CEOs to build companies that create long-standing values.. I've tried to say, we have a team that looks at this as this is our 30-year journey here at AppHarvest. The deal is slated to bring in $475 million in gross proceeds for Kentucky-based AppHarvest, including a private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction worth $375 million from existing and new investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Inclusive Capital, and Novus. *Average returns of all recommendations since inception. We can have all the technological tools in the world, but at the end of the day we have to put people at the center of the equation.. With significant tailwinds from heightened investor focus on ESG initiatives and the secular shift to plant-based foods, we believe AppHarvest is well-positioned to execute on its strategy for rapid growth and value creation, he continued. But being true to our ESG values, we think it is a competitive advantage and going to make us more competitive in the years to come. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your bedroom should be a serene place for you to feel rested and rejuvenated. What weve proven through a global pandemic is that we can build one of the largest facilities in the world on time, on budget, at a record pace.. He was born into a medical family. Appharvest has We hit our Q1 guidance, $2.3 million in revenue. Webb is an expert in reconstructive and arthroscopic surgery. Jeff Ubben, Inclusive Capital Partners founder and AppHarvest investor, and Jonathan Webb, AppHarvest CEO, join 'Closing Bell' to discuss what makes AppHarvest This is still a very new space though. We just have to keep our head down and execute and do our job every day here at AppHarvest. The companys first greenhouse will span 60 acres and open in 2020 in Morehead, Ky.The greenhouse will operate entirely on rainwater using a 10-acre retention pond, reducing water usage by 80% compared to a typical farm. But one thing we'd like to talk about is competitive advantage, what makes a company special? WebInside is a tightly controlled environment that uses 90% less water than open-field agriculture and only rainwater to produce crop yields up to 30 times that of traditional Moser: Yeah. WebJonathan Webb - Founder & CEO @ AppHarvest - Crunchbase Person Profile Person Jonathan Webb Overview Number of Founded Organizations 1 CB Rank (Person) 4,704 in August is launching what it describes as the worlds largest greenhouse later this year, consisting of a 2.76 million square foot facility in Morehead, Kentucky. Again, tomatoes are our first crop, but by next year, strawberries and leafy greens. Jonathan Webb poses in front of his giant greenhouse, When you look at human civilization, what do you need? Then Jeff Obin, who is on our board and has been an early investor. You look at California and the Southwest of the U.S., drying up, drought-stricken, flagged by wildfires. Visualize this, down the rows of our facility, we have a robust that's going to take thousands of photos of a tomato plant. Australian National University Alumni Founded Companies, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University Alumni Founded Companies, Seattle Pacific University Alumni Founded Companies, Regis University Alumni Founded Companies, Emory University Alumni Founded Companies, New Mexico State University Alumni Founded Companies, Oakland University Alumni Founded Companies, Oklahoma State University Alumni Founded Companies, Number of Organizations that the person founded, Algorithmic rank assigned to the top 100,000 most active People, The organization associated to the person's primary job, Where the person is located (e.g. A SPAC is formed with the sole purpose of raising capital through an IPO in order to acquire an existing privately-held company and take it public. Webb is one of very few knee surgeons to have played for both the England-France national teams. Very excited about the Root AI transaction. Theyre looking for purpose in their life; theyre looking for companies like us.. Sometimes, it can even get us a few steps closer to saving he world. We can also do it by returning investors to our shareholders. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Jonathan about the growing opportunity in the AgTech space. In the 1987 Rugby World Cup, Webb made his debut for England. The Kentucky-based agriculture tech company, which was founded in 2017, began trading on the Nasdaq in late February 2021 after completing a SPAC merger with Novus Capital Corporation. We could've raised capital privately on the balance sheet and kept building. In the latter, Webb was the only English player to score in the game. Yes, today, we met our quarterly earnings projection, we hit our guidance, but we're making the hard investments and spending the hard time to set an organization up that's going to thrive 10 and 20 years from now. Who were the most active food and agriculture technology venture capital firms in 2022. But in order to prove to our investors and prove to our shareholders and broader stakeholders, for us, it's about meeting our targets, and I've tried to say AppHarvest, we're in the business of delivering on our promises. We'll talk a little bit about your quarterly results here in a minute because I want to get into that, but one of the things that stood out to me in the earnings call. Were building important stuff with long-standing value, so the Great Resignation has actually helped us acquire talent.. We've been able, very fortunate, a very talented team, MIT team out of Boston that has a proven track record and great products that we've integrated them fully into the AppHarvest team. Is that drought going to impact yield and you don't end up being able to get product to the grocery store? WebJonathan Webb, AppHarvest Inc: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets Live Now Bloomberg TV+ Leaders with Lacqua:Mark Read WPP CEO Bloomberg Radio Meet the He actively engages with his followers through his various social media accounts, including Instagram and Twitter. Required fields are marked *. In the same year, he scored his second try after just 23 seconds. You have food safety concerns. Jonathan received his bachelors degree from the University of Kentucky. He has become a prominent social media star. The system it uses reportedly reduces water usage by 90% compared to traditional open-field agriculture, while also eliminating runoff. Since then, AppHarvest shares have plunged 70%. Also referred to as blank check companies, the mechanism has existed for several years but has received increased attention of late. We arent burning through cash with pointless R&D when we can buy incredible technologies over in the Netherlands, Webb says. Were building robotics and software that will ultimately be able to service the entire global agriculture industry. Jonathan strives to work alongside the hard-working men and women of Eastern Kentucky and build an inclusive economy for the future. Even though you entered at such a young stage of your business, You essentially were pre-revenue coming into the public markets, and now, you're just getting that started. WebGet Givens McNeill's email address (g*****@windstream.net) and phone number (972988.) at RocketReach. Webb made a second appearance for England, and reached the final. If I can sell you a grocer, a product at around the same price, what are we solving for? Again, if you look at the U.S. right now, this is a USDA statistic, nearly 40% of fresh fruit and vegetables end up in a landfill. We've had 8,000 people apply to work at the company and we've hired 500 people in the middle of a global pandemic. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. WebThe following charts show the stock performance of securities subsequent to each open-market, non-planned trade made by Jonathan Webb. That's not the conversation at all. I graduated from the University of Kentucky. All of our water is captured on our roof. AppHarvest raised $500 million on its balance sheet this year, went public on the Nasdaq, hired 400 people to work in its first facility, and brought its first product, beefsteak tomatoes, to grocery stores including Kroger, Walmart, and Publix. This is becoming really a hot-button topic for a lot of investors, rightly so. Webb was also the first LPGA player to win $1 million in a single season, finishing first on the year-end money list. WebJonathan Webb. Why is that important? But I dont think thats adding value to the company, or looking out for our shareholders, he said. AppHarvest is known for its approach to CEA, which Webb called the "third wave of sustainable infrastructure." Get 5 free searches. Here are five relaxing scents you can use in your bedroom. The deal is slated to bring in $475 million in gross proceeds for Kentucky-based AppHarvest, including a private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction Get 5 free searches. Its first crop will be non-GMO tomatoes, which will be provided to a number of US grocers. But if you look at all the problems in the agriculture system, this industry really solves most of those problems. Amid the verdant rolling hills of central Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachian coal country, youll The agriculture-tech startup raised $250,000 in its first round of seed capital in February 2018, AppHarvest CEO and founder Jonathan Webb told Insider. I'm really excited to have you all as a recommendation in our service and hopefully, our members are too after talking with you today. We're going to be headquartered in Central Appalachia, execution at scale here in the U.S. but this is a global problem that we've gotten phone calls from around the world about how and when we can take our solution and go elsewhere. With a 19% stake, CEO Jonathan Webb is the largest shareholder. He acknowledges that scaling up so quickly in the middle of a pandemic is, almost unheard of in the current world. You have to judge yourself internally. Then we'll be able to give that data over to the grocer in more real-time. Again, if we look at agriculture, there's a lot of trouble in our current agriculture system and we can use ESG metrics to clean up our food supply and create better food systems. What makes AppHarvest so unique? He was made a Fellow of the British Association of Surgery on the Knee (BASK), and has since taught many international and national athletes in sports medicine. Accomplish what they wanted to pursue? If were all doing that, we have a pretty phenomenal organization.. In the back of his mind, he wondered what he could do to help. Talk a little bit about what ESG means to you and some of the things that you've done, because corporately you set your business up to be able to account for some of that transparency and whatnot. Thats why AI scares people, we know tech can be used just as coldly as anything else. That's because of our inefficient systems in the supply chain. Investors look at that, Peter Halt, AppHarvests newly appointed chief financial officer, told, Step aside, alt-protein: Bioplastics are the real agrifoodtech opportunity, The rise of the reused machines: Germanys E-Farm raises $5.3m Series A. On Twitter, the actor shares his personal experiences with his followers. You have illegal chemical pesticides where the EPA cannot track the chemicals being used on these farms in Mexico. There are many sources of information on Jonathan Webbs networth. If you want to know how wealthy he is, read on! Jonathan Webb is the Founder and CEO of AppHarvest, a company that combines conventional agricultural techniques with cutting-edge technology to address key issues including improving access for all to nutritious food, farming more sustainably, building a homegrown foods supply, and more. He often sleeps in an RV outside the construction site of its second facility. If you look at AppHarvest, what are we doing? You have to get permitting, communities [buy-in], state and federal support, infrastructure, inspections. Similarly, she owns yachts and private planes and serves on the board of the Women Golf Club Foundation. That narrow focus on societal good is what has kept AppHarvest fully staffed throughout the pandemic. Thanks as always to Tim Sparks for putting the show together for us. I have a 16 and then going on 15-year-old daughters. Jonathan Webb is a dual-qualified lawyer. Consumers are pushing back. Webb: You said you didn't want to talk the rest of the day about ESG, right? The actor regularly posts photos and videos of himself, as well as engaging with his fans. You can also compare Dr. Webb with other orthopedic surgeons in Eau Claire to find the one that best suits your needs. His extensive experience and knowledge in the field have led to his reputation as a leading knee surgeon in the UK. Webb started his professional career in 1989 as a Durban maritime lawyer firm. Terms & Conditions. Maintaining that inclusive work culture, especially since he works in agriculture, is incredibly important to Webb, who aims to do everything from a place of empathy and considers his employees to be his first customers. Because our services are focused on technology, 5G connectivity, and all of the different benefits we're going to get from that. But the production we've left in the US is being grown in areas that are running out of water. Founded in 1993 by brothers Tom and David Gardner, The Motley Fool helps millions of people attain financial freedom through our website, podcasts, books, newspaper column, radio show, and premium investing services. He completed a fellowship in Australia at North Sydney Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre and has worked in many high-profile clinics in the area. He scored 296 points for England and played in two Rugby World Cups including the 1991 final. "It's hard to be the one that's looking two decades down the road while thinking of the here and now.". Now, our job is to make sure it's at around the same price. Linked companies : AppHarvest, Inc. Summary. Is there a benefit? We have a lot of work to do ahead of us over the years to come. When he says sustainable, he doesnt just mean that in an environmental sense. He is also becoming more involved with green shipping and is a council member of the London Shipping Law Centre. We're one of four companies that are publicly traded that have both of those as a company. You can also follow him on Instagram. Webb founded it in 2017 in his native Kentucky; it became a certified B Corp two years later. That to me, was in a nutshell what it's all about. I want to figure out what I can do, as CEO, to ensure everyone has the resources to succeed. Almost every company in the coal industry has gone bankrupt over the last 10 years. AppHarvest raised over $475 million in a public IPO, but it is not over. He has also held roles in movies and television series. How excited are you to bring that Root AI company in their leadership into your family? The regulators are pushing that direction. WebAppharvest (: ) is owned by 29.32% institutional shareholders, 30.67% Appharvest 40.01% retail investors. The first harvest at its Morehead facility is slated for early 2021. You have climate disruption. I'd tell you, we go through tomatoes, handover, [] in my house alone, I'm sure. Webb founded AppHarvest in 2017, and the company was certified as a B Corp two years later. But I think there are a lot of benefits that come with that. Cell ag experts weigh in, Keep calm and carry on: Navigating the trough of disillusionment for plant-based meat, Its been a very dark week Miyoko Schinner hits back as company accuses her of hatching plot to steal IP, With $3bn in deals, top 10 climate x agrifoodtech startups prove themselves a vital part of climate tech ecosystem, BII eyes full-stack startups, ag marketplaces & embedded financing as it earmarks funds for Africa, Smoke & mirrors, not worth the extra cost: 50 US farmers speak out on carbon markets. Learn More. Announces Separation of Julie Nelson as Chief Operating Officer Nov 16 Price target decreased to US$5.33 Nov 16 See more updates Shareholder Returns See full shareholder returns Return vs Industry: APPH underperformed the US Food industry which returned ", "It's easy to be a CEO that's looking for the next three months," Webb stated. The greenhouse will cost $97 million and span 60 acres. Ten years ago, Tesla made electric vehicles popular in the mainstream, and right now, it's controlled environment agriculture. Eventually, he found the right problem to solve. The system it uses reportedly reduces water usage by 90% compared to traditional open-field agriculture, while also eliminating runoff. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at [email protected]. There has been nothing more impactful on farming since that time, and now, it's AI robotics and using data to make decisions. Webb grew up in Kentucky, and founded AppHarvest in 2017 after years in the solar development industry, based in New York. CEOs can get lazy and only worry about the last 90 days; thats easy. It hopes to expand into leafy greens, berries, cucumbers, and bell peppers in the future. To me, this feels like just that, a growing market opportunity that is global in nature, and really the opportunity, just getting started. Director recently sold US$216k worth of stock Nov 24 AppHarvest, Inc. Then I got to mention the area we're in, Eastern Kentucky has been known for coal mining for decades, it was known as the whole country, so to speak, and empowering the U.S. through the industrial revolution with low-cost coal. All Rights Reserved. But the futuristic pieces, we've combined a technology team with a great plant science group. Making the world smarter, happier, and richer. He pointed out that, At NASA in the 60s, if you would go visit a facility and you walked up to a janitor and asked, What do you do here? they would say, Im working to put a man on the moon. Thats been the same mentality here Its the collective thats making this thing possible.. His grandmother grew up in Whitley County, where a coal mining accident killed his great-grandfather. That's how quickly the energy industry shifted. The last thing I would say to that is whether or not we want to do it or not, the world is changing and regulators are approaching back. WebFounder & CEO, AppHarvest Kentucky native and University of Kentucky graduate Jonathan Webb is turning his dream of a high-tech farming hub in Appalachia into reality with AppHarvest. The Art of Self Meditation: What Are the Benefits? Founder of AppHarvest, Inc., AppHarvest Morehead Farm LLC and His vision of the future of farming and much, much more. WebJonathan Webb. We want to be at Kroger. AppHarvest has invested in a 2.76million-square-foot greenhouse in Morehead (Ky.) to help meet this goal. Not only picking, pruning, harvesting, being able to actually get the tomato off the vine, and ultimately, shipped out, but also the predictive analytics that we can use. The private markets don't need to be a part of the problem, but we can't just be quarterly earnings focused. After serving as an assistant public defender in Marylands Office of the Public Defender, Webb joined Ethridge Quinn for 2020. No, weve made some mistakes. Its the single largest LED installation in the United States despite using constant passive solar, waters its plants using recycled rainwater, employs an integrated pest management system to avoid any pesticides, has a 30x higher production yield than traditional open field agriculture, and has the ever so modest goal of transforming the future of agriculture. We're investing in our workforce. AppHarvest is a unique and compelling investment opportunity that is redefining American agriculture by improving access for all to fresh non-GMO produce, growing more with fewer resources, and creating an agtech hub from within Appalachia, Novus chairman Bob Laikin said in a statement. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Part of it is we're building companies not just for today and not just for the quarterly earnings call today, we're building this company for the next generation. I made the point at one point in regard to AppHarvest. What's that Harvest's secret sauce? How do they plan on achieving that goal? Also referred to as blank check companies, the mechanism has existed for several years but has received increased attention of late. Dr. Jonathan Webb, a specialist knee surgeon at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, is the doctor. One, our geographic location. Webb: The industry is at an inflection point. Use our online form to book an appointment with Dr. Webb. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But in its entirety not only do we have a problem we want to solve, we have a place in the world that wants to solve it with us., A crop care specialist carries boxes of tomatoes through a column of crops, pruning as she goes, I got to visit AppHarvest in November, and the sheer enthusiasm Webb has built in his staff is phenomenal. It made good logistical sense since Kentucky is within a days drive of 70% of the United States, plus there was an untapped labor force there ready and waiting to be hired. We can better understand what product we are going to have available? Follow him on Twitter to get more updates. Are we perfect? I don't want to keep you all day, but before we wrap it up, I did want to talk to you a little bit about ESG, environmental sustainability governance issues. But if we do the work to center the people who benefit from that technology in the middle of the conversation, then progress doesnt have to be a bad thing. Well, I mean speaking of a publicly traded company, you just released your first-quarter results, and I think this was your first full quarter as a publicly traded company. The other thing is scale. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*. We're a public benefit corporation, and we're B Corp certified. Most people every day are just concerned about can they put food on the table? Let's prove to the world what we're doing through results and even that, our first quarterly earnings call today, there's a level of rigor that you're acquired through the public markets. By the end of next year, we'll have five operating facilities. We were just talking earlier and you mentioned how you're in the DC area, it was fortunate that we had Steve Case, the founder of AOL, and he fundraised the rest. What's the technology that you are looking toward to help you change this space? I pay attention to my kids. I know you're busy. 20years ago it was renewable energy. They're not going to be solved in a month or a year or a quarter and we just want to build an organization that's going to be able to go toe-to-toe with the larger incumbents out there, and the best way to do that is to have that rigor of being a publicly traded company. Well, you need water you need food, and you need energy. Everybody has full healthcare. As I was listening, there was a quote, you said, "We are farmers and futurists." Founder & CEO at AppHarvest. ", As a CEO, Webb admitted that this focus on the long-term outlook has not been easy to prove to Wall Street, especially when compared to those who are "selling a worthless product that's not good for people and not good for planet and arguably questionable for shareholders. My background was a part of building some of the largest solar projects in the U.S. David Lee, who joined us from Impossible Foods, joined impossible foods five years ago as their CFO and COO raised them nearly over $1 billion in the last five years and turned them into what was a boutique idea, into a mass-market product on store shelves. WebJonathan Webb grew up in Kentucky and has been committed to developing sustainable projects from Central Appalachia. Once operational, it will ship 45 million pounds of fresh produce annually to grocery stores in the Midwest and Southeast.