Leading Vertical Farming Company Names Agritech Veteran as New CEO

Posted by Brian Sparks|January 19, 2022

Arama Kukutai

Plenty Unlimited Inc., a vertical farming technology company, has announced the appointment of Arama Kukutai as its new Chief Executive Officer. Kukutai is a seasoned entrepreneur and visionary leader in the agritech industry, currently serving as co-founder and partner at Finistere Ventures, a pioneering venture firm dedicated to identifying and nurturing promising agribusiness and food tech companies. He brings to his role more than two decades of leadership within farming, agriculture investment, and sustainability, and will oversee Plenty’s growth into a scaled vertical farming company. Matt Barnard, co-founder and former CEO, will continue to serve as Executive Chairman of the Board.

“Indoor agriculture has long promised a solution to the challenges facing traditional growing, including solving year-round supply, supply chain disruption, high water use, and widespread pesticide and chemical use,” Kukutai says. “It has taken Plenty a decade of work to solve the technology and operating challenges in order to build economically viable, scalable farms that can deliver clean, nutritious, and delicious food here in America, and globally in years to come. With our Compton Farm opening this year, Plenty will lay a huge marker in proving the viability of a new wave in food quality, security, and sustainability. I’m excited to be leading Plenty’s evolution from R&D to growing the business at scale.”

Kukutai has been an investor in Plenty and a part of Plenty’s Board of Directors since September 2016. Prior to his work with Plenty and Finistere, he served as executive chairman of PKW Farms, a successfully diversified investment entity involved in dairy farming and aquaculture activities in New Zealand, Asia, and Australia. He also led the New Zealand government’s Trade & Investment agency in North America.

“I am delighted that Arama has agreed to lend his formidable experience to the role of CEO, and I look forward to supporting him as Plenty accelerates its growth,” Barnard says. “Arama has been part of our visionary team from the beginning, and with his own farming heritage of running large farming operations throughout his career, he is committed to the Plenty promise to build sustainable, intelligent farms that deliver healthy, safe produce with a focus on premium flavor.”