Targeting Global Markets with Water-Saving Cultivation Technology for Greater Food Security

Sejong, 8 October 2026 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) selected Midbar Co., Ltd. as the 89th company in its A-Ventures* of the Month programme, which identifies and promotes outstanding venture startups in the agri-food sector.

* A-Ventures, a combination of “agriculture” and “Avengers,” refers to outstanding agricultural venture startups. The programme was launched in May 2019.

Midbar is a technology startup focused on strengthening food security through potatoes, one of the world’s four major food crops. The company is laying the groundwork for producing disease-free seed potatoes in areas where food crop production is difficult, as a first step toward building potato value chains encompassing cultivation, processing, and distribution.

In particular, Midbar has developed a cultivation system that uses aeroponics, in which nutrients are sprayed onto plant roots suspended in the air without soil, reducing water use by 90%. Midbar’s modular indoor farm, AirFarm, incorporates this technology and has won Best of Innovation and Innovation Awards at CES in Las Vegas for two consecutive years. AirFarm has been exported to five countries, including Japan, and has secured orders worth approximately KRW 2.6 billion in the two years since its launch.

Midbar is also using tissue culture and aeroponics to make further inroads into the global market for food security technologies. The company is currently conducting farm trials in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates and pursuing partnerships with local agri-food companies. These efforts are aimed at building agricultural value chains extending from seed production to distribution in regions facing severe climatic constraints, including the Middle East and Africa.

The MAFRA supported Midbar during its early stages for two years beginning in 2021 through the Agri-Food Venture Development Support Programme, helping the company lay the groundwork for its business. The Ministry is providing additional assistance this year, including commercialisation funding. Leveraging these resources, Midbar plans to strengthen its commercialisation capabilities and grow as a food security technology specialist.