Seven Steps To Heaven: indoor farming with a mission

Seven Steps To Heaven, a company named after the eighth studio album of trumpeter Miles Davis, is a global pioneer in the field of indoor farming. Their goal is to provide more people with access to healthy and safe food while efficiently managing energy and water resources. And all this without the use of pesticides.

Nutritious, tasty, and affordable food
In the Innovation Powerhouse building on Strijp-T, a real nursery of 150 m2 is located on the seventh floor. Here, all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and soft fruits (such as strawberries) are grown.

With its most important achievement being 95% (!) less water consumption compared to conventional agriculture, this can be considered revolutionary. Seven Steps To Heaven has developed a concept where the water vapor emitted by plants is captured and reused. The plants grow under the right red-blue LED lighting and receive controlled aeration. The climate in the nursery is optimal 24 hours a day. As a result, all the energy given to the plant is converted into growth or flavor, so nothing is wasted. The technology provides constant and ideal conditions for the plants.

Passionate team with years of experience
Gert-Jan and Lianne Meeuws have been active in plant growth research for 33 years and were co-founders of the technology-driven indoor farming company PlantLab. They left PlantLab at the end of 2014 and founded Seven Steps To Heaven in early 2018. Together with Marc Kreuger (innovation & plant science), Christophe de Warrimont (marketing & sales), and Eefje Tabak (flavor expert), they form the five-member team at Seven Steps To Heaven. They constitute a multidisciplinary team with a passion for food, combining various fields such as biology, physics, mechanical engineering, and IT.

Commercial flight
The indoor farming principle has all kinds of advantages, but it takes time to develop properly. But after many years of investment in optimization, the company is now ready for commercial takeoff. Seven Steps To Heaven wants to set up a one-hectare (10,000 m2) indoor farm in the Netherlands. They have already entered the market with the brand Heaven - FBA (Fine Botanical Art), through which this subsidiary delivers various types of herbal teas and culinary flavorings to local restaurants, corporate caterers, and campuses. Customers appreciate the intense flavor, high nutritional value, and guaranteed year-round production. They are aligning with the international transition from fat, salt, and sugar to natural products that are plant-based and healthy.

The future: smarter nutrition
In 30 years, we will have 10 billion people on this planet. How can we still provide all people with good food? If current consumption remains at the same level or even increases, there will not be enough food for everyone. Seven Steps To Heaven can produce anywhere in the world with its indoor farming concept, using less energy and 95% less water. This applies to Africa or the Arctic Circle as well. Ultimately, we will need to find substitutes for sugar and meat. We also need to grow food that has more nutritional value and keeps people healthier. In this regard, Seven Steps To Heaven has made the right developments and excels in the game of indoor farming with light, temperature, and evaporation.

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