BoomGrow, the Agritech Startup Transforming Farming in Malaysia

Ever heard of BoomGrow Farms?

This Malaysian agritech startup is revolutionising farming by growing and delivering 100% clean and nutritious fresh produce to Malays.

Co-founded by Dr. Jay Desan, Murali Krishnamurthy, and Shan Palani, BoomGrow is known for using an efficient farming production system called the Machine Farm, which is "stackable, mobile, and fully customisable." This allows BoomGrow to grow produce any day of the year. According to company information via the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), The Machine Farm is made of high-tech repurposed shipping containers, which allows the startup to save not just on space or land but also water and transportation.

Dr. Desan , a researcher with a PhD in standards of corporate responsibility at Queen Mary, University of London, was inspired to do something on sustainability when she wrote a paper on women and the environment during her time in university. Desan shared via the WIPO that she had never thought of becoming an entrepreneur.

"I was always so sure that I would have an academic career, and I would teach at the university," she was quoted as saying. “That’s all I wanted to do, but I guess life makes its own plans."

But life had other plans for her. Despite her different background from her friends Murali, whose expertise is in finance, and the architect-designer Shan, the three friends still found a common ground: their passion for food security.

BoomGrow grows 100% clean produce. Its seeds are properly spaced so they have room to grow and in a shorter time. The startup does not use any chemicals or pesticides on its produce, as its products are "nurtured indoors in a controlled environment, delivering flavour in every bite."

With BoomGrow's technology, they are able to produce healthy greens with 95% less water, 95% less land, and 95% less fuel.

Some of the vegetables it offers are basil, kale, romaine lettuce, rocket, and different blends of lettuce, chard, and mizuna leaves.

When ordering, you may choose your bundle size (for less than four or more than four people) and your subscription (one-off, weekly, or fortnightly). To give you an idea of pricing, a one-off subscription for less than four people for the Healthy Start Package is priced at RM45.50 and comprises four leafy greens packets, two herb packs, and one microgreen pack.

To learn more about BoomGrow's greens packages and produce, go here.

BoomGrow harvests every day so you may also order every day. It delivers throughout the Klang Valley door-to-door from Monday to Saturday, 11 AM-5 PM. Delivery is free for subscribers, whereas one-off subscriptions are charged a fee of RM5.

It currently has two farms, namely in the Klang Valley and Langkawi and plans to expand in other states.

Read BoomGrow’s FAQs here.