Clayton Mooney, Danen Pool, and Mahmoud Parto, owners of Nebullam Inc., have been invested in changing the way we farm indoors since 2016. As a team comprised of longtime friends and college alumni, they have bonded together in order to launch not just an indoor farm, but also a revolutionary tech start-up. Modern indoor farming is still relatively primitive and a traditional indoor farming operation takes at least 7 years of operation to break even, Nebullam wants to change that.
Nebullam has been operating and expanding their own indoor farm in Ames, IA to use as a test bed for their equipment and software. Traditional indoor farming requires a substantial amount of labor and typically uses equipment that produces only a small amount of food. Nebullam is using their farm to create and develop new, more efficient equipment to help not only farmers and operators become profitable quicker, but also help indoor farming grow as an industry.
Currently, Nebullam has 9 employees and provides fresh, organic produce to local grocery stores and restaurants. Their customer base has grown significantly by word of mouth and through the use of their social media channels. In the long run they are looking to expand their operations beyond their farm in Ames through partnerships with larger indoor farms and developing both equipment and software solutions for indoor farms.
Though Nebullam has humble roots in the farming industry, it is quickly establishing itself as an incredibly successful tech startup. They are among one of the first Iowa companies to be accepted into the Y Combinator and have been making valuable connections on a global scale. Nebullam has been able to not only improve an existing industry, but also make a place as the leader in modern indoor farming technology.
Their company believes in giving back to the community. They have provided fresh produce to non-profits, and believe that startup founders should also be community builders. They plug in and help with panels, local startup events, and visit with other student entrepreneurs. They would tell other entrepreneurs to be a servant to your customers and your team.
Clayton Mooney had to say about working with the ISU SBDC, āThe SBDC team has been great to work with, because they continue to plug in and listen to the growing startup community. Weāre grateful to have access to them and their expertise.ā
