It All Started

With A Bold Vision

Simplifying farming to provide more access to good food

The beginnings of Babylon®.

Babylon® began with the idea of growing food where it was never thought possible. Founders Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith met at the University of Virginia where they first designed a low-cost Micro-Farm™ to provide nutritious produce for food-insecure refugees in the Middle East.

Their goal was to bring the benefits of sustainable hydroponic farming to anyone who needed it. As a result, they developed technology that would automate the complex aspects of indoor farming by simplifying crop production and making it accessible to anyone.

Close up of founders Alexander And Graham

Our Vision

We will make farming so simple, it’s within anyone’s reach.

Our Mission

Grow the world’s largest network of distributed indoor farms so people get closer to their food.

Values

Why every enterprise can benefit from micro-farming.

Polite Persistence

Be absolutely unrelenting in your work ethic, but not your attitude.

Raise the Tempo

High energy and interest makes the difference between good and great.

Unparalleled Quality

No shortcuts. No compromises. Simply the best will do.

Pragmatic Innovation

Balance innovation and reality with resourcefulness.

Babylon’s Leadership Team

Alexander Olesen

Alexander Olesen

CEO & Co-Founder

Social Entrepreneur. Keynote and TEDx Speaker, and Urban Agriculture Expert. Passionate about building a more sustainable food system.

Graham Smith

Graham Smith

CTO & Co-Founder

Patent holder with multiple IoT inventions in agtech and medical device spaces and a Principal Investigator and proposal reviewer for the National Science Foundation.

Marc Oosterhuis

Marc Oosterhuis

COO

Experienced Senior Executive. A versatile leader with a strategic mindset. Former President Drytac Group (1999-2018). Extensive global experience. Fluency in English, Dutch, and German.

“During a time when many people are experiencing isolation, being able to watch your own garden grow can improve one’s quality of life. The company’s innovative approach to developing a technology system that enables its own staff to remotely control the light, water, and nutrients for its farming systems is absolutely making them a leader in this space.”

ALEX EULER

Investment Director at CIT GAP Funds

"Consumption of leafy greens has gone up 35% since our Micro-Farm was installed."

BOB RAYMOND

VP of Dining & Procurement, Commonwealth Senior Living

"Once people see me out there harvesting, they'll go out and wait for us to serve it. It'll be gone within the hour--people seek it out specifically."

TIM SCHOONMAKER

Corporate Exec Chef, Centra Health

“Guests definitely see it and like what they see. House salad from on-site garden.”

DALE FORD

Exec Chef, The Boars Head Resort

Let’s Harvest Together

We would love to hear your food story and see how we can grow it.