Creating the Right Business Environment: A Tech Startup Journey with Visionary Farms
Most offices today are designed for efficiency, not for well-being. Elena Boos, founder and CEO of Visionary Farms, wants to change that. In Season 2, Episode 4 of the Tech Startup Stories Podcast, Elena shares how technology can bring nature indoors, why plants are more than decoration, and what it takes to build a hardware startup with purpose.
Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Elena’s journey into entrepreneurship began in vertical farming, helping scale a tech company that built large commercial growing systems. Those projects delivered thousands of tons of leafy greens and strawberries to retail — but the smaller projects, like indoor gardens for schools and workplaces, sparked something different. They showed how plants could transform not just environments but people’s well-being.
Tech-enabled nature for the indoors
With Visionary Farms, Elena has created a smart grow lighting system designed to make plants thrive even in the darkest spaces. The technology monitors light and microclimate, integrates with building systems, and uses software to create digital twins of plantings. But it’s not just about keeping greenery alive — it’s about designing interactive plantings that bring people together, whether through harvesting mint for tea at lunchtime or building a community allotment inside a co-working space.
The leap to founding solo
Starting Visionary Farms wasn’t straightforward. Elena began with a technical co-founder, but when he decided startup life wasn’t for him, she faced a difficult choice: stop or keep going alone. She chose to persevere, leaning on trusted engineers and contractors to build both the hardware and software. Within a year, the company had market-ready systems installed with customers. That resilience shaped not only the product but also the company’s culture.
Building smarter partnerships
Early go-to-market efforts focused on direct sales to tenants, which created case studies but required enormous effort. Now Visionary Farms is moving to a partner-first model, working with design-and-build firms, furniture manufacturers, and workspace providers to scale more efficiently. An experienced executive chair, with a background in landscaping and scaling, has recently joined the board to support that growth.
Manufacturing with purpose
Visionary Farms is also exploring how to bring parts of its production closer to home. While electronic components are manufactured in Malaysia, 3D printing and assembly are moving to the UK to reduce waste, improve sustainability, and allow for customisation. This flexibility means designers and architects can tailor the look and feel of the system for each project — a feature that has already proven popular.
Bold advice for founders
Elena’s advice to other entrepreneurs is simple but striking: don’t be afraid to be shameless and even a little annoying. She recalls emailing her first customer every week for four months until he finally agreed to a coffee — a meeting that ended with him apologising and signing on the spot. Persistence, she says, is what makes you memorable and ultimately wins opportunities.
Representation matters
As one of the few women in B2B hardware and tech, Elena also reflects on the responsibility of being a visible female founder. From pitching to investor groups where she was the first woman in the room to building her own team through equity and trust, she’s aware of the disparities but committed to paving the way for others.
Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Connect with Elena Boos and learn more about Visionary Farms on their website.
