Square Roots, a vertical farming startup co-founded by Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk's brother, has shut down most of its locations and laid off the majority of its workforce. The company halted production at farms in Springfield, Ohio; Shepherdsville, Kentucky; and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in July 2024, with only one farm in Grand Rapids remaining open to service business partners. While an exact layoff count is unavailable, the company had an estimated 198 employees as of June, and reports indicate all on-site staff at the closed locations were terminated, with nearly all of the over two dozen employees at Grand Rapids also let go. This restructuring reflects challenges in the tech-driven agriculture industry as the startup, which had raised over $90 million, shifts its business model amid broader economic pressures.
