In the series finale of the CropTalk Finance & Investment Series, I bring together our three previous guests: Anton Bellot, Adam Bergman, and Curt Meltzer for an honest and unfiltered roundtable discussion.

We dive deep into the hard lessons learned from nearly $8 billion invested into Controlled Environment Agriculture with limited success. Together, we unpack where the disconnects occurred, why so many operations & investors failed, and what it will realistically take for CEA to move forward.

Key topics include the critical need for shifting from venture capital to infrastructure finance, the pitfalls of unrealistic business models, the essential role of experienced operators, and the evolving importance of profitability, not just growth.

Anton, Adam, and Curt also share their visions for the future of CEA: what new business models must look like, what signals investors are actually looking for, and the role that government policy, AI, and true operational excellence will play in the next chapter.