Vertical Farming Podcast - Conversations with CEOs, Founders & Leaders in AgTech & CEA

S10E135 Edwin McClure/Bio520 - A Vertical Farming Solution 10 Million Years in the Making


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In this episode, I speak with Edwin McClure, CEO of Bio520, who shares his journey from finance to the world of indoor agriculture. Edwin's story is one of passion and perseverance, moving from Miami to San Diego, and eventually diving into the agtech space. We discuss his background in finance and how it shaped his approach to business, emphasizing the importance of efficiency and profitability. Edward's love for entrepreneurship shines through as he talks about his early ventures and the lessons learned along the way, making this conversation both insightful and relatable for anyone interested in business and innovation.

Edwin also delves into the specifics of Bio520, a product developed in Japan that has shown promising results in the indoor ag industry, particularly in cannabis cultivation. He explains the meticulous process of finding the right product and the importance of having a solid team to bring it to market. We touch on the challenges and rewards of starting a new company, the significance of collaboration in the agtech space, and the exciting potential of new technologies like AI and robotics.

Join us as we discuss the intersection of finance, entrepreneurship, and agriculture, and it offers valuable insights into the future of indoor farming.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/

Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag/

Key Takeaways

00:06:16: Early Interest in Business and Finance

00:10:17: Importance of Financial Discipline in Business

00:12:32: Discovery and Development of Bio520

00:18:44: Incremental Improvements in Agriculture

00:23:21: Experience at Indoor Ag-Con

00:26:27: Ideal Clients for Bio520

00:30:21: Building a Team and Hiring Strategy

00:36:43: Key Decisions as a CEO

00:39:36: Future Focus and Industry Trends

00:42:55: Final Thoughts and Collaboration in the Industry

Tweetable Quotes"I've always been interested in business, you know, small companies, and there's nothing more American to me than some guy or woman putting it on the line, blood, sweat, and tears, and trying to create something out of nothing.""Until you have had to meet a payroll and not pay yourself because there wasn't quite enough money for both, you're not really an entrepreneur.""You can't do everything well. If you can focus and do one thing really well, you can make money, and then you can start looking at this other stuff. But if you try to climb all five mountains at once, you're going to fall off and die."Resources Mentioned

Website - http://bio520usa.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/101683174/admin/feed/posts/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bio520usa/

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VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod

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AgTech Digest - https://agtechdigest.com

The Indoor Farmer - https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/

Horti-Gen Insights - https://www.hortigeninsights.com/

CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/

Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag/

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Mentioned in this episode:

AgTech Companies

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Vertical Farming Podcast - Conversations with CEOs, Founders & Leaders in AgTech & CEABy Harry Duran

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