AutoStore, the global leader in intelligent fulfillment, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2026, in the Logistics category for applying automation in new ways across industries. AutoStore has been named to the list alongside Google, Nvidia, and Shopify.
AutoStore earns this recognition for extending its automation platform across industries and use cases, from retail and healthcare to new applications like agriculture. One example is its partnership with vertical farming company OnePointOne, where AutoStore adapted its cube-based storage and retrieval system to create Opollo Farm, the world's first vertical farm operated entirely by robots. Instead of storing consumer goods, the system manages living crops. Robots precisely control water, light, airflow, and nutrients, and move plants and produce seamlessly through each stage of growth with near-zero human handling.
Vertical farming promised to bring food production closer to people, reduce water waste, and cut emissions from long-haul transport. But most ventures struggled to make it economically viable. Labor costs were high, yields were inconsistent, and the model proved difficult to scale. AutoStore solves these barriers by treating vertical farming as a fulfillment problem and applies the same principles of intelligent fulfillment used in retail, using the same high-density, high-accuracy automation that powers order fulfillment for retailers like Puma, Best Buy, and DHL to the challenge of growing food.
The same system architecture supports a wide range of applications, including automated piece picking, order preparation, and high-throughput fulfillment across industries. By combining storage, retrieval, and increasingly automated order preparation, AutoStore enables end-to-end automation across the fulfillment workflow.
The results are measurable. The first Opollo Farm installation in Phoenix, Arizona, now supplies Whole Foods Market with microgreens, basil, and packaged salads. Crops reach harvest in just 15 days, cutting traditional growth cycles in half. Water usage is reduced by 95% compared to conventional farming, and production costs are down 60% for microgreens, 40% for basil, and 20% for packaged salads. Supply chains that once spanned thousands of miles now move produce from farm to shelf in days, reducing spoilage and contamination risk.
“This started with a simple question. Where else can automation solve a fulfillment problem beyond SKU picking?” said Parth Joshi, Chief Product Officer at AutoStore. “Opollo Farm is one answer. It shows how intelligent fulfillment can extend beyond traditional warehouses into entirely new industries.”
Because the AutoStore grid is modular and can expand in any direction, Opollo Farm is not a one-city solution. It fits into existing warehouses, scales to match community needs, and can be deployed in urban centers, food deserts, and anywhere that needs a more resilient, local food supply.
Fast Company's recognition reflects a broader shift in how the industry thinks about fulfillment. It is no longer a fixed warehouse function. It is a modular, adaptable infrastructure that can serve new industries. This aligns with AutoStore's recent advancements in AI-driven software and intelligent fulfillment, including new capabilities introduced this week. From retail to healthcare to agriculture, AutoStore is showing that the same automation used in fulfillment can solve challenges in entirely new industries. AutoStore continues to expand what its technology can solve, combining automation, software, and AI to unlock new applications and drive the next generation of fulfillment. This reflects a broader shift in how automation, software, and AI come together to redefine fulfillment across industries.
About AutoStore:
AutoStore™ combines automation, software, and AI to enable Intelligent Fulfillment across the fulfillment lifecycle. Founded in Norway, we've grown into a global technology company. AutoStore uses advanced software to automate and orchestrate order fulfillment. Our goal is to ensure orders arrive faster than ever, with minimal environmental impact. That's how we help brands exceed customer expectations.
We have more than 1900 systems in over 65 countries, and we grow continuously as a community of employees, partners, customers, suppliers, and connected technologies. Automation should make life easier, and by listening carefully to our community, we innovate to meet the industry's most complex needs. With AutoStore™, brands gain speed, efficiency, and improved workplaces. And much more floor space.
AutoStore – moving things forward.
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